Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Bulletin of the World Health Organization logoLink to Bulletin of the World Health Organization
. 1971;44(1-2-3):363–374.

Biodegradable analogues of DDT*

Robert L Metcalf, Inder P Kapoor, Asha S Hirwe
PMCID: PMC2428041  PMID: 5315354

Abstract

Despite the immense utility of DDT for vector control its usefulness is prejudiced by its stability in the environment and by the low rate at which it can be degraded biologically. Metabolic studies in insects, in mice, and in a model ecosystem with several food chains have shown that DDT analogues with substituent groups readily attacked by multifunction oxidases undergo a substantial degree of biological degradation and do not appear to be stored readily in animal tissues or concentrated in food chains. Detailed metabolic pathways have been worked out and it is clear that comparative biochemistry can be used to develop DDT analogues that are adequately persistent yet biodegradable. A number of new DDT analogues have been evaluated for insecticidal activity against flies and mosquitos and for their potential usefulness as safe, persistent, and biodegradable insecticides.

Full text

PDF
363

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Brattsten L. B., Metcalf R. L. The synergistic ratio of carbaryl with piperonyl butoxide as an indicator of the distribution of multifunction oxidases in the insecta. J Econ Entomol. 1970 Feb;63(1):101–104. doi: 10.1093/jee/63.1.101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Casida J. E. Mixed-function oxidase involvement in the biochemistry of insecticide synergists. J Agric Food Chem. 1970 Sep-Oct;18(5):753–772. doi: 10.1021/jf60171a013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dustman E. H., Stickel L. F. The occurrence and significance of pesticide residues in wild animals. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1969;160(1):162–172. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1969.tb15837.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Holan G. New halocyclopropane insecticides and the mode of action of DDT. Nature. 1969 Mar 15;221(5185):1025–1029. doi: 10.1038/2211025a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kapoor I. P., Metcalf R. L., Nystrom R. F., Sangha G. K. Comparative metabolism of methoxychlor, methiochlor, and DDT in mouse, insects, and in a model ecosystem. J Agric Food Chem. 1970 Nov-Dec;18(6):1145–1152. doi: 10.1021/jf60172a017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. MULLINS L. J. Structure-toxicity in hexachlorocyclohexane isomers. Science. 1955 Jul 15;122(3159):118–119. doi: 10.1126/science.122.3159.118. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Metcalf R. L., Fukuto T. R. The comparative toxicity of DDT and analogues to susceptible and resistant houseflies and mosquitos. Bull World Health Organ. 1968;38(4):633–647. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Prill E. A., Hartzell A., Arthur J. M. INSECTICIDAL ACTIVITY OF SOME ALKOXY ANALOGS OF DDT. Science. 1945 May 4;101(2627):464–465. doi: 10.1126/science.101.2627.464. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. SCHNELLER G. H., SMITH G. B. L. Unsymmetrical analogs of DDT. J Am Chem Soc. 1948 Dec;70(12):4057–4059. doi: 10.1021/ja01192a027. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Street J. C. VI. Biochemical and pathological effects. Organochlorine insecticides and the stimulation of liver microsome enzymes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1969;160(1):274–290. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1969.tb15848.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Bulletin of the World Health Organization are provided here courtesy of World Health Organization

RESOURCES