31P MAS NMR: a useful tool for the evaluation of VX natural weathering in various urban matrixes

The fate of chemical warfare agent VX (O-ethyl S-[2-(diisopropylamino)ethyl] methylphosphonothioate) in various urban matrixes was monitored utilizing 31P MAS NMR. Chosen matrixes represent buildings, roads, pavement, and earth found in urban environments. In view of the high toxicity of VX, solid state NMR afforded a fairly safe experimental mode, omitting any chance for evaporation. Moreover, due to the nondestructive nature of these experiments, measurements could be repeated over and over using the same samples. Degradation rates of VX were obtained and compared to provide a list of relative reactivity toward VX: concrete >> desert sand > beach sand > asphalt approximately to bitumen sheet. Chemical interactions between VX, its degradation products, and the matrixes were often expressed by widening of the peaks to the extent that mass balance could not be achieved. It is noteworthy that these experiments were usually carried out on crushed or milled specimens, allowing high reactivity and rapid reactions.

[Degradation-detoxification behavior of methamidophos in phaiozem and burozem rhizosphere]

With plastic rhizobox system, this paper studied the degradation behavior of methamidophos in the rhizosphere and non-rhizosphere of phaiozem and burozem planted with soybean. The results suggested that methamidophos could be rapidly decomposed in soil environment despite its higher acute toxicity, and its residual amount in phaiozem was generally below the level in burozem under same condition. In the absence of soybean (control), the residual amount of methamidophos at the 2nd day of incubation was about 33% in burozem, whereas only about 26% in phaiozem. An accelerated degradation of methamidophos in soybean rhizospheric soil was observed, especially in phaiozem. At the 9th day of incubation, the insecticide residue in the middle rhizobox phaiozem and burozem with soybean was decreased by 87.5% and 76.0%, respectively, compared with that of the control. The degradation process of methamidophos in soil environment followed the first-order equation, and its half-life was about 2 days.

Non-specific biodegradation of the organophosphorus pesticides, cadusafos and ethoprophos, by two bacterial isolates

An enrichment culture technique was used for the isolation of microorganisms responsible for the enhanced biodegradation of the nematicide cadusafos in soils from a potato monoculture area in Northern Greece. Mineral salts medium supplemented with nitrogen (MSMN), where cadusafos (10 mg l(-1)) was the sole carbon source, and soil extract medium (SEM) were used for the isolation of cadusafos-degrading bacteria. Two pure bacterial cultures, named CadI and CadII, were isolated and subsequently characterized by sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. Isolate CadI showed 97.4% similarity to the 16S rRNA gene of a Flavobacterium strain, unlike CadII which showed 99.7% similarity to the 16S rRNA gene of a Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Both isolates rapidly metabolized cadusafos in MSMN and SEM within 48 h with concurrent population growth. This is the first report for the isolation and characterization of soil bacteria with the ability to degrade rapidly cadusafos and use it as a carbon source. Degradation of cadusafos by both isolates was accelerated when MSMN was supplemented with glucose. In contrast, addition of succinate in MSMN marginally reduced the degradation of cadusafos. Both isolates were also able to degrade completely ethoprophos, a nematicide chemical analog of cadusafos, but did not degrade the other organophosphorus nematicides tested such as isazofos and isofenphos. Inoculation of a soil freshly treated with cadusafos or ethoprophos (10 mg l(-1)) with high inoculum densities (4.3 x 10(8) cells g(-1)) of Sphingomonas paucimobilis resulted in the rapid degradation of both nematicides. These results indicate the potential of this bacterium to be used in the clean-up of contaminated pesticide waste in the environment.

Activation of phosphorothionate pesticides based on a cytochrome P450 BM-3 (CYP102 A1) mutant for expanded neurotoxin detection in food using acetylcholinesterase biosensors

A novel enzymatic in vitro activation method for phosphorothionates has been developed to allow their detection with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) biosensors. Activation is necessary because this group of insecticides shows nearly no inhibitory effect toward AChE in their pure nonmetabolized form. In contrast, they exert a strong inhibitory effect on AChE after oxidation as it takes place by metabolic activation in higher organisms. Standard chemical methods to oxidize phosphorothionates showed inherent disadvantages that impede their direct use in food analysis. In contrast, a genetically engineered triple mutant of P450 BM-3 (CYP102 A1) could convert the two frequently used insecticides parathion and chlorpyrifos into their oxo variants as was confirmed by GC/MS measurements. The wild-type protein was unable to do so. In the case of chlorpyrifos, the enzymatic activation was as good as the chemical oxidation. In the case of parathion, the P450 activation was more efficient than the oxidation by NBS but neither activation method yielded an AChE inhibition that was as high as with paraoxon. The application of the method to infant food in combination with a disposable AChE biosensor enabled detection of chlorpyrifos and parathion at concentrations down to 20 microg/kg within an overall assay time of 95 min.

Microbial degradation of the organophosphate pesticide, Ethion

The organophosphate pesticide, Ethion, remains a major environmental contaminant in rural Australia and poses a significant threat to environmental and public health. The aerobic degradation of Ethion by mesophilic bacteria isolated from contaminated soils surrounding disused cattle dip sites was investigated. Two isolates, identified as Pseudomonas and Azospirillum species, were capable of biodegrading Ethion when cultivated in minimal salts medium. The abiotic hydrolytic degradation products of Ethion such as Ethion Dioxon and O,O-diethylthiosphosphate were not detected. The data suggest the rapid degradation of Ethion to support microbial growth. The results have implications for the development of a bioremediation strategy.

Enhanced microbial degradation of cadusafos in soils from potato monoculture: demonstration and characterization

Rapid degradation of cadusafos was evident in soils collected from previously-treated field sites from a potato monoculture area in northern Greece. The slower degradation of cadusafos observed in corresponding antibiotic-treated soils as well as in soils from an adjacent previously-untreated field demonstrated the microbial involvement in the rapid degradation of cadusafos in the soils from the previously-treated sites. Application of the non-specific antibacterial antibiotic chloramphenicol or of the Gram+ bacteria-inhibiting antibiotics penicillin + lyncomycin + vancomycin significantly inhibited the rapid biodegradation of cadusafos suggesting that soil bacteria and probably Gram+ bacteria are mainly responsible for the rapid biodegradation of cadusafos in the specific soil. Further experiments showed that the bacterial population of the cadusafos-adapted soil was also able to rapidly degrade the chemically related nematicide ethoprophos but not fenamiphos and oxamyl. This is the first report of the occurrence of enhanced biodegradation of cadusafos in potato fields. In addition, the finding of cross-enhancement between cadusafos and ethoprophos significantly reduces the number of available chemicals which could be alternated to prevent the development of enhanced biodegradation and thus intensifies the problem in potato monoculture areas like the one in northern Greece.

[Effect of organophosphorous insecticides on Chinese chive insect pests and their degradation by pesticide-degrading bacterium]

3.00 kg(a. i) x hm(-2) phoxin and 2.63 kg(a. i) x hm(-2) methyl parathion were respectively applied to control the Taeniothrips alliorum on Chinese chive. Compared to no pesticide treatment, the decline rate of the insect density was 98.28% and 98.39% at the 3rd day after spraying pesticides, and 89.94% and 94.04% at the 20th day after spraying pesticides, respectively. At the 3rd day after spraying 15.00, 18.00 and 21.00 kg(a. i) x hm(-2) phoxin, the insect density of Bradysia odoriphaga decreased 80.77%, 93.10% and 96.98%, and at the 35th day after spraying, it decreased 92.44%, 95.05% and 96.81%, respectively. The application of pesticide-degrading bacterium had not any effect on controlling insect pests, but could markedly degrade pesticide. At the 3rd day after spraying 45.00 L x hm(-2) pesticide-degrading bacterium to control Taeniothrips alliorum, the degradion rate of phoxin and methyl parathion was 99.52% and 98.83%, and at the 3rd after spraying 75.00 L x hm(-2) pesticide-degrading bacterium to control Bradysia odoriphaga, the degradation rate of three concentrations of phoxin was 100%, 100% and 99.69%, respectively.

[Interaction between chlopyrifos and microorganisms in soils]

The experimental results showed that in sterilized soils, the degradation rate of 50 mg x kg(-1), 500 mg x kg(-1) and 5,000 g x kg(-1) chlopyrifos was very slow (only 20% after 60 d), and in soils which previously treated with chlopyrifos, the degradation rate of 50 mg x kg(-1), 500 mg x kg(-1) and 5,000 mg x kg(-1) chlopyrifos was 100%, 90% and 80%, respectively. However, in un-sterilized and untreated soils, the degradation rate was at the medium of the rates mentioned-above, indicating that soil microorganisms played an important role in chlopyrifos degradation, and using chlopyrifos could induce the chlopyrifos degrading ability of soil microorganisms. Compared to the soils untreated with chlopyrifos, the soils treated with 50 mg x kg(-1) and 500 mg x kg(-1) chlopyrifos had somewhat increased bacteria and fungi during a short period of treatment, which recovered to normal level after 60 days. But, when treated with 5,000 mg x kg(-1) chlopyrifos, the bacteria and fungi were inhibited, and couldn't recover after 60 days. Under the same treatment condition, the number of bacteria and fungi was not different between soils previously treated and untreated with chlopyrifos, which indicated that enhanced degradation of chlopyrifos was not decided by the numbers of bacteria and fungi, but by their ability of enhanced degradation.

Identification of factors responsible for insecticide resistance in Helicoverpa armigera

Moth larvae (Helicoverpa armigera Hübner) collected from field crops were tested for resistance to cypermethrin, fenvalerate, endosulfan, monocrotophos and quinolphos. Larvae were treated with a dose of the pesticide that would kill 99% of the susceptible insects. The percent survival of the resistant strains was determined. Highest seasonal average percentage survival was recorded by fenvalerate (65.0%) followed by cypermethrin (62.4%). Acetylcholinesterase of resistant larvae was less sensitive to monocrotophos and methyl paraoxon. Resistant larvae showed higher activities of esterases, phosphatases and methyl paraoxon hydrolase compared with susceptible larvae. The presence of high activity of esterases was attributed to appearance of extra bands of esterases in native PAGE. The presence of P-glycoprotein expression was detected in resistant larvae using P-gp antibodies; this was not detected in the susceptible larvae. Our results indicate that the high level of resistance detected in the field pests could be because of a combined effect of decreased sensitivity to AChE, higher levels of esterases, phosphatases and the expression of P-gp.

Persistence and residual activity of an organophosphate, pirimiphos-methyl, and three IGRs, hexaflumuron, teflubenzuron and pyriproxyfen, against the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)

Three insect growth regulators (IGR), the chitin synthesis inhibitors (CSI) teflubenzuron and hexaflumuron and the juvenile hormone mimic (JHM) pyriproxyfen, as well as the organophosphate (OP) pirimiphos-methyl, were evaluated for their activity against the cowpea weevil, Callosobruchus maculatus (F), in cowpea seeds stored for up to 8 months post-treatment. The initial activity data showed that, based on LC50 level, teflubenzuron had strong ovicidal activity (LC50 = 0.056 mg kg(-1)) followed by pirimiphos-methyl (1.82 mg kg(-1)) and pyriproxyfen (91.9 mg kg(-1)). The residual activity data showed that none of the IGRs tested had strong activity when applied at 200 mg kg(-1) in reducing the oviposition rates of C maculatus at various storage intervals up to 8 months post-treatment. However, teflubenzuron reduced adult emergence (F1 progeny), achieving control ranging from 96.2% at 1 month to 94.3% at 8 months. Hexaflumuron showed a similar trend in its residual activity, ranging between 93.8% control at 1 month to 88.2% control at 8 months post-treatment. However, pyriproxyfen was more active than the CSIs tested and caused complete suppression (100% control) of adult emergence at all storage intervals. Unlike the IGRs tested, pirimiphos-methyl applied at 25 mg kg(-1) was more effective in reducing oviposition rates of C maculatus up to 8 months post-treatment. A strong reduction of adult emergence was also observed at various bimonthly intervals (98.6% control at 1 month to 91.6% control at 8 months post-treatment). The persistence of hexaflumuron and pirimiphos-methyl in cowpea seeds was also studied over a period of 8 months. The loss of hexaflumuron residue in treated cowpeas (200 mg kg(-1)) was very slow during the first month post-treatment (4.43%). At the end of 8 months, the residue level had declined significantly to 46.4% of the initial applied rate. The loss of pirimiphos-methyl residue in treated cowpeas (25 mg kg(-1)) was relatively high during the first month post-treatment (36.7%) and increased to 81.6% after 8 months.

Combining SBR systems for chemical and biological treatment: the destruction of the nerve agent VX

The US Army is pilot testing the neutralization of VX nerve agent stockpiled at Newport, Indiana using caustic hydrolysis in a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR). The resulting hydrolysate was tested at the bench-scale for treatment with activated sludge biodegradation in two distinct studies, one in the SBR and another, in the PACT process. The feed to both biological systems was pretreated to enhance the biodegradability of the hydrolysis products. Both biodegradation studies demonstrated that the hydrolysate could easily meet the Chemical Weapons Convention treaty and US environmental regulations following pretreatment.

Study of the mechanism ofFlavobacteriumsp. for hydrolyzing organophosphate pesticides

The biotransformation by Flavobacterium sp. of the following organophosphate pesticides was experimentally and theoretically studied: phorate, tetrachlorvinphos, methyl-parathion, terbufos, trichloronate, ethoprophos, phosphamidon, fenitrothion, dimethoate and DEF. The Flavobacterium sp. ATCC 27551 strain bearing the organophosphate-degradation gene was used. Bacteria were incubated in the presence of each pesticide for a duration of 7 days. Parent pesticides were identified and quantified by means of a gas-chromatography mass spectrum system. Activity was considered as the amount (micromol) of each pesticide degraded by Flavobacterium sp. Also, structural parameters obtained by means of the CAChe program package for biomolecules, the reactivity index of phosphorus, of oxygen at the P = O function and of sulfur at the P = S function, and lipophilicity (log Poct) (ALOGPS v. 2.0) were obtained for each pesticide. Pesticides were hydrolyzed at the bond between phosphorous and the heteroatom, producing phosphoric acid and three metabolites. Enzymatic activity was significantly explained by the following multiple linear relationship: Enzymatic activity = 162.2 - 9.5(dihedral angle energy) - 25.0(Total energy) - 0.51(Molecular weight). Finally, a mechanism of Flavobacterium sp. to hydrolyze pesticides was proposed.

Degradation of VX and sulfur mustard by enzymatic haloperoxidation

Chloroperoxidase (CPO) isolated from Caldariomyces fumago (20 U ml(-1)) together with urea hydrogenperoxide (UPER, 0.5 mM) and sodium chloride as co-substrate (NaCl, 0.5 M) caused rapid breakdown of VX (10 microM) (t((1/2)) = 8 s, 25 C, 50 mM tartarate, pH 2.75). Glucose oxidase (GOX, Aspergillus niger) and glucose were used as an alternative source for H(2)O(2). A mixture of GOX (20 U ml(-1)), glucose (GLU 0.45 M), CPO (20 U ml(-1)) and NaCl (0.5 M) caused a 3.8-fold slower degradation of VX (10 microM) (t((1/2)) = 30 s, 25 C, 50 mM tartarate, pH 2.75). The concentrations of H(2)O(2) and chlorine produced by this enzyme/substrate mixture depended mainly on the GLU concentration. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) together with UPER (1 mM) and sodium iodide (NaI, 0.05 M) caused progressive degradation of VX that was more than 400-fold slower than with CPO (20 U ml(-1)), UPER (0.5 mM) and NaCl (0.5 M) (t((1/2)) = 55 min, 25 C, pH 8). Skin decontamination of VX by CPO was tested in pig-ear skin in vitro. The chemical agent VX (0.01 M, 100 microl) was degraded by 98% within 3 h of skin diffusion when a mixture of UPER/NaCl/CPO was applied 60 min prior to VX application. A mixture of UPER/NaCl without CPO also caused significant VX degradation (94%) during skin diffusion whereas it did not cause any VX degradation in solution. Degradation of VX in skin, obtained without exogenous CPO, may indicate involvement of endogenous intradermal haloperoxidase-like enzyme. Reagent UPER (1 mM) did not cause any degradation of VX in solution or during its skin diffusion. Furthermore, a mixture of CPO, UPER and NaCl caused rapid degradation of sulfur mustard (HD). Sulfur mustard (50 microM) incubated in the presence of CPO (4 U ml(-1)), UPER (0.05 M) and NaCl (0.5 M) at pH 2.75 and 30 C was oxidized by 97% and 99% within 5 and 10 min, respectively. The oxidation products HD sulfoxide, HD sulfone and HD sulfoxidevinyl were identified by GC/MS in the enzymatic chloroperoxidation mixture.

[Degradation of fenpropathrin, phoxim and their mixture by soil microbes]

The degradation rates of fenpropathrin, phoxim and their mixture in un-sterilized soil were much quicker than those in sterilized soil, which indicated that soil microorganisms played a significant role in the degradation process in soil. The half-life (T0.5) in un-sterilized soil was 56.2 d for fenpropathrin, 57.8 d for mixed fenpropathrin, 48.2 d for phoxim, and 41.7 d for mixed phoxim. The corresponding half-life (T0.5) in sterilized soil was 135.1 d, 147.3 d, 123.6 d, and 126.2 d, respectively. There were no significant differences for degradation rates between single use and mixed use of fenpropathrin and phoxim.

Pirimiphos-methyl and benalaxyl losses in surface runoff from plots cultivated with potatoes

Abstract: Losses of pirimiphos-methyl and benalaxyl in runoff water from clay soil plots cultivated with potatoes and of differing soil surface slopes were determined over approximately 120 days (1 October 1999-28 January 2000). The plot slopes were 0, 1, 2.5 and 5%, and soil erosion increased with the slope from 610 to 1760kgha(-1). The runoff of surface water was between 3.1 and 16.6% of the rainfall. Surface runoff was highest for the fifth and seventh runoff events due to rainfall, 51 days and 72 days after the first pesticide application. The maximum concentrations of the two pesticides in runoff occurred in the plots with the greatest slope (5%) during the fifth runoff event, November 21, 1999 reaching 8.4 and 12.3 microg litre(-1) for pirimiphos-methyl and 17.8 and 20.2 microg litre(-1) for benalaxyl in tilled and untilled plots respectively. The cumulative losses of pirimiphos-methyl in surface runoff from tilled and untilled plots with a slope 5% were estimated at only 0.37 and 0.59% of the initial applied active ingredient, respectively, while for plots with a slope 0% the percentages were 0.013 and 0.018%. For benalaxyl the corresponding values from tilled and untilled plots were 1.69 and 1.76% (slope 5%), and 0.062 and 0.085 (slope 0%). Degradation of the pesticides in the topsoil was monitored from October 1999 and May 2000. Cultivation of potatoes decreased the half-life of the two pesticides compared to the untilled fields, for pirimiphos-methyl from 16.7 to 9.2 days and for benalaxyl from 26.7 to 12.6 days. The slope of soil surface and the different sorption capacities for the compounds are the main parameters which influenced the transportation of studied pesticides, pirimiphos-methyl and benalaxyl residues via surface water in soil-water systems.

Short-term assay for the identification of neurotoxic compounds and their liver derived stable metabolites

The release of stable neurotoxic metabolites from liver after metabolic activation of xenobiotics can be investigated in cultures of primary rat hepatocytes as metabolic activation system and embryonic chicken brain cell cultures as target. It was shown that adult rat hepatocyte cell cultures are a reliable bioactivating system for xenobiotics such as cyclophosphamide and isophenphos resulting in the release of stable metabolites into the supernatant. The cultured embryonic chicken brain cells were able to discriminate between the toxicity of parent drugs and its metabolite(s) and between metabolites with an unspecific cytotoxic activity (cyclophosphamide) and metabolites with a high potential to damage specific nerve cell population(s) (isophenphos). The observed neurotoxicity of the isophenphos metabolites is not an acute effect but induced only after a prolonged exposure period. The present study provides evidence that the subsequent use of hepatocytes and brain cell cultures has the potential to be used as an in vitro screening system for the identification of specific and non-specific neurotoxic compounds. Solely stable metabolites are taken into account, since in the in vivo situation only stable metabolites have a change to reach the nervous system. Our data suggest that the present approach is able to discriminate (a) between cell-type and organ specific toxicity, (b) between neurotoxicity derived after long-term or acute exposure, and (c) between the neurotoxicity induced by the native test compound or stable metabolites.

Regulation of site-specific recombination by the C-terminus of lambda integrase

Site-specific recombination catalyzed by bacteriophage lambda integrase (Int) is essential for establishment and termination of the viral lysogenic life cycle. Int is the archetype of the tyrosine recombinase family whose members are responsible for DNA rearrangement in prokaryotes, eukaryotes and viruses. The mechanism regulating catalytic activity during recombination is incompletely understood. Studies of tyrosine recombinases bound to their target substrates suggest that the C-termini of the proteins are involved in protein-protein contacts that control the timing of DNA cleavage events during recombination. We investigated an Int truncation mutant (W350) that possesses enhanced topoisomerase activity but greater than 100-fold reduced recombination activity. Alanine scanning mutagenesis of the C-terminus indicates that two mutants, W350A and I353A, cannot perform site-specific recombination although their DNA binding, cleavage and ligation activities are at wild-type levels. Two other mutants, R346A and R348A, are deficient solely in the ability to cleave DNA. To explain these results, we have constructed a homology-threaded model of the Int structure using a Cre crystal structure. We propose that residues R346 and R348 are involved in orientation of the catalytic tyrosine that cleaves DNA, whereas W350 and I353 control and make intermolecular contacts with other Int proteins in the higher order recombination structures known as intasomes. These results suggest that Int and the other tyrosine recombinases have evolved regulatory contacts that coordinate site-specific recombination at the C-terminus.

Thrombin (PAR-1)-induced proliferation in astrocytes via MAPK involves multiple signaling pathways

Protease-activated receptors (PARs), newly identified members of G protein-coupled receptors, are widely distributed in the brain. Thrombin evokes multiple cellular responses in a large variety of cells by activating PAR-1, -3, and -4. In cultured rat astrocytes we investigated the signaling pathway of thrombin- and PAR-activating peptide (PAR-AP)-induced cell proliferation. Our results show that PAR activation stimulates proliferation of astrocytes through the ERK pathway. Thrombin stimulates ERK1/2 phosphorylation in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. This effect can be fully mimicked by a specific PAR-1-AP but only to a small degree by PAR-3-AP and PAR-4-AP. PAR-2-AP can induce a moderate ERK1/2 activation as well. Thrombin-stimulated ERK1/2 activation is mainly mediated by PAR-1 via two branches: 1) the PTX-sensitive G protein/(betagamma-subunits)-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase branch, and 2) the G(q)-PLC-(InsP(3) receptor)/Ca2+ -PKC pathway. Thrombin- or PAR-1-AP-induced ERK activation is partially blocked by a selective EGF receptor inhibitor, AG1478. Nevertheless, transphosphorylation of EGF receptor is unlikely for ERK1/2 activation and is certainly not involved in PAR-1-induced proliferation. The metalloproteinase mechanism involving transactivation of the EGF receptor by released heparin-binding EGF was excluded. EGF receptor activation was detected by the receptor autophosphorylation site, tyrosine 1068. Our data suggest that thrombin-induced mitogenic action in astrocytes occurs independently of EGF receptor transphosphorylation.

Activated transformations of organophosphorus insecticides in the case of non-AChE inhibitory oxons

Many organophosphorus (OP) compounds are of the thiono form and in insects or animals are converted by microsomal mixed function oxidases (MFO) into the oxon forms which inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and give toxic activity. However, certain S-alkyl phosphorothiolates (RS-P(O) <) such as methamidophos, profenophos and prothiophos oxon are strongly insecticidal, but very poor inhibitors of AChE in vitro. Their oxons are converted further to the S-oxides, which either inhibit AChE or decompose, depending on the alkyl substituents on the sulfur atom. It is also inferred in the case of prothiophos oxon that its S-oxide not only inhibits AChE but also conjugates with glutathione (GSH) by the action of glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the conjugate inhibits AChE. Certain phosphoramidates (R2N-P(O) <) such as isofenphos oxon, schradan and propetamphos oxon are weak AChE inhibitors, but strongly insecticidal. It is well known that isofenphos oxon is converted into the stable N-desalkyl form (H2N-P(O) <) by oxidative dealkylation to inhibit AChE. The authors have studied activation of phosphoramidates using 2,4-dichlorophenyl methyl N-alkylphosphoramidates as model compounds using various approaches including computational chemistry, and these studies indicated that the O-aminophosphate structure (R2N-O-P(O) <) is an activated form.

Fate of methidathion residues in biological waste during anaerobic digestion

The aim of this study was to examine the fate of the organothiophosphorus pesticide methidathion during anaerobic digestion of biological waste. Three reactor experiments were conducted under various conditions of temperature, pH and retention time. The influence of pH and temperature as well as the partitioning between solid and aqueous phase were studied in batch experiments. The mesophilic (25, 35 degrees C) reactor experiments showed a decline to about 10% of the maximum methidathion concentration within 30-80 d. In the thermophilic (55 degrees C) reactor experiment, methidathion disappeared within 20 d. The batch experiments showed an abiotic hydrolysis of methidathion over the experiment period of 4 d, accelerated by alkaline conditions (pH 10.5 and 12.8) and high temperatures (55 degrees C). The hydrolysis was also noticeable at a neutral pH, while methidathion was most stable at weakly acid pH values. Methidathion bonded strongly to the biological waste, and the amount released into the water phase was below the maximum aqueous solubility. About 10% of methidathion remained non-extractable. High concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and yeast extract as a model substance for disintegrated cells further reduced the content of methidathion in the water phase, possibly caused by co-sorption to the solid organic matter.

LC-MS determination of oxydemeton-methyl and its main metabolite demeton-S-methylsulfon in biological specimens--application to a forensic case

A sensitive method for the identification and quantitation of the organophosphate insecticide oxydemeton-methyl and its metabolite demeton-S-methylsulfon from human blood and various tissue samples has been established. After solid-phase extraction using C18 cartridges the extracts were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with mass selective detection (Finnigan MAT LCQ). The method was completely validated. The limit of detection is 1 ng/g blood for the parent substance oxydemeton-methyl and 2 ng/g blood for the metabolite demeton-S-methylsulfon. This method was applied for the analysis of blood and tissue samples of a 58-year-old man who died after the intake of Metasystox R-Spezial, a product from Bayer containing oxydemeton-methyl. Because of a prolonged interval between the ingestion and death, the concentrations of oxydemeton-methyl and demeton-S-methylsulfon were very low. Although the body was already putrefied when the autopsy was performed, the chromatograms of blood and tissue samples were free of interfering peaks.

Adsorption-desorption studies of alachlor, metolachlor, EPTC, chlorothalonil and pirimiphos-methyl in contrasting soils

Five soils with different organic matter contents ranging from 0.48 to 10.4% were used to study the adsorption and desorption of alachlor, metolachor, EPTC, chlorothalonil and pirimiphos-methyl in batch experiments. The isotherm shapes according to Giles classification were S-type for alachlor, metolachlor and chlorothalonil, changing to L-type for the latter as the level of soil organic matter increased, and L-type for EPTC and pirimiphos-methyl. The adsorption isotherms fitted the Freundlich equation x/m = KfCe1/n. The Kf values increased with the increase of organic matter content. The amounts of pesticides adsorbed over a range of concentrations of 0.1-20 mg litre-1 reached 63.1% for alachlor, 69.2% for metolachlor, 89.3% for EPTC, 98.4% for chlorothalonil and 96.3% for pirimiphos-methyl. The increase of the amounts desorbed with acetone indicated that the sorption of organic compounds onto organic matter occurred principally via weak London-type induction forces, or dispersion forces which are characteristics of the physical adsorption process.