Environmental Influences on the Stability of two Chlorpyrifos Formulations, with a Focus on Sulfotep Content.

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 plant protection department, faculty of agriculture, Zagazig university

2 Pesticides Analysis Researches Department, Central Agricultural Pesticides Laboratory, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

3 Pesticides Residues &Environmental pollution Dept, Central Agricultural Pesticides Laboratory, Agricultural Research Center, Dokki, Giza, Egypt

Abstract

GLC determined the presence of sulfotep, a toxic contaminant in chlorpyrifos formulations (Tak and Chlorfos 48% EC), as well as the effect of different temperatures (25, 35, and 45), direct sunlight, and UV-rays on the stability of chlorpyrifos a.i and sulfotep content of the formed products. The levels of sulfotep in Tak and Chlorfos, measured in micrograms, were 50.01 and 63, respectively. In addition, when exposed to high temperatures, chlorpyrifos a.i. in all tested formulations became unstable (450C), sulfotep, on the other hand, is relatively stable. After 336 hours of exposure to 450C, the loss percentage of the active ingredient (a.i) of chlorpyrifos formulations Tak and Chlorfos were 99 and 99.3 %, respectively, while the loss percentage of sulfotep were 9.998 and 7.08 % for Tak and Chlorfos, respectively. Data showed that direct sunlight was more successful than UV-rays in degrading chlorpyrifos in its tested formulations Tak and Chlorfos with loss percentage of 79 and 81 % after 48 hours of direct sunlight exposure, respectively. After 48 hours of exposure to direct sunlight, Tak and Chlorfos lost 9.80 and 7.41 % of their sulfotep, respectively. Tak and Chlorfos, on the other hand, lost 50 and 51 % of chlorpyrifos (a.i) in their tested formulations after 24 hours of UV exposure, respectively, and lost 6.92 and 5.81 % of sulfotep after 24 hours of UV exposure, respectively.

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