Short-Term Effects of the Anti-sea Lice Therapeutant Emamectin Benzoate on Clam Worms (Nereis virens)

• Published in: Archives of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 74; no. 4; pp. 539 - 545
• Main Authors: McBriarty, G. J., Kidd, K. A., Burridge, L. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-05-2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animals; Aquaculture; Aquaculture - methods; Baits; Behavior, Animal - drug effects; Bioassays; Crustaceans; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Ecotoxicology - methods; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Fish; Fish feeds; Geologic Sediments; Ivermectin - analogs & derivatives; Ivermectin - analysis; Ivermectin - toxicity; Lice; Marine sediments; Monitoring/Environmental Analysis; Nereis; Pesticides; Pollution; Polychaeta - drug effects; Polychaeta - physiology; Salmon; Sand; Sediments; Soil Science & Conservation; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Worms
• ISSN: 0090-4341; 1432-0703
• DOI: 10.1007/s00244-017-0461-2

The polychaete
Nereis virens
occurs commonly in marine sediments, is widely distributed, and is a popular bait species, as well as a potential replacement for wild-caught fish in commercial fish feed preparations. It is being considered as a potential co-extractive species for culture in integrated multi-trophic aquaculture operations. However, it is not known whether pesticides or drugs used to treat sea lice on farmed salmon, such as emamectin benzoate (EB), would adversely affect cultured or wild worms, because these compounds may persist in the environment. To determine the potential effects of EB to
N. virens
, bioassays were performed wherein worms were exposed in sand for 30 days to a concentration of 400 µg/kg dw (nominal). While no treatment-related mortality occurred, significant decreases in worm mass and marked behavioral changes (lack of burrowing) were observed in EB-treated sand compared with controls. These lab-based observations suggest a potential hazard to worms at sites where EB treatments have occurred.