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Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology

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Attention for Chapter 4: Toxicity and residues of endosulfan isomers.
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Chapter title
Toxicity and residues of endosulfan isomers.
Chapter number 4
Book title
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Published in
Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, September 2004
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4419-9100-3_4
Pubmed ID
Book ISBNs
978-1-4612-6494-1, 978-1-4419-9100-3
Authors

Sutherland TD, Home I, Weir KM, Russell RJ, Oakeshott JG, Tara D. Sutherland, Irene Horne, Kahli M. Weir, Robyn J. Russell, John G. Oakeshott, Sutherland, Tara D., Horne, Irene, Weir, Kahli M., Russell, Robyn J., Oakeshott, John G.

Abstract

The continued availability of endosulfan is desirable for the production of cotton, and various other crops, because of its particular suitability for use in IPM and resistance management strategies. However, ongoing residue problems threaten the availability of the insecticide. Data described here suggest a beta-enriched insecticide is worthy of investigation as a useful alternative organochloride insecticide, having the advantages of reduced environmental and health concerns. The alpha-isomer of endosulfan is an order of magnitude more volatile than the beta-isomer, which is reflected in its initial rapid disappearance in the field. Approximately 70% of endosulfan is lost within 2 d of application due to volatilization. Based on volatilization kinetics, the volatilization of a beta-endosulfan formulation would be less than 5% that of commercial endosulfan. However, while it has been established that endosulfan vapor does lead to contamination of the riverine environment, this contamination is below residue levels recorded in rivers during the cotton growing season and, as such, reducing the volatility of the insecticide will only partially alleviate residue problems. Initial field trial results suggest that beta-endosulfan insecticide can achieve equivalent efficacy to commercial endosulfan at half the recommended label application rate; presumably this is a reflection of its containment on site in comparison to the more volatile commercial mix of isomers. An insecticide composed primarily of the beta-isomer would have reduced volatility and equivalent efficacy at lower application rates compared to the commercial mix of isomers, reducing offsite endosulfan residues. An important advantage of a beta-enriched insecticide would be its potential to minimize endosulfan residues in locally grown production animals. The predominant endosulfan residue in animal fat is endosulfate, accumulated after the animal ingests the metabolite while grazing on pastures contaminated by endosulfan spray drift. As the beta-isomer is oxidized on the surface of plants and by microbes at much lower rates than the alpha-isomer, endosulfate levels would be lower as a result of a contamination event with a beta-endosulfan-based insecticide compared to the commercial mix. Finally, acute toxicity against mammals of the alpha-isomer is more than three times that of the beta-isomer, and the neurotoxicity of the insecticide has been attributed to the alpha-isomer. Therefore, a beta-enriched insecticide will be less acutely and chronically toxic to agricultural workers than the commercially available insecticide. In conclusion, these properties suggest that the alpha-isomer contributes more significantly to the residue problems associated with the insecticide than the beta-isomer and that the use of a beta-isomer-based insecticide would reduce residue problems yet retain the advantages to IPM and resistant management strategies unique to the current endosulfan formulation.

Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 25 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 25 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 7 28%
Researcher 4 16%
Student > Doctoral Student 2 8%
Student > Postgraduate 2 8%
Student > Master 2 8%
Other 4 16%
Unknown 4 16%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Environmental Science 5 20%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 4 16%
Chemistry 3 12%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 2 8%
Computer Science 2 8%
Other 4 16%
Unknown 5 20%