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List of Chemical Substances
Published in T.S.S. Dikshith, and Safety, 2016
Acute and prolonged period of exposures to high concentrations of malathion cause poisoning in animals and humans. The symptoms of poisoning include, but are not limited to, numbness, tingling sensations, incoordination, headache, dizziness, tremor, nausea, abdominal cramps, sweating, blurred vision, difficulty breathing or respiratory depression, and slow heart beat. Very high doses may result in unconsciousness, incontinence, and convulsions, or fatality. Malathion did not indicate any kind of delayed neurotoxicity in experimental studies with hens. Reports have indicated that because of and accidental exposures through severe skin absorption, malathion caused poisoning and fatalities among workers associated with the malaria control operations in Pakistan. In certain cases, development of pulmonary fibrosis following the poisoning has also been observed.
Organophosphorous Compounds
Published in Fina P. Kaloyanova, Mostafa A. El Batawi, Human Toxicology of Pesticides, 2019
Fina P. Kaloyanova, Mostafa A. El Batawi
The number of accidental and occupational poisonings from OP compounds seems to correlate well with their absolute toxicity. According to Namba, during a seven year period in Japan there were 63 cases of malathion intoxication, including 10 deaths, and 3311 cases of parathion intoxication, including 188 deaths.32 The relatively low potential hazard of malathion to humans is related to its lower toxicity: LD50 dermal >4000 mg/kg and the estimated lethal oral dose for a 70 kg man is 60 g, compared to 6.8 to 21.0 mg/kg dermal LD50 for parathion and lethal oral dose of 0.1 g. This is not the case if malathion is mixed with maloxon.30
Chemistry of Contaminants
Published in Daniel T. Rogers, Environmental Compliance Handbook, 2023
USEPA banned the use of the pesticide chlordane in 1983 because of potential environmental and human health concerns for all applications except termite control (ATSDR 2011; USEPA 2016). Malathion is an organophosphate insecticide widely used in agriculture, residential landscaping, and public recreation areas. Malathion is used widely to control mosquitoes and the West Nile virus and was used in the 1980s in southern California to combat the Mediterranean fruit fly. (ATSDR 2003b). Exposure to high amounts of malathion can cause difficulty breathing, chest tightness, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, blurred vision, sweating, headaches, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and possibly death (ATSDR 2003b). If appropriate treatment is provided rapidly, there may be no long-term harmful effects. Permethrin is a widely used synthetic insecticide and insect repellent used on cotton, wheat, maize, and alfalfa crops. It is also used to kill parasites on chickens and other poultry and as a flea treatment for dogs. Permethrin is considered a neurotoxin and is highly toxic to both freshwater and estuarine aquatic organisms (ATSDR 2005e). Toxaphene is an insecticide that is composed of a mixture of over 670 chemicals (ATSDR 1997b). Toxaphene was one of the most widely used insecticides in the United States until 1982 when use dropped significantly and then was banned in 1990. It was primarily used in the southern states where it was applied to cotton to control pests. However, it was also used elsewhere to control pests on livestock and to kill unwanted fish in lakes (ATSDR 1997b). Exposure to toxaphene may cause damage to the lungs, nervous system, and kidneys and can even cause death if exposure is extreme (ATSDR 1997b).
MIL-88B(Fe) MOF modified screen-printed electrodes for non-enzymatic electrochemical sensing of malathion
Published in Environmental Technology, 2023
Prachi Janjani, Upasana Bhardwaj, Madhu Agarwal, Ragini Gupta, Himmat Singh Kushwaha
The widespread usage of organophosphate pesticide malathion raises concerns regarding the pesticide’s long-term implications on human health, food safety, and ecological contamination. It is associated with bioaccumulation in food sources and neurotoxicity in humans [1]. Pesticides are extensively overused, which pollutes the water bodies. 90–95 percent of pesticides used in agriculture are thought to wind up in the soil, water, plants, and food, ultimately entering human systems [2]. Malathion is considered an acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AChE) inhibitor responsible for terminating nerve impulse transmission. However, it exhibits toxicity in non-target organisms. Malathion adversely affects ontogenetically and phylogenetically young aquatic as well as terrestrial organisms [3]. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognised malathion as a probable carcinogen to humans. Hence, its rapid, decentralised, and reliable quantitation is imperative.
The effects of the use of organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides in agriculture and households on water and sediment pollution in the Cikeruh River, Indonesia
Published in International Journal of River Basin Management, 2022
Katharina Oginawati, Anindyta Nursilmi Kahfa, Septian Hadi Susetyo
The highest residual concentration of malathion in water was found in point 3 samples of 59.48 ppb. The sampling location at point 3 was located in the middle of settlements, and the land around the river was used for rice fields and plantations. In addition, malathion with comparable concentrations was detected at point 10 with 14.2 ppb for water and 13.57 ppb for sediment. Point 10 was located at the mouth of the Cikeruh River, which flows into the Citarum River. Around the river was empty land close to residential areas. Malathion is a pesticide used in general and used to control pests in fruit and vegetables. Malathion is also used to control mosquitoes, flies, insects, parasites and fleas (Sato, 2019; Naqqash et al., 2016). This extensive use of malathion could explain residues' discovery in almost all samples and especially at points close to settlements.
A comprehensive review on enzymatic degradation of the organophosphate pesticide malathion in the environment
Published in Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part C, 2019
Smita S. Kumar, Pooja Ghosh, Sandeep K. Malyan, Jyoti Sharma, Vivek Kumar
A relatively small concentration of malathion has been reported to cause both direct as well as indirect effects on the aquatic food web.41,42 Malathion is highly toxic to some freshwater fish and invertebrates even at a level of 0.06 ppb.43 Malathion is affirmed to be genotoxic and exposure to fish tissue showed significant damage to DNA. It has been reported that at acute concentrations, malathion induces oxidative stress leading to histopathological and biochemical toxicity in the liver of rohu (Labeo rohita, Hamilton).44 Malathion has also been reported to induce oxidative damage to spermatozoa and alters sperm quality of endangered trout species Salmo coruhensis.7 The subchronic exposure (continuous or multiple exposures that last for approximately ten percent of the lifespan of an experimental species) causes lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress, and tissue damage in rats.13 It has been reported to provoke metabolic, histopathologic and molecular disorders in liver and kidney in prepubertal male mice.45 Studies have shown that exposure to malathion can lead to alteration of cell proliferation, oxidative stress inflammation and affect receptors associated with tumors in the hormone-responsive tissues, thyroid, and mammary gland in humans.15 Malathion poisoning also induces hematotoxicity, immunotoxicity, ovarian toxicity, neurotoxicity and affect gut microbiome in human beings and experimental animals.6,12 Furthermore, it is also suspected to cause youth leukemia, iron deficiency, and kidney dysfunction.8 Lack of effective full-scale remediation technologies has further worsened the situation. The subsequent sections discuss in detail the various strategies employed for biodegradation of Malathion.