Volatile oils, toxicity

Sprays are the most common means of insecticide appHcation and generally involve the use of water as the principal carrier, although volatile oils sometimes are used. With the older inorganic insecticides, suspensions in water were used at dilutions of 0.1 ndash 0.2%. The development of the more effective organic insecticides has allowed the widespread use of concentrate sprays in which the toxicant is contained at 10 ndash 98% and the amount of carrier to be appHed is enormously reduced. The use of concentrate or ultralow volume sprays has brought about a revolution in spray equipment away... 

It is also possible to generate microcapsules through interfacial polymerization using only one monomer to form the shell. In this class of encapsulations, polymerization must be performed with a surface-active catalyst, a temperature increase, or some other surface chemistry. Herbert Scher of Zeneca Ag Products (formerly Stauffer Chemical Company) developed an excellent example of the latter class of shell formation (Scher 1981 Scher et al. 1998). He used monomers featuring isocyanate groups, like poly(methylene)-poly(phenylisocyanate) (PMPPI), where the isocyanate reacts with water to reveal a free primary amine. Dissolved in the oil-dispersed phase of an oil-in-water emulsion, this monomer contacts water only at the phase boundary. The primary amine can then react with isocyanates to form a polyurea shell. Scher used this technique to encapsulate pesticides, which in their free state would be too volatile or toxic, and to control the rate of pesticide release. 

N.A. Oleo-resin, triterpenes, alkanes, volatile oil, resins." This herb is toxic. Treat tapeworms. 

N.A. Alkaloids, nicotine, volatile oil." Nicotine is toxic. A good insecticide. No longer used medicinally. 

It contains Thujone, which could be toxic. Native Americans used thuja for malaria, gout, scurvy, rheumatism, menstrual disorders, and coughs. Thuja s volatile oil acts as a stimulant, a diuretic, and an irritant. Thuja is used for respiratory tract infections and in conjunction with antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial skin infections and Herpes simplex. 

Note Nonpolar solvent soluble in alcohols, ethers, chloroform, benzene, and most fixed and volatile oils insoluble in water nonflammable extremely toxic by inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption carcinogenic incompatible with allyl alcohol, silanes, triethyldialuminum, and many metals (e.g., sodium). Synonyms tetrachloromethane, perchloromethane, methane tetrachloride, Halon-104. 

SAFETY PROFILE Moderately toxic by ingestion. A skin irritant. Human ingestion causes symptoms similar to volatile oil of nutmeg. Human systemic effects arrhythmias, distorted perceptions, hallucinations, toxic psychosis. When heated to decomposition it emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes. 

In the Middle East, where petroleum is abundant, naphtha (the volatile and toxic light fraction of oil) was ignited and poured on attackers. The ancient Indians and Chinese added fire chemicals to their incendiaries, explosive saltpeter or nitrite salts, a key ingredient of gunpowder, and they also mixed a great variety of plant, animal, and mineral poisons, such as arsenic and lead, in smoke and fire bombs. In the New World and in India, the seeds of toxic plants and hot peppers were burned to rout attackers. 

Properties Colorless liq., odorless darkens when exposed to oxygen sol. in alcohol, ether, benzene, chloroform, fixed/volatile oils, oxygenated, chlorinated, and aromatic soivs. insol. in water m.w. 282.47 dens. 0.895 vapor pressure 1 mm (176.5 C) m.p. 6 C b.p. 286 C (100 mm) H LB 1.0 acid no. 196-204 nonionic Toxicology LD50 (oral, rat) 74 g/kg, (IV, rat) 2400 pg/kg poison by IV route mildly toxic by ing. irritant to skin, mucous membranes human eye and skin irritant questionable carcinogen experimental tumorigen mutagenic data TSCA listed... 

Definition Volatile oil from rhizome of Acorus calamus contg. eugenol, asarone, stearopten Properties Yel. to yish.-brn. vise, liq., aromatic odor, bitter taste misc. with alcohol very si. sol. in water dens. 0.960-0.970 (20/20 C) sapon. no. 16-20 ref. index 1.507-1.515 Toxicology LD50 (oral, rat) 777 mg/kg, (IP, rat) 221 mg/kg poison by IP route mod. toxic by ing. questionable carcinogen experimental tumorigen TSCA listed... 

Properties Colorless to It. yel. liq., floral fatty odor sol. in 80% alcohol, fixed oils, volatile oils, min. oils insol. in water, glycerin m.w. 156.30 dens. 0.830 (15/4 C) m.p. 17-18 c b.p. 208 C flash pt. 185 F ref. index 1.4260-1.4300 Toxicology LD50 (oral, rat) 3730 mg/kg, (skin, rabbit) 5040 mg/kg mod. toxic by ing. mildly toxic by skin contact severe skin irritant mutagenic data TSCA listed Precaution Combustible liq. 

Definition Volatile oil from leaves, twigs, and unripe fruit of Citrus vulgaris or C. aurantium] main constituent is linalyl acetate Properties Pale yel. liq. pleasant char, odor sol. in 2 vols 80% alcohol si. sol. in water dens. 0.887-0.900 (15/15 C) ref. index 1.4623 (20 C) Toxicology LD50 (oral, rat) > 5 g/kg, (skin, rabbit) > 2 g/kg low toxicity by ing. and skin contact TSCA listed... 

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