ECOTOXICOLOGICAL IMPACT OF THREE PESTICIDES ON Eisenia fetida (CALIFORNIAN RED WORM) ON Allium cepa (ONION) CROP IN THE DISTRICT OF LURÍN, LIMA, PERU

The research evaluated the impact of three pesticides on Eisenia fetida in the cultivation of Allium cepa (onion) in the district of Lurín, Lima, Peru. The mean lethal dose values (LD₅₀) at 14 days, evasion percentage and food activity were evaluated as well as the exposure ratio of the toxic (TER) and the environmental risk coefficient (RQ) on pesticides zeta-cypermethrin, pendimethalin and profenofos based on ecotoxicological tests with E. fetida. The LD₅₀ values at an exposure time at 14 d for the three pesticides were: zeta-cypermethrin>profenofos>pendimethalin. A relationship with the dose of pesticides close to the LD₅₀ was calculated for the evasion and for food activity. TER value for the three pesticides was calculated which indicated no ecotoxicological impact for E. fetida. However, in the CR value, there were high risk values in the total, where zeta-cypermethrin indicated 92.77% of the environmental risk, while pendimethalin presented the lowest environmental risk with 0.09%. Within Peruvian legislation, these pesticides are still allowed to be used; hence, based on this research, it is suggested that zeta-cypermethrin be evaluated in more detail, because it was the only pesticide that presented a significant CR. In conclusion, zeta-cypermethrin causes an environmental impact on the onion crop in Lurin.