Arsenic acid

Toxicity to terrestrial arthropods

Administrative data

Endpoint:

toxicity to terrestrial arthropods: long-term

Type of information:

migrated information: read-across from supporting substance (structural analogue or surrogate)

Adequacy of study:

key study

Study period:

1989

Reliability:

2 (reliable with restrictions)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: Study well documented with minor deviations: no measured data was realized during the experiment.

Cross-reference

Cross-reference 1

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

reference to same study

Cross-reference 2

Reason / purpose for cross-reference:

reference to other study

Data source

Reference

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Differential effects of arsenite and arsenate to Drosophila melanogaster in a combined adult/developmental toxicity assay

Author:

Goldstein S.H and Babich H.

Year:

1989

Bibliographic source:

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

no guideline followed

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Drosophila melanogaster were maintained into vials containing unamended and amended medium with arsenite and arsenate. Survival flies were counted at the end of the exposure period (3 weeks).

GLP compliance:

no

Application method:

contact

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Arsenate

IUPAC Name:

Arsenate

Constituent 2

Reference substance name:

Arsenite

IUPAC Name:

Arsenite

Details on test material:

- Name of test material (as cited in study report): Arsenite and Arsenate
- Molecular formula (if other than submission substance): NaAsO2 and Na2HAsO4

Specific details on test material used for the study:

Details on properties of test surrogate or analogue material (migrated information):
No details on properties of test surrogate or analogue material

Sampling and analysis

Analytical monitoring:

no

Details on sampling:

No details on sampling

Test substrate

Vehicle:

no

Details on preparation and application of test substrate:

No details on preparation and application of test substrate

Test organisms

Test organisms (species):

Drosophila melanogaster

Animal group:

Diptera (fruit fly (small))

Details on test organisms:

TEST ORGANISM
- Common name: Drosophila (wild type Oregon -R)
- Source: no data

ACCLIMATION
- Acclimation period: no data

Study design

Study type:

laboratory study

Limit test:

no

Total exposure duration:

3 wk

Remarks:

The cultures were maintained for 7 days and the survival flies wree scored. Viable adult flies were then discarded and the vials were maintained for another 2 weeks.

Post exposure observation period:

No post exposure observation period

Test conditions

Test temperature:

20°C

Humidity:

no data

Photoperiod and lighting:

no data

Details on test conditions:

TEST SYSTEM
- Test container (material, size): plastic vials (50 cm3)
- Amount of soil or substrate: no data
- No. of organisms per container (treatment): ten males and ten females
- No. of replicates per treatment group: 2
- No. of replicates per control: 2


OTHER TEST CONDITIONS
- Photoperiod: no data
- Light intensity: no data

EFFECT PARAMETERS MEASURED (with observation intervals if applicable) : survival, emergence

TEST CONCENTRATIONS
- Spacing factor for test concentrations: 1.5
- Range finding study: no range finding study

Nominal and measured concentrations:

0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5 and 2.0 mM (nominal concentrations)

Reference substance (positive control):

no

Results and discussion

Effect concentrations

Effect concentrations 1

Duration:

3 wk

Dose descriptor:

EC50

Effect conc.:

ca. 0.21 other: mM

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

development

Remarks on result:

other: additionnal results for arsenite exposure

Effect concentrations 2

Duration:

7 d

Dose descriptor:

LC50

Effect conc.:

ca. 0.54 other: mM

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

mortality

Remarks on result:

other: additionnal results for arsenite exposure

Effect concentrations 3

Duration:

3 wk

Dose descriptor:

EC50

Effect conc.:

ca. 0.45 other: mM

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

development

Remarks on result:

other: results based on arsenate concentrations

Effect concentrations 4

Duration:

7 d

Dose descriptor:

EC50

Effect conc.:

ca. 0.79 other: mM

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

mortality

Remarks on result:

other: results based on arsenate concentrations

Details on results:

After 4 days of exposure a reduction in survival of about 10% was noted for flies exposed to 0.25 to 0.75 mM arsenite or arsenate and of about 15 and 25% for flies exposed to 1.0mM arsenate and arsenite, respectively.
Reduction in the yield of adult flies in the developmental exposure was, apparently, not merely a reflection of the acute toxicities of the arsenics to the parental flies during their 7 day exposure. Thus, 0.25 mM arsenite or arsenate was not significantly toxic to the parental flies but in the developmental exposure assay these concentrations reduced the yield of the flies by about 60 and 40% respectively.

See the following figures in section 'Illustration (picture/graph)':
Figure 1: Survival of Drosophila melanogaster after 7 days of exposure to medium amended with varied concentrations of arsenite or arsenate
Figure 2: Reduction in the yield of Drosophila melanogaster by various concentrations of arsenite and arsenate

Results with reference substance (positive control):

No results with reference substance

Reported statistics and error estimates:

The data points on the toxicity curves are presented as the arithmetic mean ± standard error of the mean (Figure 1 and 2)

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Validity criteria fulfilled:

not applicable

Conclusions:

Under the test conditions, the 7d-LC50 and the 3wk-EC50 were 0.54 mM and 0.21 mM respectively.

Executive summary:

In a 7d-acute contact toxicity study and a 3wk developmental toxicity test, Drosophila melanogaster were exposed to arsenite and arsenate administered on instant drosophila medium at an application rate of 0 (control), 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.25, 1.5 and 2.0 mM. The 7d-LC50 and 3wk-EC50 values were 0.54 mM and 0.21 mM rspectively, based on arsenite concentrations.

 

Results Synopsis:

 

Test organisms and test organism age: Drosophila melanogaster

Test type: contact

 

For acute contact:

 

7d-LC₅₀:           0.54 mM        

3wk-EC50:        0.21 mM

Endpoint(s) Effected: survival, emergence