Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Article
  • Published:

Assessing intermittent pesticide exposure from flea control collars containing the organophosphorus insecticide tetrachlorvinphos

Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology volume 18, pages 564–570 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Fleas are a persistent problem for pets that require implementation of control measures. Consequently, pesticide use by homeowners for flea control is common and may increase pesticide exposure for adults and children. Fifty-five pet dogs (23 in study 1; 22 in study 2) of different breeds and weights were treated with over-the-counter flea collars containing tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP). During study 1, fur of treated dogs was monitored for transferable TCVP residues using cotton gloves to pet the dogs during 5-min rubbings post-collar application. Plasma cholinesterase (ChE) activity was also measured in treated dogs. Average amounts of TCVP transferred from the fur of the neck (rubbing over the collar) and from the back to gloves at 3 days post-collar application were 23,700±2100 and 260±50 μg/glove, respectively. No inhibition of plasma ChE was observed. During study 2, transferable TCVP residues to cotton gloves were monitored during 5-min rubbings post-collar application. Transferable residues were also monitored on cotton tee shirts worn by children and in the first morning urine samples obtained from adults and children. Average amounts of TCVP transferred to gloves at 5 days post-collar application from the neck (over the collar) and from the back were 22,400±2900 and 80±20 μg/glove, respectively. Tee shirts worn by children on days 7–11 contained 1.8±0.8 μg TCVP/g shirt. No significant differences were observed between adults and children in urinary 2,4,5-trichloromandelic acid (TCMA) levels; however, all TCMA residues (adults and children) were significantly greater than pretreatment concentrations (α=0.05). The lack of ChE inhibition in dogs and the low acute toxicity level of TCVP (rat oral LD50 of 4–5 g/kg) strongly suggest that TCVP is rapidly detoxified and excreted and therefore poses a very low toxicological risk, despite these high residues.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Veterinary Medical Association. US Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook. Center for Information Management, American Veterinary Association, Schaumburg, IL, 1997.

  • Barr D.B., Wilder L.C., Caudill S.P., Gonzalez A.J., Needham L.L., and Pirkle J.L. Urinary creatinine concentrations in the US population: implications for urinary biologic monitoring measurements. Environ Health Perspect 2005: 113 (2): 192–200.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barr D.B., and Angerer J. Potential uses of biomonitoring data: a case study using the organophosphorus pesticides chlorpyrifos and malathion. Environ Health Perspect 2006: 114: 1763–1769.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berger J., Valdez S., Puschner B., Leutenegger C.M., Gardner I.A., and Madigan J.E. Effects of oral tetrachlorvinphos fly control (Equitrol®) administration in horses: physiological and behavioural findings. Vet Res Commun 2007, e-pub ahead of print, 24 May 2007.

  • Boone J.S., Tyler J.T., Davis M.K., and Chambers J.E. Effects of topical phosmet on fur residue and cholinesterase activity of dogs. Toxicol Mech Meth 2006: 16 (5): 275–280.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boone J.S., Tyler J., and Chambers J.E. Transferable residues from dog fur and plasma cholinesterase inhibition in dogs treated with a flea control dip containing chlorpyrifos. Environ Health Perspect 2001: 109 (11): 1109–1114.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Castorina R., Bradman A., McKone T.E., Barr D.B., Harnly M.E., and Eskenazi B. Cumulative organophosphate pesticide exposure and risk assessment among pregnant women living in an agricultural community: a case study from the CHAMACOS cohort. Environ Health Perspect 2003: 111 (13): 1640–1648.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chambers J.E., Boone J.S., Davis M.K., Moran J.E., and Tyler J.W. Assessing transferable residues from intermittent exposure to flea control collars containing the organophosphate insecticide chlorpyrifos. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2007: 17 (7): 656–666.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Colt J.S., Lubin J., Camann D., Davis S., Cerhan J., Severson R.K., Cozen W., and Hartge P. Comparison of pesticide levels in carpet dust and self-reported pest treatment practices in four US sites. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 2003: 14: 74–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ecobichon D.J. Toxic effects of pesticides. In: Klassen CD. (Ed.). Casarett and Doull's Toxicology. McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, 1996, 5th edn. pp. 643–698.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenske R.A., Black K.G., Elkner K.P., Lee C., Methner M.M., and Soto R. Potential exposure and health risks of infants following indoor residential pesticide applications. Am J Public Health 1990: 80 (6): 689–693.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fenske R.A., and Day Jr E.W. Assessment of exposure for pesticide handlers in agricultural, residential and institutional environments. In: Franklin CA and Worgan JP. (Eds.). Occupational and Residential Exposure Assessment for Pesticides. John Wiley and Sons Ltd., Hoboken, NJ 2005, pp. 13–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geer L.A., Cardello N., Dellarco M.J., Leighton T.J., Zendzian R.P., Roberts J.D., and Buckley T.J. Comparative analysis of passive dosimetry and biomonitoring for assessing chlorpyrifos exposure in pesticide workers. Ann Occup Hyg 2004: 48: 683–695.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Honeycutt R.C., Honeycutt M., DeGeare M., Day E.W., Houtman B., Chen G., Shurdut B.A., Nolan R.J., Vaccaro J.R., Murphy P., and Bartels M.J. Use of simultaneous biological monitoring and dermal dosimetry techniques to determine the exposure of chlorpyrifos to applicators and reentry workers. In: Honeycutt RC and Day EW. (Eds.) Worker Exposure to Agrochemicals, ACS Symposium Series CRC, Lewis Publishers, Baton Rouge, FL, USA, 2000, pp. 21–34.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hore P., Robson M., Freeman N., Zhang J., Wartenberg D., Ozkaynak H., Tulve N., Sheldon L., Needham L., Barr D., and Lioy P.J. Chlorpyrifos accumulation patterns for child-accessible surfaces and objects and urinary metabolite excretion by children for 2 weeks after crack-and-crevice application. Environ Health Perspect 2005: 113 (2): 211–219.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kissel J.C., Curl C.L., Kedan G., Lu C., Griffith W., Barr D.B., Needham L.L., and Fenske R.A. Comparison of organophosphorus pesticide metabolite levels in single and multiple daily urine samples collected from preschool children in Washington State. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 2005: 15: 164–171.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luke B.G., and Dahl C.J. Detection of O,O-diethyl-O-(2,5-dichlorophenyl) phosphorothioate and O,O-diethyl-O-(3,6-dichloro-2-pyridyl) phosphorothioate in meat fat. J Assoc Off Anal Chem 1976: 59: 1081–1087.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan M.K., Stout II D.M., and Wilson N.K. Feasibility study of the potential for human exposure to pet-borne residues following lawn applications. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2001: 66: 295–300.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rohrer C.A., Hieber T.E., Melnyk L.J., and Berry M.R. Transfer efficiencies of pesticides from household flooring surfaces to foods. J Expo Anal Environ Epidemiol 2003: 13: 454–464.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • USEPA. Test Methods for Evaluating Solid Waste, Physical/Chemical Methods 1993. EPA 530/SW-846.

  • USEPA. TCVP Registration Eligibility Decision. United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., 1995.

  • Woody R.C. The clinical spectrum of pediatric organophosphate intoxications. Neurotoxicology 1984: 5: 75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zweig G., and Sherma J. Analytical methods for pesticides and plant growth regulators. In: Zweig G. (Ed.). Gas Chromatographic Analysis. Academic Press, New York, NY, 1977, Volume VI, pp 408–413.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zwiener R.J., and Ginsburg C.M. Organophosphate and carbamate poisoning in infants and children. Pediatrics 1988: 81: 121–126.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants from the US Environmental Protection Agency's Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grant program (Grant nos. R825170 and R828017). Although the research described herein has been funded wholly or in part by the US Environmental Protection Agency STAR program, it has not been subjected to any governmental review and therefore does not reflect the views of the agency. No official endorsements should be inferred. We thank Ms. Nicole Holifield, Ms. Susan Waldrop, and Mr. Collin Zumwalt for residue analyses, as well as creatinine and cholinesterase assays, Drs. Carolyn Boyle and Sumalee Givaruangwawat for statistical advice, and Dr. Louis Ruzo and Curtis Hatton (PTRL West Inc.) for the analysis of urine for TCMA. This research was also supported by the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station (MAFES) and the College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University. This article is MAFES publication number J11104 and the Center of Environmental Health Sciences publication number 113.

Author information

Author notes

  1. J Scott Boone

    Present address: 1Current address: United States Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Chemistry Branch, John C. Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, USA.,

  2. John W Tyler

    Present address: 2Current address: Western University of Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Pomona, California, USA.,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Environmental Health Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA

    M Keith Davis, J Scott Boone, John E Moran, John W Tyler & Janice E Chambers

Authors
  1. M Keith Davis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. J Scott Boone
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John E Moran
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. John W Tyler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Janice E Chambers
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Janice E Chambers.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Davis, M., Boone, J., Moran, J. et al. Assessing intermittent pesticide exposure from flea control collars containing the organophosphorus insecticide tetrachlorvinphos. J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 18, 564–570 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jes.7500647

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jes.7500647

Keywords

Search

Advanced search

Quick links