Exposure Of Bobwhite Quail And Cottontail Rabbits To Methyl Parathion

Bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) and cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus ftloridanus) collected before, during and after spraying operations using methyl parathion and toxaphene on cotton showed significant decreases in brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity levels, as determined by one-way analysis of variance. Inhibition from the pre-spray mean was 9.0 to 68.3% for quail brains, and 7.0 to 32.4% for rabbit brains. Results for plasma activities were similar, but generally more variable than brain values. Activities were also more variable during the spray season than either before or after.