Toxicological mechanisms of a multicomponent agricultural seed protectant in the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Greene, M. W.; Kocan, R. M.

Ethylene glycol (EG) and thiram, an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor, are components of the seed protectant Vitavax-200. EG is a common solvent, thought to be nontoxic, whereas thiram, a dithiocarbamate known to be toxic to fish, is an active ingredient in Vitavax-200. When the toxicities of EG and thiram were investigated individually and as a mixture in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), a strong synergistic toxic effect was observed. Using a constant sublethal concentration of thiram, a 5- to 19-fold increase and a 2- to 2.4-fold increase in EG toxicity was observed in fathead minnow and rainbow trout, respectively. The toxicity of EG following pretreatment of rainbow trout with pyrazole, an alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitor, was decreased by 22% whereas pretreatment with cyanamide, an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor, increased toxicity 3.4-fold. The results indicate that thiram inhibits the complete metabolism of EG, resulting in the buildup of a toxic aldehyde intermediate and increasing the toxicity of EG.