Degradation of sodium monofluoroacetate (1080) and fluorocitrate in water

Degradation rate of sodium fluoroacetate in three New Zealand soils

The degradation rate of sodium fluoroacetate (SFA) was assessed in a laboratory microcosm study incorporating 3 New Zealand soil types under different temperature (5 °C, 10 °C, or 20 °C) and soil moisture (35% or 60% water holding capacity) conditions using guideline 307 from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. A combination of nonlabeled and radiolabeled (14) C-SFA was added to soil microcosms, with sampling and analysis protocols for soil, soil extracts, and evolved CO(2) established using liquid scintillation counting and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Degradation products of SFA and their rates of formation were similar in the 3 soil types. The major degradation pathway for SFA was through microbial degradation to the hydroxyl metabolite, hydroxyacetic acid, and microbial mineralization to CO(2), which constituted the major transformation product. Temperature, rather than soil type or moisture content, was the dominant factor affecting the rate of degradation. Soil treatments incubated at 20 °C displayed a more rapid loss of (14)C-SFA residues than lower temperature treatments. The transformation half-life (DT50) of SFA in the 3 soils increased with decreasing temperature, varying from 6 d to 8 d at 20 °C, 10 d to 21 d at 10 °C, and 22 d to 43 d at 5 °C.

Unusual But Potential Agents of Terrorists

Emergency personnel are tasked with the daunting job of being the first to evaluate and manage victims of a terrorist attack. Numerous potential chemical agents could be used by terrorists. The challenge for first responders and local hospital emergency personnel is to prepare for a terrorist event that might use one or more of these agents. As part of that preparation, emergency physicians should have a basic understanding of potential chemical terrorist agents. It is beyond the scope of this article to review all potential terrorist agents. Rather, four potential agents have been chosen for review: sodium monofluoroacetate, trichothecene mycotoxins, vomiting agents, and saxitoxin.

Ecotoxicological evaluation of sodium fluoroacetate on aquatic organisms and investigation of the effects on two fish cell lines

Sodium monofluoroacetate (compound 1080) is one of the most potent pesticides. It is also a metabolite of many other fluorinated compounds, including anticancer agents, narcotic analgesics, pesticides or industrial chemicals. Other sources of water contamination are the atmospheric degradation of hydrofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons. However, there is little information available about the adverse effects of sodium fluoroacetate in aquatic organisms. Firstly, the bacterium Vibrio fischeri (decomposer), the alga Chlorella vulgaris (1st producer) and the cladoceran Daphnia magna (1st consumer) were used for the ecotoxicological evaluation of SMFA. The most sensitive models were C. vulgaris and D. magna, with a NOAEL of 0.1 and an EC50 of 0.5 mM at 72 h, respectively. According to the results after the acute exposure and due to its high biodegradation rate and low bioaccumulation potential, sodium fluoroacetate is most unlikely to produce deleterious effects to aquatic organisms. Secondly, two fish cell lines were employed to investigate the effects and mechanisms of toxicity in tissues from 2nd consumers. The hepatoma fish cell line PLHC-1 was more sensitive to SMFA than the fibroblast-like fish cell line RTG-2, being the uptake of neutral red the most sensitive bioindicator. Lysosomal function, succinate dehydrogenase and acetylcholinesterase activities were inhibited, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was particularly stimulated, and metallothionein and ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase levels were not modified. Intense hydropic degeneration, macrovesicular steatosis and death mainly by necrosis but also by apoptosis were observed. Moreover, sulphydryl groups and oxidative stress could be involved in PLHC-1 cell death induced by SMFA more than changes in calcium homeostasis.