Pentachlorophenol: a discussion of its properties and its occurrence as a residue in human and animal tissues.

Abstract

Pentachlorophenol and its salts (primarily, the sodium salt) have many applications in industry and agriculture, with probably more varied uses than any other pesticide at this time. It has been used as a fungicide and/or a bactericide in the processing of cellulosic products, starches, adhesives, proteins, leather, oils, paints, and rubber; it has been incorporated into rug shampoos and textiles to control mildew problems; and it has been used in food processing plants to control mold and slime (Monsanto 1958, Dow 1962). It has also been added to fabrics for mothproofing, and derivatives, such as pentachlorophenyl laurate have been developed for this use because they have a greater resistance to dry cleaning and washing than pentachlorophenol and they are considered to have a lower toxicity risk to human beings (Hueck and La Brijn 1960, MOSS 1961). A recent United States patent granted the use of a mixture containing 80 percent of a pentachlorophenol fatty ester, one-to-ten percent of pentachlorophenol, and 0.5-to-ten percent of thymol for the protection of materials against biological attack (Read 1966). Pentachlorophenol has been used extensively in the construction and lumber industries and in homes to control mold and termite infestation, and for the control of powder post beetles and wood-boring insects (Monsanto 1958, Dow 1962, Carswell and Nason 1938, Carswell and Hatfield 1939). It has been applied in agriculture and around industrial sites as a weedicide and/or a preharvest desiccant (Monsanto 1958, Anonymous 1964) on pasture land (Grigsby and Farwell 1950), in the pineapple and sugarcane fields (Gordon 1956, Hilton 1966) and in the rice fields of Japan (Uede et al. 1962, Goto et al. 1963, Terai et al. 1964). A Japanese manufacturer added pentachlorophenol to soy sauce as a preservative Narahu et al. 1965 ) ; the practice was illegal according to the Japanese food laws (Suzuki 1963). Chloranil (tetrachloro-p-quinone), an oxidation product of pentachlorophenol, has been used as a fungicide under the trade name of “Spergon” to protect seeds and bulbs (Lane 1958).