The influence of organic matter (OM) content on alpha-cypermethrin porewater concentrations and springtail Folsomia candida accumulation was investigated in two soils with different levels of organic matter, a forest soil with a total organic carbon (TOC) content of 5.0% (OM=11.5%) and an agricultural soil with a TOC content of 1.3% (OM=4.0%). Also, the effects of alpha-cypermethrin concentrations in soil and pore water and the influence of soil aging on springtail reproduction were investigated. Springtail reproduction was severely affected by increasing alpha-cypermethrin in soil with 1.3% TOC; the median effective concentration value (EC50) was estimated to 23.4 mg/kg (dry wt). Reproduction was only marginally affected in the soil with 5.0% TOC, and no EC50 value could be estimated. However, when expressing alpha-cypermethrin accumulation as a function of soil alpha-cypermethrin concentrations, no difference was found between the two soil types, and no additional alpha-cypermethrin uptake was observed at soil concentrations above approximately 200 mg/kg (dry wt). By using solid-phase microextraction (SPME), it could be demonstrated that alpha-cypermethrin porewater concentrations were higher in the soil with low organic matter (LOM) content than in the soil with high organic matter (HOM) content. Furthermore, a clear relationship was found between alpha-cypermethrin concentrations in springtails and porewater. Soil aging was not found to exert any effect on alpha-cypermethrin toxicity toward springtails. The study indicates that the springtail's accumulation of alpha-cypermethrin and reproduction is governed by alpha-cypermethrin porewater concentrations rather than the total alpha-cypermethrin concentration in soil.
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