PARATHION-USE OF BLOOD CONCENTRATION TO DIAGNOSE MORTALITY OF FISH

Catfish, Ictalurus nebulosus (Le Sueur), were exposed to various concentrations of technical grade parathion dissolved in water for time periods of up to 30 days. Analyses of the blood revealed that the concentration of parathion in the blood and in the water is closely related, and can be used to predict death due to acute toxicity. Several methods of chemical analyses, including infrared spectra, demonstrate that the material is unaltered parathion and notparaoxon. The presence of unaltered parathion in the blood suggests that the metabolism of parathion in cold-blooded vertebrates, such as fish, should be studied further to determine if there is a significant accumulation in such animals. © 1969, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.