ETHION Chemical Properties

Melting point:

-13 to -12°

Boiling point:

164～165℃ (0.3mmHg)

Density 

d420 1.220

vapor pressure 

2.0 x 10^-4 Pa (25 °C)

refractive index 

nD20 1.5490

storage temp. 

0-6°C

solubility 

Chloroform (Slightly), DMSO (Slightly)

Water Solubility 

2 mg l^-1 (25 °C)

form 

liquid

Merck 

13,3772

JECFA Number

85

BRN 

1804530

Exposure limits

NIOSH REL: TWA 0.4 mg/m3; ACGIH TLV: TWA 0.4 mg/m3.

EPA Substance Registry System

Ethion (563-12-2)

Safety Information

Hazard Codes 

T,N

Risk Statements 

21-25-50/53

Safety Statements 

25-36/37-45-60-61-23

RIDADR 

3018

OEB

C

OEL

TWA: 0.4 mg/m3 [skin]

WGK Germany 

3

RTECS 

TE4550000

HazardClass 

6.1(a)

PackingGroup 

II

Hazardous Substances Data

563-12-2(Hazardous Substances Data)

Toxicity

LD50 in female, male rats (mg/kg): 27, 65 orally; 62, 245 dermally (Gaines)

ETHION Usage And Synthesis

Description

Ethion is a colorless to amber-colored, odorEthion is a colorless to amber-colored, odorless liquid. The technical product has a very disagreeableodor; Freezing/Melting point =-13 to -12℃. Molecularweight = 384.49; Boiling point = 164℃; Vaporpressure = 0.0000015 mmHg at 20℃; Flash point = 176℃.Hazard Identification (based on NFPA-704 M RatingSystem): Health 3, Flammability 1, Reactivity 0. Practicallyinsoluble in water; solubility = 0.0001%.

Chemical Properties

Ethion is a colorless to amber-colored, odorless liquid. The technical product has a very disagreeable odor; freezing/melting point 5 213℃ 2 12℃C.

Chemical Properties

Liquid. Slightly soluble in water; soluble in acetone, xylene, chloroform, and methylated naphthalene.

Chemical Properties

ethion is an odorless amber liquid. It is very sparingly soluble in water, but soluble in most organic solvents. Ethion undergoes decomposition on heating or on burning and produces toxic and corrosive fumes, including phosphorus oxides and sulfur oxides. It is used for the control of crop pests and household insects. These include, but are not limited to, aphids, mite, sticks, scales, thrips, leaf hoppers, maggots, leaf-feeding insects, foliar-feeding larvae, and house fl ies. It may be used on a wide variety of food, fi ber, and ornamental crops, including greenhouse crops, lawns, and turf. Ethion is often used on citrus and apples. It is mixed with oil and sprayed on dormant trees to kill eggs and scales. Occupational workers and the general public are exposed to ethion while working in industries that manufacture ethion and when eating raw fruits or vegetables that have been treated with ethion. There are no residential uses for ethion.

Uses

Nonsystemic insecticide and acaricide used on apples.

Uses

Ethion is used to control mites and sucking insects, larval Lepidoptera and soil pests in a wide range of crops and in turf. An additional use is as an ectoparasiticide to control cattle ticks.

Uses

Insecticide; acaricide.

Uses

It is used as a pesticide.

Definition

ChEBI: An organic thiophosphate that is S,S'-methanediyl bis[dihydrogen (phosphorodithioate)] in which all the hydroxy groups have been converted to their corresponding ethyl esters respectively. Ethion is an organophosphate insecticide with inhibitory activity t wards the enzyme acetylcholinesterase ( EC 3.1.1.7).

General Description

Technical ethion is an odourless amber liquid. It is very sparingly soluble in water but soluble in most of the organic solvents. Ethion undergoes decomposition on heating or on burning and produces toxic and corrosive fumes including phosphorus oxides and sulphur oxides. It is used for the control of crop pests and household insects. It may be used on a wide variety of food, fibre, and ornamental crops, including greenhouse crops, lawns, and turf.

Reactivity Profile

Organothiophosphates, such as ETHION, are susceptible to formation of highly toxic and flammable phosphine gas in the presence of strong reducing agents such as hydrides. Partial oxidation by oxidizing agents may result in the release of toxic phosphorus oxides.

Hazard

Cholinesterase inhibitor, use may be restricted. Questionable carcinogen.

Health Hazard

ETHION is very toxic; the probable oral lethal dose for humans is 50-500 mg/kg, which is between one teaspoonful and one ounce for a 150-lb person.

Health Hazard

Ethion is highly to moderately toxic to animals and humans by the oral route. It causes toxicity and poisoning with symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, excessive salivation, severe depression, irritability, confusion, headache, blurred vision, fatigue, tightness in chest, abnormal heart beat and breathing. On repeated exposures and in high concentrations, ethion causes severe symptoms of poisoning. The symptoms of toxicity and poisoning include, but are not limited to, pupillary constriction, muscle cramp, impaired memory and concentration, disorientation, speech diffi culties, delayed reaction times, nightmares, sleepwalking, loss of coordination, convulsions, unconsciousness/coma, and death. Studies on laboratory animals and humans have not indicated any evidence of mutagenic, teratogenic, or carcinogenic effects of ethion.

Fire Hazard

Shock can shatter the container, releasing the contents. Fire may produce irritating or poisonous gases. Decomposes above 302F. When heated to decomposition ETHION emits highly toxic fumes of oxides of sulfur and phosphorus. Hydrolyzed by acids and alkalies. Slowly oxidized in air.

Agricultural Uses

: Insecticide, Acaricide: Not approved for use in EU countries. Not registered for use in the U.S. There are 33 global suppliers. Ethion is an organophosphate pesticide used to kill aphids, mites, scales, thrips, leafhoppers, maggots, and foliar feeding larvae. It may be used on a wide variety of food, fiber, and ornamental crops, including greenhouse crops, lawns, and turf. Ethion is a preharvest topical insecticide used primarily for spraying on citrus fruits, deciduous fruits, apples, nuts and cotton. It is also used as a cattle dip for ticks and as a treatment for buffalo flies. It is mixed with oil and sprayed on dormant trees to kill eggs and scales. It is available in dust, emulsifiable concentrate, emulsifiable solution, granular, and wettable powder formulations.

Trade name

AC 3422®; EACITHION®; EAQUA ETHION®; EBLADAN®; ECOMMANDO INSECTICIDE CATTLE EAR TAG®; EDRASTIC®; EEMBATHION®; EETHANOX®; EETHIOL®; EETHODAN®; EETHOPAZ®; EFMC-1240®; EFOSFATOXE®; EFOSFONO 50®; EHYLEMOX®; EITOPAZ®; EKWIT®[C]; EMITKILL®; ENAGATA®; ENIA 1240®[C]; ENIAGARA 1240®[C]; ENIALATE®; EPHOSPHOTOX E®; EPROKIL®[C]; ERHODIACIDE®; ERHODOCIDE®; ERODOCID®; ERP-THION®; ESENTRY®[C]; ESOPRATHION®; ETAFETHION®; EVEGFRUFOSMITE®; EVEGFRU FOSMITE®

Safety Profile

Poison by ingestion, skin contact, and intraperitoneal routes. Human systemic effects by ingestion: flaccid paralysis without anesthesia, motor activity changes, fever, and inhibition of cholinesterase. When heated to decomposition it emits highly toxic fumes of SOx and POx. See also PARATHION

Potential Exposure

An organothiophosphate. A potential danger to those involved in the manufacture, formulation and application of this insecticide and acaricide. Ethion is a preharvest topical insecticide used primarily on citrus fruits, deciduous fruits, nuts, and cotton. It is also used as a cattle dip for ticks and as a treatment for buffalo flies

First aid

If this chemical gets into the eyes, remove anycontact lenses at once and irrigate immediately for at least15 min, occasionally lifting upper and lower lids. Seekmedical attention immediately. If this chemical contactsthe skin, remove contaminated clothing and wash immediately with soap and water. Speed in removing materialfrom skin is of extreme importance. Shampoo hairpromptly if contaminated. Seek medical attention immediately. If this chemical has been inhaled, remove fromexposure, begin rescue breathing (using universal precautions, including resuscitation mask) if breathing hasstopped and CPR if heart action has stopped. Transferpromptly to a medical facility. When this chemical hasbeen swallowed, get medical attention. Give large quantities of water and induce vomiting. Do not make an unconscious person vomit. Effects may be delayed. Keep victimunder observation

Environmental Fate

Biological. Ethion degraded in lagoonal sediments obtained at various sites in the Indian River between Cape Kennedy and Vero Beach, FL. In 14 sediment samples enriched with ethion, 8 exhibited iron sulfide (precursor hydrogen sulfide) production following 20 days of incubation at room temperature. The bacteria responsible for the degradation of ethion, a reducing agent, was tentatively identified as Clostridium (Sherman et al., 1974).
Soil. The half-lives of ethion in an organic soil varied from 16 to 49 weeks; however, repeated applications each spring resulted in increased residues of unreacted ethion (Chapman et al., 1984).
Photolytic. Ethion in hexane did not exhibit absorption at UV wavelengths >260 nm (Gore et al., 1971). Chemical/Physical. Emits toxic fumes of phosphorus and sulfur oxides when heated to decomposition (Sax and Lewis, 1987; Lewis, 1990).
The hydrolysis half-lives of ethion in a sterile 1% ethanol/water solution at 25°C and pH values of 4.5, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 were 99, 63, 58, 24 and 8.4 weeks, respectively (Chapman and Cole, 1982).

Metabolic pathway

Ethion is principally degraded in animals via hydrolysis which results in P-S and C-S bond cleavage to give O,O-diethyl phosphorothioate and O,O-diethyl phosphorodithioate respectively. It is also oxidatively desulfurated to its mono and dioxon forms.

Metabolism

The main biodegradation routes of ethion in animals are cleavage of the P?S and C?S linkages to give O,O-diethyl hydrogen phosphorothioate and O,O-diethyl hydrogen phosphorodithioate, respectively. Oxidative desulfuration to its mono- and dioxons also occurs.

storage

Color Code—Blue: Health Hazard/Poison: Storein a secure poison location. Prior to working with thischemical you should be trained on its proper handling andstorage. Store in tightly closed containers in a cool, well-ventilated area away from alkaline material, strong acids,and other incompatible materials listed above. Where possible, automatically pump liquid from drums or other storagecontainers to process containers

Shipping

UN3018 Organophosphorus pesticides, liquid, toxic, Hazard Class: 6.1; Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials. UN2783 Organophosphorus pesticides, solid, toxic, Hazard Class: 6.1; Labels: 6.1-Poisonous materials. UN2810 Toxic liquids, organic, n.o.s., Hazard Class: 6.1; Labels: 6.1- Poisonous materials, Technical Name Required.

Degradation

Ethion is hydrolysed by aqueous acid and alkalis. Its DT₅₀ at pH value 9 was 390 days. It is slowly oxidised in air (PM). Ethion was photolysed via an oxidative desulfuration mechanism affording the dioxon (2) when it was irradiated with visible light in the presence of a photosensitising dye (Crystal Violet). This oxidation was mediated by singlet oxygen as evidenced by the reduced yield of 2 in the presence of singlet oxygen scavengers such as diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane (Vaidya et al., 1990) (Scheme 1).

Toxicity evaluation

The acute oral LD₅₀ for rats is 208 mg/kg. Inhalation LC50 (4 h) for rats is 0.45mg/L air. NOEL (2yr) for rats is 6 mg/kg diet (0.3 mg/kg/d). ADI is 2 μg/kg b.w.

Incompatibilities

Decomposes violently when heated above 150℃. Mixtures with magnesium may be explosive. Contact with oxidizers may cause the release of phosphorous oxides. Contact with strong reducing agents, such as hydrides; may cause the formation of flammable and toxic phosphine gas

Waste Disposal

Do not empty into drains or sewage system. Small amounts can be burned with alkali. For larger amounts, the suggested method is incineration with added solvent in furnace equipped with afterburner and alkali scrubber. In accordance with 40CFR165, follow recommendations for the disposal of pesticides and pesticide containers. Must be disposed properly by following package label directions or by contacting your local or federal environmental control agency, or by contacting your regional EPA office.

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