The comparative toxicity of six organophosphorus insecticides in the rat

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Studies have been made under standardized experimental conditions, on the oral, dermal, and dietary toxicity to the rat of commercial formulations of six organophosphate insecticides, parathion being compared with five more recent products of industrial research, i.e., Phenkaptone, demeton-methyl, dimethoate, Diazinon, and Dipterex. These more recent insecticides gave acute oral LD 50 values from 14 to 200 times higher than parathion, ranging from 44 mg/kg to 649 mg/kg, in the order listed. Dermal LD 50's ranged from 443 mg/kg to > 2800 mg/kg, that for parathion being 75–100 mg/kg. Dietary 100-day toxicity tests were negative, i.e., non-anticholinesterase, at 1 ppm with all compounds, at 5 ppm with Phenkaptone, Diazinon, and Dipterex, and also at 25 ppm and 125 ppm with Dipterex.