September 1996 |
ToxFAQs™ |
for |
Disulfoton |
(Disulfotón) |
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This fact sheet answers the most frequently
asked health questions about disulfoton. For more information,
you may call the ATSDR Information Center at 1-888-422-8737.
This fact sheet is one in a series of summaries about hazardous
substances and their health effects. This information is important
because this substance may harm you. The effects of exposure
to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration,
how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether
other chemicals are present.
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SUMMARY: Exposure to disulfoton
happens mostly from breathing contaminated air, drinking
contaminated water, and eating contaminated food. High
exposures can cause harmful effects on the nervous system.
Disulfoton has been found in at least 7 of the 1,430 National
Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). |
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What
is disulfoton? |
Disulfoton is a manufactured substance
used as a pesticide to control a variety of harmful pests
that attack many field and vegetable crops. It does not occur
naturally. Pure disulfoton is a colorless oil with an unidentifiable
characteristic odor and taste. The technical product is dark
yellowish, with an aromatic odor. Common trade names are Di-syston,
Disystox, Frumin AL, and Soilvirex. Use of trade names is
for identification only and does not imply endorsement by
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, the
Public Health Service, or the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
It is used to protect small grains, sorghum,
corn, and other field crops; some vegetables, fruit, and nut
crops; and ornamental and potted plants against certain insects.
Although it is used mostly in agriculture, small quantities
are used on home and garden plants, and for mosquito control
in swamps. The use of disulfoton has decreased in recent years.
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What
happens to disulfoton when it enters the environment? |
- Disulfoton enters the environment when it is applied on
field crops, vegetables, potted plants, and home gardens.
- Disulfoton is found mainly in soil and water.
- Natural chemical reactions and bacteria remove it from
soil and water.
- Fish accumulate disulfoton in their bodies.
- Disulfoton binds moderately to soil and typically does
not travel deep into soil with rainwater.
- In water, it takes about 7 days for half of it to break
down.
- In soil, it takes about 3.5-290 days for half of it to
break down, depending on soil type, moisture, and temperature.
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How
might I be exposed to disulfoton? |
- Breathing contaminated air, drinking contaminated water,
and eating contaminated food.
- Living near hazardous waste sites where it is found.
- For children, touching or eating soil at or near hazardous
waste sites that contain disulfoton.
- Working in fields where it is sprayed.
- Working in industries that manufacture and formulate it.
- Using it in your home or garden.
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How
can disulfoton affect my health? |
In people, disulfoton mainly causes harmful
effects to the nervous system. Depending on the amount of
disulfoton that enters the body, effects on the nervous system,
such as narrowing of the pupils, vomiting, diarrhea, drooling,
difficulty in breathing, tremors, convulsions, and even death
may occur. These effects can occur if you breathe in, ingest,
or touch disulfoton. If you ingest disulfoton from food or
water for long periods, it may affect your eyes and you may
become nearsighted. You may become weak and tired after skin
contact with disulfoton.
Ingesting high levels of disulfoton can
cause similar nervous system (neurologic) effects in animals.
Animals that ingested disulfoton for long periods became nearsighted,
and the structures of their eyes were damaged.
We do not know whether disulfoton causes
reproductive or birth defects in people. Some animals that
ingested disulfoton during pregnancy had newborns with underdeveloped
bones, damaged livers and kidneys, and underdeveloped testes.
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How
likely is disulfoton to cause cancer? |
The Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC),
and the EPA have not classified disulfoton as to its ability
to cause cancer.
We don't know whether disulfoton will
cause cancer in people. No studies in people are available,
and animals that ingested disulfoton for long periods did
not develop cancer.
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Is
there a medical test to show whether I've been exposed to disulfoton? |
Disulfoton and its breakdown products
can be measured in the blood, urine, feces, liver, kidney,
or body fat of exposed people. Inhibition of blood cholinesterase
(an enzyme in the blood) may also suggest exposure to disulfoton.
However, this test is not specific for disulfoton. The measurement
of blood cholinesterase and the amount of disulfoton breakdown
products in the urine cannot always predict how much disulfoton
you were exposed to. Your doctor can send samples of your
blood or urine to special laboratories that perform these
tests.
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Has the federal government made recommendations to protect human health? |
The EPA recommends that no more than
10 parts of disulfoton per billion parts of water (10 ppb)
be present in water that children drink for periods of up
to 10 days. They also recommend that disulfoton should not
exceed 3 ppb for children or 9 ppb for adults if they
drink water for longer periods of time, and it should not
exceed 0.3 ppb for adults who drink the water for a lifetime.
The EPA requires that spills or accidental releases of disulfoton
into the environment of 1 pound or more must be reported.
The American Conference of Governmental
Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has set a limit of 0.1 milligram
of disulfoton per cubic meter of air (0.1 mg/m³)
for an 8-hour workday, 40-hour workweek.
The National Institute for Occupational
Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends an exposure limit of
0.1 mg disulfoton/m³ of air for a 10-hour workday, 40-hour
workweek. |
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Glossary |
CAS: Chemical Abstracts Service.
Ingest: Take food or drink into your
body.
Milligram (mg): One thousandth of a gram.
Testes: Male reproductive glands that
produce sperm.
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References |
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease
Registry (ATSDR). 1995. Toxicological Profile for disulfoton. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, Public Health Service.
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Where can I get more information? |
ATSDR can tell you where to find occupational
and environmental health clinics. Their specialists can recognize,
evaluate, and treat illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous
substances. You can also contact your community or state health
or environmental quality department if you have any more questions
or concerns. For more information, contact:
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Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Division of Toxicology
1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR (1-888-422-8737)
FAX: (770)-488-4178
Email: ATSDRIC@cdc.gov
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