Application of toxicity identification evaluation procedures to the ambient waters of the colusa basin drain, California

Abstract Pesticides are applied to the rice fields in the Sacramento Valley to prevent the growth of plants, algae and insects that reduce rice yields. Following the pesticide application, field water is released into agricultural drains that in turn discharge into the Sacramento River and delta. Rice irrigation is the largest single use of irrigation water in the Sacramento Valley, and because the irrigation water (or rice return) flows are the primary source of drain effluent during the spring and summer (up to 33% of the total flow), these discharges can significantly affect drain water quality and resident aquatic organisms. Acute and chronic toxicity to freshwater organisms (Ceriodaphnia dubia) was observed in the drain water during the period that coincides with the initial draining of the fields in 1986, 1987 and 1988. In 1988, a toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) was conducted using Ceriodaphnia dubia in an effort to identify the cause of toxicity. Both methyl parathion and carbofuran were identified as possible toxicants. Mixture tests and chronic toxicity tests indicated that the concentrations of methyl parathion and carbofuran in the water sample account for the toxicity observed in Ceriodaphnia dubia.