Toxic Effects of Atrazine Herbicide on Caspian Kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum, Larvae

To determination the toxic effects of atrazine on Caspian kutum, the 96-h LC50 of atrazine was measured for newly hatched larvae as 18.53 ppm. Toxicity of atrazine herbicide on Caspian kutum larvae was investigated using concentrations: 9.25ppm, 4.62 ppm and 2.31 ppm for 7 days. Comparison of the length, weight and condition factor showed that no significant differences between atrazine exposed and control groups. The concentration of Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Cl- in whole body of larvae in control and atrazine exposure groups were measured and the results showed that concentrations of all these ions is higher in atrazine exposure group than control group. Results of the present study showed that atrazine could affect the ion compositions of the body even at sublethal concentration and acute exposure but at this kind of condition have no effects on growth parameters of the body.