72-43-5 Methoxychlor

Methoxychlor, a chemical closely related to DDT, has been used as an insecticide. The half-life for methoxychlor in water is rather short (46 days) and it is not considered to be persistent. Methoxychlor has been classified in the EPA s Group D (not classifiable). At high doses, methoxychlor has been shown to exhibit chronic toxic effects and has been detected in drinking water. 

Synonyms 1,1,1 -trichloro-2,2-bis( p-meth-oxyphenyl)ethane 2,2-bis( p-anisyl)-1,1, 

1 -trichloroethane 1,1 -bis( p-methoxy phe-nyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane p, p -dimeth-oxydiphenyltrichloroethane dimethoxy-DDT 

Crystalline solid melts at 78°C (172.4°F) insoluble in water, soluble in organic solvents. 

Low toxicity acute and chronic effects are much less serious than those of the structurally similar DDT skin absorption low may cause kidney damage on chronic exposure oral LD50 value (rats) 6000 mg/kg (ACGIH 1986) no evidence of carcinogenicity to animals or humans exposure limit TLV-TWA 10 mg/m (ACGIH, MSHA, and OSHA) RCRA Waste Number U247. 

Methoxychlor is a reproductive toxicant. Exposure of young adult male rats to methoxychlor reduced their serum testosterone levels (Murono et al. 2006). It metabolized in the liver into 2,2-bis(p-hydroxyphenyl)-l,l,l-trichloroethane and both methoxychlor and its metabolite were found to exhibit weak estrogenic and antiandrogenic activities. Flynn etal. (2005) have reported that long-term exposure to methoxychlor in diet altered the sexually dimorphic behavior in young rats of both sexes. The study indicated that consumption of sodium solution increased in rats from such exposure. The toxicity of methoxychlor, particularly in the central nervous system, may be attributed to its inhibition of brain mitochondrial respiration which probably is caused by an increased production of reactive oxygen species (Schuh et al. 2005). 

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Aldrin, chlordecone (Kepone), 2,4-D, DDT and metabolites, dieldrin, endosulfan, endrin, f]- and y-HCH (lindane), linuron, methoxychlor, mirex... 

Methoxychlor 0.04 0.04 Reproductive difficulties Runoff/leaching from insecticide used on fruits, vegetables, alfalfa, livestock... 

Willis GH, McDowell LL, SouthwickLM, et al. 1987. Methoxychlor and endosulfan concentrations in unit-source runoff and in channel flow of a complex watershed. Transactions of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers 30 394-399. 

Schwack W (1988) Photoinduced additions of pesticides to biomolecules. 2. Model reactions of DDT and methoxychlor with methyl oleate. J Agric Eood Chem 36 645-648. 

The degradation of DDT by organisms designated Aerobacter aerogenes (possibly Klebsiella aerogenes) (Wedemeyer 1967) (Figure 2.6), and the partial reductive dechlorination of methoxychlor by K. pneumoniae (Baarschers et al. 1982). 

Baarschers WH, AI Bharaty, J Elvish (1982) The biodegradation of methoxychlor by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Can J Microbiol 28 176-179. 

The size of the bacterial population increased, although there was no effect on the second-order rates of transformation of a number of compounds including phenol, and the agrochemicals propyl 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetate, methyl parathion and methoxychlor (Paris... 

Arsenic, methoxychlor, benzene hexachloride, ethylene chlorohydrin, carboii tetrachloride, DDT phenols... 

Chlorine makes up 50% or more of the weight of all the chlorinated hydrocarbons under consideration except methoxychlor, which contains 30%. Therefore, methods based on the determination of total chlorine appear appropriate. Such methods are not specific, however, and any other chlorine-containing organic compound will interfere. 

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