Effects of the Bacterial Insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) on a Stream Benthic Community

Commercial formulations of the insecticidal bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis var. kurstaki (Btk) are frequently sprayed over bodies of water. The hypothesis that Btk poses a threat to stream communities was tested using streamside, flow-through mesocosms which received water and invertebrate colonists from a second-order stream in southwestern British Columbia; low (50 BIU/ha) and high (≥ 5000 BIU/ha) treatment levels were contrasted with controls. There were no significant differences in the density or composition of benthos sampled 7 d after Btk application. The densities were highest in the high-dose mesocosms. There were no significant differences in emergence rate of adults due to treatment. During the 2.5-h treatment, there were marginally elevated drift rates of the mayfly Baetis when exposed to the solution, but these differences were negated during the remainder of the 24-h period. Leaf packs lost significantly more mass in controls than in high-dose mesocosms, but there were no significant differences in the numbers of macro-invertebrates on those leaf packs. There was no evidence that addition of Btk to stream mesocosms created adverse effects for this benthic community, even at > 100 times expected exposure rates.