The toxic action of phosphine in combination with some alkyl halide fumigants and carbon dioxide against the eggs of Tribolium castaneum Herbst (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)

The toxicity of phosphine, three alkyl halide fumigants (ethylene dibromide, methyl bromide and methyl iodide), carbon dioxide, mixtures of phosphine + alkyl halide fumigants, and phosphine + carbon dioxide, to 1-, 2-, and 3-day-old eggs of Tribolium castaneum Herbst was studied. Combinations of phosphine and alkyl halide fumigants showed antagonism as evidenced by their joint action ratios at the LD₉₀ (< 1). The mortality data indicated that mixtures of phosphine and carbon dioxide were more effective than either alone. At LD₅₀, the order of toxicity of the individual fumigants for a 24 hr exposure and on a weight basis (mg fumigant/litre of air) was: phosphine > methyl iodide > ethylene dibromide > methyl bromide. A decline in susceptibility of eggs with age for methyl bromide and ethylene dibromide and a peak tolerance at 2 days for carbon dioxide were noted.     

Movement of halogenated fumigants through wheat

The movement of fumigants was studied by gas chromatography on columns of wheat coupled directly to a detector. The fumigants were methyl bromide, methylene dichloride, carbon tetrachloride, chloropicrin and ethylene dibromide. Their chromatographic behaviour was the same with carbon dioxide as carrier gas as with air or nitrogen. Improved distribution of fumigants added with carbon dioxide in silos is attributed to other factors and not to changes in the dynamics of adsorption of fumigant to wheat.     

Determination of fumigants in cereals and cereal products by capillary gas chromatography

This study describes two methods for the quantitative determination of the residual fumigants ethylene dichloride (EDC), carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), trichloroethylene (TCE), ethylene dibromide (EDB) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) in cereals (especially wheat) and other foodstuffs. In the first method, a micro steam distillation- solvent extraction apparatus is used, while the second method is based on a headspace technique. For the quantitative determination of carbon tetrachloride in cereals, the multiple headspace technique is not retained because it is too time-consuming. The analysis of the different fumigants is performed by electron-capture gas chromatography, using a fused silica capillary column, CP sil 8 CB. With the steam distillation-solvent extraction method, recoveries from 95.9% to 100.5% are obtained for the fumigants, added at two different levels. The standard deviation varies between 1.1% and 6%. Using the simple headspace technique, recoveries from 73.5% to 85.1% with a standard deviation of between 1.7% and 6.6% have been reached for the fumigants in cereals fortified at two different levels. The absolute detection limits for the five fumigants EDC, CCl4, TCE, EDB and PCE, in both methods, are 30, 0.25, 1.1, and 0.5 pg, respectively.     

The toxicity of twelve fumigants to three species of mites infesting grain

Eggs of Tyrophagus longior, Acarus siro and Glycyphagus destructor were highly tolerant of each fumigant tested at 10°C while mobile stages were susceptible. Some eggs of T. longior survived the highest test dosages of methyl bromide, phosphine, ethylene oxide, ethyl formate, methallyl chloride and ethyl bromide. The ascending order of toxicity for the other fumigants, as judged by the ct product needed to kill all eggs, was methyl chloroform (MC), carbon tetrachloride (CTC), ethylene dichloride (EDC), methyl formate, ethylene dibromide and acrylonitrile. The toxicity of EDC was generally enhanced by the addition of MC or CTC, though dosages for control were still high, and a single fumigation can only be expected to provide a short-term absence of mobile stages. If complete control is required, this can be achieved by two treatments at a low dose if these are separated by an interval during which the surviving eggs hatch but do not reach the adult stage. The length of this interval depends on temperature and at 10°C is about 7 weeks, at 15°C 3 weeks and at 20°C 2 weeks.     

Control of internal fungi of sorghum by fumigation

Laboratory methods of fumigation of food commodities and surface sterilization of grains have been described. Out of eight fumigants tested ethylene oxide, methyl bromide, sulphur dioxide, EDB-MB mixture could give a hundred per cent control of internal fungi of sorghum. Ethylene oxide reduced the viability totally, while sulphur dioxide at 64 mg/l maintained 75 per cent viability. There was increase in the germination percentage over the control with the treatments of ethylene dibromide and phosphine.     

几种土壤熏蒸剂防除烟草苗床杂草的药效试验

对35%"线克"水剂、98%"必速灭"微粒剂、32 7%"维博亩"水剂、32 7%"斯美地"水剂、33 6%"适每地"水剂、98%"棉隆"微粒剂和98%溴甲烷压缩气体等7种不同土壤熏蒸剂防除烟草苗床杂草效果进行了试验。结果表明,7种土壤熏蒸剂对苗床杂草均有较好的防除效果。播种后20d、40d时各处理对杂草数量的平均防效均分别达到95%和90%以上,几种试验药剂与对照药剂溴甲烷相当,可替代溴甲烷在烟草苗床除草中应用。     

Determination of fumigants in cereals and cereal products by capillary gas chromatography

Summary This study describes two methods for the quantitative determination of the residual fumigants ethylene dichloride (EDC), carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄), trichlorethylene (TCE), ethylene dibromide (EDB) and tetrachlorethylene (PCE) in cereals (especially wheat) and other foodstuffs. In the first method, a micro steam distillation- solvent extraction apparatus is used, while the second method is based on a headspace technique. For the quantitative determination of carbon tetrachloride in cereals, the multiple headspace technique is not retained because it is too time-consuming. The analysis of the different fumigants is performed by electron-capture gas chromatography, using a fused silica capillary column, CP sil 8 CB. With the steam distillation-solvent extraction method, recoveries from 95.9% to 100.5% are obtained for the fumigants, added at two different levels. The standard deviation varies between 1.1 % and 6%. Using the simple headspace technique, recoveries from 73.5% to 85.1 % with a standard deviation of between 1.7% and 6.6% have been reached for the fumigants in cereals fortified at two different levels. The absulute detection limits for the five fumigants EDC, CCl₄, TCE, EDB and PCE, in both methods, are 30, 0.25, 1.1, and 0.5 pg, respectively.

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Bestimmung von Begasungsmitteln in Getreide und Getreideprodukten durch Capillar-Gaschromatographie

Zusammenfassung Es wurden zwei Methoden für die quantitative Bestimmung der Restmengen von Begasungsmitteln wie 1,2-Dichlorethan (EDC), Tetrachlorkohlenstoff (CCl₄), Trichlorethylen (TCE), 1,2-Dibromethan (EDB) und Tetrachlorethylen (PCE) im Getreide, insbesondere Weizen, und in Lebensmitteln beschrieben. Das erste Verfahren basiert auf einer Mikrodampfdestillation-Lösungsmittelextraktion, während für das zweite die Kopfraumtechnik verwendet wurde. Da mehrfache Kopfraum-Extraktion bei der Bestimmung des Tetrachlorkohlenstoffes in Getreide zu zeitraubend ist, wurde diese Methode nicht beibehalten. Die Begasungsmittel wurden durch Elektroneneinfang-Gaschromatographie unter Verwendung einer CP sil. 8 CB silica Glaskolonne bestimmt. Mit der Dampfdestillation-Lösungsmittelextraktion wird eine Ausbeute von 95,9 bis 100,5% für fünf Begasungsrestmengen in zwei verschiedene Konzentrationen erreicht. Die Standardabweichung varriiert zwischen 1,1 und 6%. Die einfache Kopfraum-Extraktion gibt für zwei verschiedene Konzentrationen eine Ausbeute von 73,5 bis 85,1% mit einer Standardabweichung von 1,7 bis 6,6%. Die absolute Nachweisgrenze beider Methoden für die fünf Begasungsmittel EDC, CCl₄, TCE, EDB und PCE ist 30, respektive 0,25, 1,1 und 0,5 pg.

     

THE EFFECT OF FUMIGANTS ON FOOD QUALITY

Fumigants are used to prevent pest infestations in food and other stored commodities. The quality of the commodity may be affected by fumigant treatment in several ways. Residues of unchanged fumigant may remain in the commodity. Reaction of the individual chemical components of the commodity with the fumigant may alter its chemical or physical properties, thus resulting in changes in flavor, taste, odor, nutritional value or processing qualities. Methyl bromide, ethylene dibromide, ethylene dichloride, carbon tetrachloride, phosphine and ethylene oxide are the major fumigants used for treatment of grains, vegetables and fruits. Their effects on food quality and the significance of residues in treated commodities are reviewed.     

Efficacy of sensor assisted vacuum hermetic storage against chemical fumigated wheat

Alternatives to chemical fumigation, are being explored as the popular fumigants like methyl bromide and phosphine are being phased out for their ozone depleting nature and insect resistance, respectively. Vacuum hermetic storage has potential for storage of agricultural durable commodities without fumigants and can eliminate 99% of insect infestation. In present research, the vacuum hermetic storage was tested in field with assistance of sensors and compared with the conventional phosphine fumigated storage by grain quality assessment and interstitial atmosphere for six months. Relative humidity of the hermetic bags remained below 25%, whereas temperature followed the same pattern as of the ambient. Germination percentage, thousand kernel weight and besatz content did not change significantly (p > 0.05), whereas mould count and moisture content reduced over the storage time compared wheat stored in metal bin.     

Effect of Carbonyl Sulphide (COS), Ethyl Formate (EF) and Carbon Disulphide (CS2) on the Malting Quality of Barley and the Flavour Profile of Beer

New fumigants are needed to control grain insects because methyl bromide is being phased out as an ozone‐depleting substance under the Montreal Protocol and because resistance to phosphine is increasing. Alternative fumigants also provide one strategy to manage resistance. To assess the effect of candidate fumigants on barley quality, malting and brewing trials were conducted with malting barley (Schooner), 9.4% moisture content, fumigated with carbonyl sulphide (COS), ethyl formate (EF) and carbon disulphide (CS₂) at concentrations of 20, 90 and 36 mg/L respectively for 7 days at 20°C in riveted steel silos containing 33 t of barley. The appropriate industry body, the Malting and Brewing Industry Barley Technical Committee (MBIBTC) set the quality parameters to be evaluated and allocated work to the appropriate quality laboratories. Germination of fumigated barley was not affected by the fumigants. Residues of COS, EF and CS₂ in outloading barley samples were 0.085 ± 0.0052, 0.4 ± 0.1 and 2.22 ± 0.07 mg/kg respectively, which were below the experimental permits of maximum residue levels (MRL). Residues of COS, EF and CS₂ in malt, wort and beer were indistinguishable from those in unfumigated (or non‐fumigated) barley. Ethyl formate and CS₂ affected wort in increasing the apparent attenuation limit (AAL) and CS₂ affected barley colour. Sulphur volatiles in the trial beer made from EF and CS₂ (unlike COS) fumigated barley decreased significantly. Beer from COS, EF and CS₂ fumigated barley had a somewhat higher 24‐hour chill haze level (0.62–0.84) than beer from the untreated barley (0.53). The total alcohols and isoamyl acetate increased in beer made from EF fumigated barley. Carbonyl sulphide, EF and CS₂, however, had no effect on beer flavour or quality.     

A UNIQUE AND VERSATILE GAMMA IRRADIATOR FOR RADIATION PRESERVATION OF FOOD

A new, versatile service irradiator is described which provides the necessary technical and economical characteristics for initiating commercial radiation processing of food. The ability of the unit to efficiently sterilize disposable medical products as well as to process a wide spectrum of food products permits the necessary economies required to test commerical loads under anticipated conditions. With fumigants such as ethylene oxide and ethylene dibromide under attack due to their potential carcinogenicity and environmental impact and with energy costs and food availability a factor, the food industry will take a hard look at a technology whose time has come.     

Plant products as fumigants for stored-product insect control

Research studies on plant essential oils and their constituents as fumigants, i.e., compounds acting on target insects in the vapour or gaseous phase, against stored-product insects have been reviewed. Fumigant toxicity tests conducted with essential oils of plants (mainly belonging to Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Lauraceae and Myrtaceae) and their components (cyanohydrins, monoterpenoids, sulphur compounds, thiocyanates and others) have largely focused on beetle pests such as Tribolium castaneum, Rhyzopertha dominica, Sitophilus oryzae and Sitophilus zeamais but little or no attention has been paid towards moths such as Corcyra cephalonica and Sitotroga cerealella. Adults were generally susceptible, whereas, eggs were either tolerant or highly susceptible depending on insect species and the type of essential oil or component. The essential oils proved effective in mixture with CO₂ or ethyl formate. Mode of action studies on monoterpenoids indicate inhibition of acetylcholinesterase enzyme activity as the major site of action. Although, in laboratory tests with adult insects, some of the plant compounds have shown insect toxicity comparable to methyl bromide or chloropicrin, their physical properties such as high molecular weight as well as high boiling point and very low vapour pressure are barriers for application in large-scale fumigations. Plant products, therefore, have the potential for small-scale treatments, space fumigations and as adjuvants for conventional fumigants. The constraints including lack of data for single or multiple components of essential oils on sorption, tainting and residues in food commodities, and registration protocols have been highlighted. The use of egg and pupal stages or preferably mixed-age cultures of target insects in screening tests with any new plant essential oil/compound has also been stressed.     

Radiation preservation of foods of plant origin. Part IV. Subtropical fruits: citrus, grapes, and avocados

Current information on the use of ionizing radiation for improving the storage of subtropical fruits like citrus, grapes, and avocados is reviewed. The feasibility of applying radiation either alone or in combination with other physical or chemical treatments for the control of postharvest fungal diseases is considered. Irradiation effects on the physiology of the fruits as related to respiration, ethylene evolution, changes in major chemical constituents, and quality are discussed. The recent trends in the possible use of irradiation as an alternative treatment to chemical fumigants for disinfestation of citrus and avocados and the prospects for the future application of irradiation for preservation of some of these fruits are outlined.     

Effect of surface tarp on emissions and distribution of drip-applied fumigants

Soil fumigants are used to control a wide variety of soil-borne pests in high-cash-value crops. Application of soil fumigants through drip irrigation systems is receiving increasing attention as a method to improve the uniformity of fumigant application. Little information is available on the emissions and soil distribution of fumigants following subsurface drip application, or the effect of plastic tarp on fumigant emissions in these systems. In these experiments, the fumigant compounds 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), Vapam (a methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) precursor), and propargyl bromide (PrBr) were applied to soil beds via drip irrigation at 15 cm depth. Beds were tarped with either standard 1-mil high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or a virtually impermeable film (VIF), leaving the furrows bare. Cumulative emissions of 1,3-D, MITC, and PrBr in these tarped bedded systems was very low, amounting to <10% of the applied mass. These experiments were conducted in the winter months, with average air temperatures of 12-15 degrees C. Cumulative emissions of MITC and 1,3-D from a sandy loam field soil were decreased by > or =80% by tarping the bed with VIF rather than HDPE. A large fraction of the 1,3-D and PrBr flux was from the untarped furrows in VIF-tarped plots, indicating that inhibiting volatilization from the furrow will be important in further reducing emissions in these systems. Monitoring the fumigant distribution in soil indicated that tarping the bed with VIF resulted in a more effective containment of fumigant vapors compared to use of a HDPE tarp.     

Mitigating 1,3-dichloropropene, chloropicrin, and methyl iodide emissions from fumigated soil with reactive film

Implicated as a stratospheric ozone-depleting compound, methyl bromide (MeBr) is being phased out despite being considered to be the most effective soil fumigant. Its alternatives, i.e., 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D, which includes cis and trans isomers), chloropicrin (CP), and methyl iodide (MeI), have been widely used. High emissions of MeI from fumigated soil likely put farm workers and other bystanders at risk of adverse health effects. In this study, two types of constructed reactive film were tested for their ability to mitigate emissions of 1,3-D, CP, and MeI using laboratory permeability cells. Before activation, these films act as a physical barrier to trap fumigants leaving soil. After activation of the reactive layer containing ammonium thiosulfate solution, the films also act as a sink for the fumigants. Over 97% of trans-1,3-D and 99% of the cis-1,3-D, CP and MeI were depleted when they passed into the reactive film. Half-lives (t(1/2)) of cis-, trans-1,3-D, CP and MeI under activated reactive film were 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, and 2.0 h respectively at 40 °C.     

Effect of application variables on emissions and distribution of fumigants applied via subsurface drip irrigation

Soil fumigation is useful for controlling soil-borne pests and diseases in high-cash-value crops. Fumigants are highly volatile, and approaches to reduce atmospheric emissions are required to protect human and environmental health. Application of fumigants through drip irrigation has been proposed as a means to decrease fumigant emissions, improve fumigant distribution in soil, and minimize worker exposure. These experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of the configuration of the drip system on the volatilization and distribution of the fumigants 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D), propargyl bromide (PrBr), and methyl isothiocyanate (MITC) in bedded systems. Results indicated that changing the drip emitter spacing and using multiple drip lines in each bed had little effect on the emissions and distribution of any fumigant. Increasing the depth of application from 15 to 30 cm reduced volatilization of MITC by approximately 20 to >90%; emissions were reduced due to a decrease in the flux from the bed top, and deeper injection did not change the amount of fumigant volatilized from the bed side slope and furrow. Increasing the application depth resulted in a slight decrease in the rate of fumigant dissipation in soil, indicating the potential for some improvement in pest-control efficacy with deeper application.     

The influence of oxygen on the toxicity of fumigants to Sitophilus granarius (L)

The toxicity of six fumigants—methyl bromide, ethylene dibromide, ethylene oxide, hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen phosphide and carbon tetrachloride to S. granarius was determined in atmospheres containing 0, 1, 3, 20·9 and 100 per cent oxygen. Toxicity was generally increased with decreasing oxygen concentration until the latter was reduced to 1 per cent. In an atmosphere of nitrogen, where no oxygen was present, toxicity was reduced by varying degrees depending on the fumigant; with hydrogen phosphide the insects could not be killed by any concentration of fumigant applied to them in the absence of oxygen. Carbon tetrachloride was most toxic in 20·9 per cent oxygen and below this concentration toxicity was reduced as oxygen was depleted. Tribolium confusum Du V. was found to differ from S. granarius because, in the absence of oxygen, the toxicity of methyl bromide was not reduced.     

METABOLISM OF LIPIDS APPLIED TO APPLES TO REDUCE SOFT SCALD AND THEIR EFFECT ON RESPIRATION AND ETHYLENE PRODUCTION

Methyl esters were applied to the surface of apples and when the lipids were extracted from the fruit after four weeks of cool storage it was found that, while each methyl ester was metabolised to some extent to non-lipid compounds, there was minimal incorporation of applied methyl ester into other lipid fractions such as glycerides or phosopholipids. Methyl esters also enhanced the metabolism of [¹⁴C]—fatty acids to nonlipid compounds. Methyl stearate and lecithin reduced the rate of ethylene production while methyl linoleate and methyl oleate had no significant effect but no compound significantly changed the rate of respiration. The principal action of methyl esters and other lipids in reducing soft scald is considered not to be due to their effect on lipid composition but rather on the amount of hexanol in the fruit.     

Radiation preservation of foods of plant origin. III. Tropical fruits: bananas, mangoes, and papayas

The current status of research on the use of ionizing radiation for shelf life improvement and disinfestation of fresh tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, and papayas are reviewed. The aspects covered are influence of maturity and physiological state of the fruits on delayed ripening and tolerance to radiation; varietal responses; changes in chemical constituents, volatiles, respiration, and ethylene evolution; biochemical mechanisms of delayed ripening and browning of irradiated fruits; and organoleptic quality. The efficacy of the combination of hot water dip and radiation treatments for control of postharvest fungal diseases are considered. The immediate potential of radiation as a quarantine treatment, in place of the currently used chemical fumigants, for disinfestation of fruit flies and mango seed weevil are discussed. Future prospects for irradiation of tropical fruits are discussed in the light of experience gained from studies conducted in different countries.     

Effects of two fumigants and a fungicide formulation on the development of kiln brown stain in radiata pine lumber

Two fumigants (methyl bromide and sulphuryl fluoride) were used to treat freshly sawn radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don) lumber and log sections to evaluate their influence on development of kiln brown stain. Both treatments reduced severity of stain when compared with controls. The sulphuryl fluoride treatment was notably better than methyl bromide at the highest fumigant dosage, but levels of overall stain were still considered unacceptable with only 20–30% of lumber having either no or slight stain beneath the surface. Sulphuryl fluoride showed superior penetration into sapwood compared to methyl bromide as determined by a colour assay of parenchyma cell viability. A fungicide formulation which was successful in preventing brown stain in kiln dried eastern white pine was ineffective against kiln brown stain in radiata pine. The results of the present study indicates that the mechanism for kiln brown stain in radiata pine differs from that in eastern white pine.