Malathion
From Freepedia
Malathion is a organophosphate parasympathomimetic which binds irreversibly to cholinesterase.Malathion is an insecticide of relatively low human toxicity.
However, Malathion breaks down into Malaoxon, which is 60 times more toxic than Malathion. For this reason, if Malathion is used or somehow enters an indoor environment, as it breaks down into Malaoxon, it can seriously and chronically poison the occupants living or working in this environmnent.
In 1976, numerous malaria workers in Pakistan were poisoned by isomalathion, a common impurity in malathion, which is capable of inhibiting carboxyesterase enzymes in those exposed to it; the original toxicity evaluation for malathion had not anticipated isomalathion coexposure.
Clinical uses
Malathion is used as a treatment for head lice and body lice. It effectively kills both the eggs and the adult lice.
Instances of Use
Malathion was used in the 1980s in California to combat the Mediterranean Fruit Fly. This was accomplished on a wide scale by the near weekly aerial spraying of suburban communities for a period of several months. Formations of three or four agricultural helicopters would overfly suburban portions of San Bernardino county releasing a mixture of malathion and corn syrup, the corn syrup being a bait for the fruit flys.
Malathion was sprayed in many cities to combat West Nile virus. In the Fall of 1999 and the Spring of 2000, Long Island and the five boroughs of New York City were sprayed with Malathion. Use of the insecticide has been blamed for large lobster die-off in Long Island Sound. [1] Manitoba ordered the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba be sprayed in July 2005.
Sources
- Brenner, G. M. (2000). Pharmacology. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company. ISBN 0-7216-7757-6
- Klaassen, C. D. (2001). Casarett & Doull's Toxicology McGraw-Hill Medical. ISBN 0-0713-4721-6
