title: A rapid and inexpensive bioassay to evaluate the decontamination of organophosphates.
abstract: An inexpensive and rapid bioassay using adult red flour beetles was developed for use in assessing the decontamination of environments containing organophosphates and related chemicals. A decontamination protocol was developed which demonstrated that 2 to 3 applications of 5% bleach solution were required to obtain nearly complete decontamination of malathion. The bioassay was also used to screen common household cleaners as potential decontaminating agents, but only 5% bleach was effective at improving survival of insects on steel plates treated with 25% malathion. A toxic degradation product (malaoxon) was detected using gas chromatography/mass spectrophotometry; this toxin affected the decontamination efficacy and resulted in continued toxicity to the beetles until subsequent decontaminations. The bioassay provides evidence to support the use of red flour beetles as a sensitive, less expensive method for determining safety levels of environments contaminated with malathion and other toxins, and may have application in the study of chemical warfare agents.
authors: Missouri State University, Springfield, MO, USA.
authors: David M
authors: DM
authors: Claborn
authors: Skylar A
authors: SA
authors: Martin-Brown
authors: Sanjay Gupta
authors: SG
authors: Sagar
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: Durham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000191:economics; D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D001517:Coleoptera; D003666:Decontamination / Q000379:methods*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D007306:Insecticides / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008294:Malathion / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010755:Organophosphates / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D002619:Chemical Warfare Agents; D007306:Insecticides; D010755:Organophosphates; C100082:malaoxon; D008294:Malathion