Chemical Properties
Propetamphos technical is a yellowish, oily liquid at room temperature and a moderately
toxic acaricide and insecticide. It is sparingly soluble in water, but very soluble in acetone,
chloroform, ethanol, and hexane. The US EPA has classifi ed propetamphos as a GUP
and RUP, indicating that its handling should be done by certifi ed, qualifi ed applicators.
Propetamphos is used for the control of cockroaches, fl ies, ants, ticks, moths, fl eas, and
mosquitoes in households and where vector eradication is necessary to protect public
health. It is also used in veterinary applications to combat parasites, such as ticks, lice,
and mites in livestock. The formulations of propetamphos include aerosols, emulsifi ed
concentrates, liquids, and powders. Commercial products include aerosols, emulsifi ed
concentrates, liquids, and powders.
General Description
Yellow oily liquid. Non corrosive. Used as an insecticide.
Air & Water Reactions
Water soluble.
Reactivity Profile
An organophosphate derivative. Organophosphates are susceptible to formation of highly toxic and flammable phosphine gas in the presence of strong reducing agents such as hydrides. Partial oxidation by oxidizing agents may result in the release of toxic phosphorus oxides.
Health Hazard
Propetamphos is a moderately toxic organophosphate insecticide. It inhibits the cholinesterase
enzyme in animals and humans leading to overstimulation of the CNS. Prolonged
period of exposures to high concentrations of propetamphos cause poisoning with symptoms
that include, but are not limited to, nausea, headache, dizziness, confusion, numbness,
tingling sensations, incoordination, tremor, abdominal cramps, sweating, blurred
vision, breathing diffi culty, unconsciousness, and convulsions, slow heart beat, respiratory
paralysis, and death. There is no evidence to suggest that propetamphos causes mutagenic,
teratogenic, or carcinogenic effects in animals or humans.
Uses
Propetamphos is used to control household and public health
pests, especially cockroaches, clothes moths and ants. It is also used for
the control of ectoparasites (mites, lice and ticks).
Uses
Propetamphos may be used as an analytical reference standard for the determination of the analyte in human tissues, fruits and crops by various chromatography techniques.
Definition
ChEBI: Propetamphos is a phosphoramidate ester, an organophosphate insecticide and an isopropyl ester. It has a role as an EC 3.1.1.7 (acetylcholinesterase) inhibitor and an agrochemical. It is functionally related to an isopropyl 3-hydroxybut-2-enoate.
Agricultural Uses
Fungicide, Insecticide: Propetamphos is used indoors for the control of structural insects, e. g., ants, cockroaches, fleas, and termites. It is applied in indoor residential, medical, commercial, and industrial buildings, and in food service
Trade name
BLOTIC®; OVIDIP®; SAFROTIN®[C]; SAN-52139®; SANDOZ®52139; SERAPHOS®; TSAR®; VEL-4283®; ZOECON®
Carcinogenicity
There was no significant treatment-
related increase in the incidence of any tumor type of
cancer among male rats given diets with 0, 6, 12, and 120 ppm
(0, 0.376, 0.632, and 5.891 mg/kg/day (males) and, 0, 0.412,
0.689, and 7.602 mg/kg/day (females), respectively) for
24 months . In females, there was an increase in
pancreatic islet cell adenomas at all dose levels compared
to controls. A significant decrease in body weight was
observed in both sexes at the high dose.
When propetamphos was administered to mice via the
diet at dose levels of 0, 0.5, 1.0, 6.0, and 21 mg/kg/day for
91 weeks, there was no apparent increase in the incidence of
tumors in either sex at dose levels that caused significant
cholinesterase inhibition . There was no adverse effect
on survival of males, but high-dose females had a higher
mortality rate than control females and a shorter survival
time. There were no adverse effects on body weight or bodyweight
gain in either sex.
Metabolic pathway
The major pathways of propetamphos detoxification in insect tissue and
in the mouse differ, with the principal route in insects being glutathione
conjugation but O-demethylation in the mouse. Oxidative or hydrolytic
cleavage of the P-O-crotonyl linkage to yield isopropyl acetoacetate,
which is hydrolysed and further metabolised to CO2, is also an important
route. As with mevinphos, which also contains a crotonyl ester group,
de-esterification is not an important detoxification route in animals
and no propetamphos carboxylic acid has been detected in the animal
experiments which have been reported.
Metabolism
Propetamphos administered in animals is rapidly
metabolized and excreted mainly via urine and exhaled
air. The major pathways of detoxication in mammals are
O-demethylation and cleavage of the P?O-vinyl linkage to
give isopropyl acetoacetate, which is finally metabolized
to carbon dioxide. Hydrolysis of the carboxylic ester bond
is also involved. Activation by oxidative desulfuration also
occurs.
Degradation
The hydrolytic DT50, values at pH 3, 6 and 9 were 11 days, 1 year and
41 days respectively. Propetamphos is stable to light and no degradation
was detected after 70 hours of exposure to sunlight (PM).
Toxicity evaluation
The acute oral LD50
for rats is 59.5–119 mg/kg. Inhalation LC50 (4 h) for rats
is 0.69 (female) and >1.5 (male) mg/L air. NOEL (2 yr) for
rats is 6 mg/kg diet (0.3 mg/kg/d).
