FENITROTHION

Record No: 161-161091
Chemical Name:  0,0-dimethyl 0-(4-nitro-m-tolyl) phosphorothioate 
CAS REGISTRY NUMBER:       122-14-5
CHEMICAL FAMILY:           Organo-phosphate insecticide
MOLECULAR FORMULAE:        C9 H12 NO5 PS

DESCRIPTION: Technical grade is an oily liquid, yellowish/brown in colour.

USAGE: A Schedule 6 insecticide registered for a wide variety of crop and noncrop uses including buildings, apples, stored grain and tobacco.  (Fenitrothion is not registered for food usage in U.S.) (1)

 Agricultural - insecticide

 Industrial   -

 Domestic     - insecticide

TOLERANCE & EXPOSURE LEVELS:

HEALTH EFFECTS:

SHORT TERM: Acute exposure effects of organo-phosphates include cholinesterase inhibition, Central Nervous System damage, anorexia, confusion, convulsions, dermatitis, EEG and EMG disturbances, visual and eye damage, renal and hepatic damage,    hyperglycemia, muscle twitching and atrophy, respiratory problems, insomnia, sweating, vomiting, weakness, headache, hallucinations and psychosis.  (4)

LONG TERM: Human epidemiological evidence indicates fenitrothion causes eye effects such as retinal degeneration and myopia. (1)

        Chronic exposure to organo-phosphates can cause frontal lobe impairment. (4)

CARCINOGENICITY:

MUTAGENICITY:

REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS:

BIO-ACCUMULATION:

Suspected Effects: Organo-phosphates are suspected of causing neurologic deficits. (4)

ANIMAL TOXICITY DATA:   Oral rat  LD 50:  250mg/kg (PESKEM)

                        Acute Oral LD 50:  800mg/kg (male rat)

                                           330mg/kg (female rat)

                      Acute Dermal LD 50: 1200mg/kg (female rat)

                                           890mg/kg (male rat)

                        Acute Inhalation:    5mg/l in rats.

Fenitrothion is mildly irritating to eyes and skin. It was not a skin sensitiser and did not cause delayed neurotopxicity in hen        study.  In chronic feeding studies a No Observable Effect Level  (NOEL) for brain and red bllod cell cholinesterase in rats: 10ppm

                      Systemic NOEL : 5ppm (dog)

        Chronic dog feeding studies have implicated fenitrothion in causing eye effects.                               (1)

CARCINOGENICITY:

MUTAGENICITY: Datagap (1)

REPRODUCTIVE EFFECTS: Datagap (1)

Wildlife Data: Laboratory data show that fenetrothion is potentially highly to very highly toxic to birds, fish and aquatic invertebrates including some endangered species.

 Freshwater Fish acute toxicity: (96 hrs) LC50 :1.7ppm (brook trout)

                                                3.8ppm (bluegill)

 Very highly toxic to aquatic invertebrates:

                          (48/96hrs)  EC50 :3ppb (Gammarus fasciatus)  (1)

 Highly toxic to honey bees. U.S. requires endangered species label restrictions.  (1)

ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS:

Environmental Fate: U.S.EPA state there are datagaps for most environmental characteristics studies. Preliminary data indicates fairly rapid degradation in soils with a half life of <week in nonsterile muck and sandy loam soils. Fenitrothion appears to be mobile  in a variety of soils. Potential to contaminate groundwater is unable to be assessed due to datagaps. (1)

Breakdown products include fenitrooxon, p-nitrocresol and desmethyl fenitrothion.  (1)

Water MRL:        0.02mg/l

Cerial grain MRL:10.0 mg/kg

Milk fat MRL:     0.05mg/kg

Apples MRL:       0.5 mg/kg

Wheat bran:      20.0 mg/kg (3)

        Fenitrothion was detected at above Maximum Residue Levels in wheat, barley, oats, sorghum, malted grain, bran, eggs and fiels peas.   (2)  A  U.S. EPA provisional Acceptable Daily Intake (PADI) was calculated at 0.004mg/kg/day. (based on a 1yr dog study with a NOEL of 0.125mg/kg/day using a 30-fold safety factor) fold safety factor.                  (1)

EPA DATA GAPS:

 NOTES: There are no domestic uses for fenitrothion on food or feed commodities in the U.S., yet one food additive tolerance is established for wheat gluten imported from Australia (resulting from Australia's  treatment of stored grain with fenitrothion).  (1)

** Disclaimer: These sheets are designed as summary information and as such are a guide only. 

References:

1. EPA Pesticide Fact Sheet 142 Fenitrothion 1987

2. Report on National Residue Survey 1987-88, Bureau of Rural Resources.

3. NHMRC MRL Standard Draft 1989

4. Pesticides and Human Health, W.H.Hallenbeck&K.M.Cunningham-Burns School

   of Public Health, Uni. of Illinois Chicago, Springer-Verlag 1985