Biocides organophosphates

The TGD (EC 2003) contains a section on specific system/organ toxicity, which includes a section concerning guidance on investigation of neurotoxicity and EU-specific risk assessment. Eor the evaluation of organophosphate pesticides, it has been agreed to use the WHO/FAO JMPR recommendations (FAO 1998, 1999) (Section 4.7.7.3.1) as the applicability of these recommendations also can be extended to biocides and new/existing substances. 

Biocides most often found in the indoor environment are chlorinated hydrocarbons like chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, lindane, heptachlor and methoxychlor, pyrethroids like cyfluthrin, cypermethrin, and permethrin, organophosphates like chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dichlorvos, isofenfos, and malathion, carbamates like ben-diocarb, carbaryl and propoxur and chlorophenols like pentachlorophenol (PCP), chlorocresol (4-chloro-3-methylphenol) and o-phenylphenol. Residues formed in house dust may vary in different countries (Butte, 2003), but biocides like chlorpyrifos, DDT, methoxychlor, permethrin, pentchlorophenol and propoxur seem to be the active compounds in biocide formulations even in different continents, as they are found equally in house dust samples form Germany and the USA (Becker et al., 2002 Butte, 2003 Camann, Colt and Zuniga, 2002). Concentrations of biocides in house dust are mostly in the milligram per kilogram range, they seldom exceed a microgram per cubic meter in indoor air. 

A short review of methods for the analysis of biocides in household dust is given in Table 3.5-2. Most methods use either toluene or ethyl acetate for the extraction of organic compounds. In some cases, especially for methods having low detection limits, an additional clean-up with Florisil or silica gel is added. Methods of quantifying the substances of interest in the (cleaned) extract are either GC-ECD or GC-MS. All procedures are rather similar for carbamates, organochlorine compounds, organophosphates and pyre-throids. For the analysis of some phenols, e.g. pentachlorophenol, a derivatization step (alkylation, acetylation) is necessary. 

Chemicals Chlorinated pyridinal Organophosphate pesticides o-Phthalaldehyde Triclosan Polychlorinated biphenyls Chlorofluorocarbons Chlorinated aromatics hydrocarbons Halogenated biocides Atrazine Petroleum hydrocarbons Amitraz Bifenthrin Other pesticides, herbicides, biocides, fumigants, germicides, etc. 

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