Sensitivity of cholinesterase activity in juvenile giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii de Man, 1879) to organophosphate diazinon

Pesticides containing diazinon are frequently used in agriculture in the Vietnamese Mekong delta region leading to their potential residual occurrence in the environment. Under laboratory conditions, exposure to diazinon has been shown to result in adverse inhibition of cholinesterase enzyme (ChE) activity and subsequent death in several fish species. This study investigated a 96-h median lethal concentration (LC50) of diazinon concentrations from 0.08 to 1.25 mg/L on juvenile giant freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii de Man, 1879) in tanks in the laboratory. Inhibition of ChE in the flesh and in the eyes of the tested shrimps after exposed to diazinon concentrations of 2.7, 27, 67.5 μg/L equivalent to 1%, 10%, 25% LC50–96 h was calculated. The results indicated that diazinon was highly toxic to giant freshwater prawn with a low LC50–96 h of 270 μg/L. The activity of ChE in the flesh was more sensitive to diazinon than that in the eyes. Furthermore, in the future, the activity of ChE in the flesh or in the eyes of shrimps has potential to be used as biomarker for rapid recognition of diazinon contamination in water. •Biomarker of exposure and effects of organophosphate pesticide.