Arthur Bevenue

Pentachlorophenol: A discussion of its properties and its occurrence as a residue in human and animal tissues

Pentachlorophenol and its salts (primarily, the sodium salt) have many applications in industry and agriculture, with probably more varied uses than any other pesticide at this time. It has been used as a fungicide and/or a bactericide in the processing of cellulosic products, starches, adhesives, proteins, leather, oils, paints, and rubber; it has been incorporated into rug shampoos and textiles to control mildew problems; and it has been used in food processing plants to control mold and slime (Monsanto 1958, Dow 1962). It has also been added to fabrics for mothproofing, and derivatives, such as pentachlorophenyl laurate have been developed for this use because they have a greater resistance to dry cleaning and washing than pentachlorophenol and they are considered to have a lower toxicity risk to human beings (Hueck and La Brijn 1960, MOSS 1961). A recent United States patent granted the use of a mixture containing 80 percent of a pentachlorophenol fatty ester, one-to-ten percent of pentachlorophenol, and 0.5-to-ten percent of thymol for the protection of materials against biological attack (Read 1966). Pentachlorophenol has been used extensively in the construction and lumber industries and in homes to control mold and termite infestation, and for the control of powder post beetles and wood-boring insects (Monsanto 1958, Dow 1962, Carswell and Nason 1938, Carswell and Hatfield 1939). It has been applied in agriculture and around industrial sites as a weedicide and/or a preharvest desiccant (Monsanto 1958, Anonymous 1964) on pasture land (Grigsby and Farwell 1950), in the pineapple and sugarcane fields (Gordon 1956, Hilton 1966) and in the rice fields of Japan (Uede et al. 1962, Goto et al. 1963, Terai et al. 1964). A Japanese manufacturer added pentachlorophenol to soy sauce as a preservative Narahu et al. 1965 ) ; the practice was illegal according to the Japanese food laws (Suzuki 1963). Chloranil (tetrachloro-p-quinone), an oxidation product of pentachlorophenol, has been used as a fungicide under the trade name of “Spergon” to protect seeds and bulbs (Lane 1958).

The “bioconcentration” aspects of DDT in the environment

The term bioconcentration is not listed in any of the English language dictionaries; it is a compound word which combines the prefix bio, meaning life, and concentration, which means many things, but in the connotation of this text it refers to the accumulation of a pesticide in a living organism. Apparently, the word has been applied primarily to studies and discussions of the insecticide DDT and its metabolites as they occur and persist in the environment. The abundance of pesticide literature on this particular phase of the subject indicates that the term bioconcentration is a dirty word—that the presence of the pesticide in the soil, the waters, the air, the living organism, and the ecosystem in general is undesirable. In fact, one highly respected and world renowned authority in the pesticide field has concluded that the term has been ruined for scientific use.

A sensitive gas chromatographic method for the determination of pentachlorophenol in human blood

Abstract A method for the determination of pentachlorophenol residues in human blood has been designed which involves the simultaneous application of acid pH, mild heat, and agitation of the sample with benzene extractant for the isolation of the pesticide from blood. It is applicable to quantities of one milliliter or less of blood and the detectability limits of the pesticide are in the low parts per billion range.

A note on the effects of a temporary exposure of an individual to pentachlorophenol

The climate of Hawaii is favorable for termite propagation and, therefore, many households of the State include containers of pentachlorophenel formulations in their collection of insecticides for home use, for local spot control of occasional outbreaks of the pest. In spite of the intensive educational campaign that has been conducted recently to acquaint the public on the potential hazards of pesticides usage, needless accidents still occur. Such an incident is discussed below, and describes the misuse of an organic solvent material containing pentachloropbenol as a brush cleaner.

Separation of polychlorobiphenyls from chlorinated pesticides in sediment and oyster samples for analysis by gas chromatography

Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) have been separated from DDT and its analogs and from the other common chlorinated pesticides by adsorption chromatography on columns of alumina and charcoal. Elution from alumina columns with increasing fractional amounts of hexane first isolates dieldrin and heptachlor epoxide from a mixture of chlorinated pesticides and PCBs. The remaining fraction, when added to a charcoal column, can be separated into two fractions, one containing the chlorinated pesticides, the other containing the PCBs, by eluting with acetone-diethyl ether (25:75) and benzene, respectively. The PCBs and the pesticides are then determined by gas chromatography on the separate column eluates without cross interference. The method is applicable to sample extracts prepared for gas chromatography. Recoveries of the PCBs (Aroclors) and the chlorinated pesticides are good and the method is applicable to sediment and marine biota samples.

Analytical studies of pyrethrin formulations by gas chromatography

Commercial formulations of mixtures of pyrethrins, piperonyl butoxide, and n-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide were quantitatively measured by gas chromatography. The three active ingredients of the formulations were measured simultaneously using gas chromatographic columns containing the support Chromosorb W coated with either 3% or 5% SE-30 silicone. The individual pesticide components present in the formulations, ranging in amounts of 0.05 to 50.0% of the mixtures, could be measured within a reasonable degree of accuracy.

Analytical studies of pyrethrin formulations by gas chromatography : III. Analytical results on insecticidally active components of pyrethrins from various world sources

Abstract Gas chromatographic techniques were applied to studies of the insecticidally active esters of pyrethrum. Pyrethrin extracts from various world sources were compared. The greater potential importance of more definitive and precise results acquired by gas chromatography compared with results obtained by older classical procedures is illustrated and it is more evident when comparisons are made of the “tru” pyrethrin I and pyrethrin II ester fractions of the extracts. Results of this more precise nature should be of increased benefit to the pesticides formulator and to the insect toxicologist.

Potential problems with the use of distilled water in pesticide residue analyses

Abstract Precautions should be taken with distilled water that may be included in any scheme of analysis for pesticides, especially in the nanogram-picogram analytical range, to insure that the water has not been contaminated with organic components derived from the water distillation system. Ultimate analysis of the sample by gas chromatography, utilizing an electron capture detector, will record any contaminants present and they may confuse the interpretation of the pesticide analytical data. Preferably, an all-glass still unit which contains no plastic fittings of any type should be used. Some of the potential problems with distilled water that may occur if plastic or resin components are included in the distillation system are discussed in this report.

Gas chromatographic characteristics of chlordane : II. Observed compositional changes of the pesticide in aqueous and non-aqueous environments☆

Abstract Studies were made on the vaporization and adsorptive properties of chlordane when the pesticide was exposed to water and organic solvent environments. Within thirty days of exposure to water, the heptachlor component of chlordane was completely changed to 1-hydroxychlordene. Over a period of sixty days, water adsorbed increasing amounts of vaporized chlordane; the α-chlordane, γ-chlordane and nonachlor components of the pesticide were markedly stable. No apparent chemical changes in the pesticide were observed when it was exposed to an isooctane environment for an equivalent period of time; the more volatile components of chlordane were adsorbed to a greater degree in the organic solvent. Hexachlorocyclopentadiene, a component of chlordane, dissipated or degraded, with time, in water solution. However, in an organic solvent environment, this chemical displayed multi-component characteristics. Gas chromatography was used to observe the changes in the characteristics of the pesticide, with time, in aqueous and non-aqueous media.

The effect of the column support material on the gas chromatographic resolution of methyl parathion, ethyl parathon, ethyl paraoxon, malathion, and malaoxon☆

Abstract The gas chromatographic capabilities of commercially available solid supports produces from diatomaceous earths were compared, using QF-1 silicone (FS 1265, 10 000 centistokes) as the stationary liquid phase. The relative efficiencies of the columns were evaluated from the chromatographic data obtained with the orga- phosphate compounds methyl parathond, ethyl parathon, ethyl paraoxon, malathion, and malaoxon. The data indicated that commericial methods for the preparation of solid supports have improved, but not to a degree sufficient to assure reproducible results with different batches of the same type of support. Each new batch of support should be examined for density and adsorptive characteristics before it is considered as a replacement for the column previously used.