Environmental Persistence and Toxicity of Dimethyl Malonate and Methyl Salicylate

Conference · Mon Mar 04 04:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:5805050

Fellows, R. J. ^[1]; Harvey, S. D. ^[1]; Ligotke, M. W. ^[1]; Cataldo, D. A. ^[1]; Li, S. W. ^[1]; Van Voris, P. ^[1]; Wentsel, R. S. ^[2]

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1. Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), Richland, WA (United States)
2. US Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (United States). Chemical Research, Development and Engineering Center (CRDEC)

To determine the potential environmental persistence and toxic effects of agent simulants Diethyl Malonate (DEM) and Methyl Salicylate (MS), plants, soils, earthworms, and soil microbial populations were exposed to projected aerosolized simulant concentrations of ~100 (low) and ~1000 (high) mg/m³. Both simulants exhibited biphasic residence times on foliar and soil surfaces following aerosol exposure. Half-times of DEM on soil and foliar surfaces were 1 to 3 h and 5 to 242 h, respectively, and 1 to 2 h and 5 to 31 h for the MS, respectively. Persistence was longer on the foliar surfaces than that of the soils. Both simulants proved phytotoxic to vegetation with a lower threshold of 1 to 2 μg/cm² for the MS versus that of 10 μg/cm² for the DEM. However, neither significantly affected chloroplast electron transport in vitro at concentrations of up to 100 μg/mL. Results from in vitro testing of DEM indicated concentrations below 500 μg/g dry soil generally did not adversely impact soil microbial activity, while the threshold was 100 μg/g dry soil for the MS. Earthworm bioassays indicated survival rates of 66% at soil doses of 204 μg DEM/cm² soil and 86% at soil doses of 331 μg MS/cm².

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), Richland, WA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 5805050
• Report Number(s): PNL-SA--19465; CONF-9103178--1; ON: DE91012775
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540120 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
560300 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACUTE EXPOSURE
ANIMALS
ANNELIDS
BIOASSAY
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL HALF-LIFE
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CELL CONSTITUENTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
CHLOROPLASTS
CONIFERS
CONTAMINATION
DICARBOXYLIC ACIDS
DOCUMENT TYPES
DOSE-RESPONSE RELATIONSHIPS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
ENZYME ACTIVITY
ESTERS
EVAPORATION
FOLIAR UPTAKE
FOOD
GRAMINEAE
HYDROXY ACIDS
IN VITRO
INHIBITION
INVERTEBRATES
LEAVES
LILIOPSIDA
MAGNOLIOPHYTA
MAGNOLIOPSIDA
MALONIC ACID
MICROORGANISMS
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PINES
PINOPHYTA
PLANTS
PROGRESS REPORT
RETENTION
SALICYLIC ACID
SIMULATION
SOILS
SPINACH
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
SURVIVAL CURVES
SYNTHESIS
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS
TOXICITY
TREES
UPTAKE
US DOD
US ORGANIZATIONS
VEGETABLES
VOLATILITY
WEAPONS