Identification and toxic effects of impurities present in the technical grade of phosalone

The purpose of this study was to investigate the identification and the toxicological effects of some impurities present in the technical grade phosalone (94.4%). In instrumental analyses of the technical phosalone, the five impurities such as phosalone oxon, 6-chloro-3-methylthio-2-oxobenzoxazole, 6-chloro-2-oxobenzoxazole, O,O,S-triethyl phosphorodithioate (OOSTEPDT) and dichlorophosalone were identified. The bimolecular inhibition rate constants () indicated that the technical phosalone inhibited both AChE and BuChE about ten times faster than the purified phosalone did. From in vivo studies the technical phosalone showed greater inhibition for mouse brain AChE, rat blood ChE's and mouse cytosolic non-specific esterases. It was presumed that some impurities present in the technical phosalone such as phosalone oxon cause such inhibition patterns of the technical phosalone observed in this study.