The Comparative Metabolism of Some Substituted Phenyl-N-Methylcarbamate Insecticides

<p>1. The metabolism of the N-methylcarbamates of 3-tertbutylphenol; 3,5-ditertbutylphenol; and 2-isopropoxyphenol was investigated in insects and mammals. 2. The major degradative pathway in enzyme systems from insects and mice was oxidative. The major metabolites from tertbutyl substituted phenyl-N-methylcarbamates were N-hydroxymethyl derivatives and tertbutanol derivatives. Baygon yielded N-hydroxymethyl, ring hydroxyl and O-dealkyl derivatives as major metabolites. 3. The rates of oxidation of the three insecticides in each enzyme system were similar. 4. Oxidation was inhibited by piperonyl butoxide and Metopirone, apparent I50 for singly oxidised metabolites was 10-4 M, and for metabolites with two oxidations 10-5M. 5. Enzymic hydrolysis of carbamate insecticides required reduced cofactor in insect and mouse systems. Mouse blood did not effect hydrolysis. 6. A wide variation of oxidising ability was found in live insects. Musca domestica was most active, Tenebrio molitor and Costelytra zealandica were least active. 7. Insecticide synergists reduce insects' ability to oxidise Baygon to acetone. 8. Musca domestica and Lucilia sericata larvae oxidised carbamate insecticides slower than the adult forms. 9. Mice excrete 3-tertbutylphenyl-N-methylcarbamate as phenolic metabolites, with only minor oxidative products. 10. Different rates of metabolism among insects could account for the selective toxicity of aryl-N-methylcarbamates.</p>

The Comparative Metabolism of Some Substituted Phenyl-N-Methylcarbamate Insecticides

<p>1. The metabolism of the N-methylcarbamates of 3-tertbutylphenol; 3,5-ditertbutylphenol; and 2-isopropoxyphenol was investigated in insects and mammals. 2. The major degradative pathway in enzyme systems from insects and mice was oxidative. The major metabolites from tertbutyl substituted phenyl-N-methylcarbamates were N-hydroxymethyl derivatives and tertbutanol derivatives. Baygon yielded N-hydroxymethyl, ring hydroxyl and O-dealkyl derivatives as major metabolites. 3. The rates of oxidation of the three insecticides in each enzyme system were similar. 4. Oxidation was inhibited by piperonyl butoxide and Metopirone, apparent I50 for singly oxidised metabolites was 10-4 M, and for metabolites with two oxidations 10-5M. 5. Enzymic hydrolysis of carbamate insecticides required reduced cofactor in insect and mouse systems. Mouse blood did not effect hydrolysis. 6. A wide variation of oxidising ability was found in live insects. Musca domestica was most active, Tenebrio molitor and Costelytra zealandica were least active. 7. Insecticide synergists reduce insects' ability to oxidise Baygon to acetone. 8. Musca domestica and Lucilia sericata larvae oxidised carbamate insecticides slower than the adult forms. 9. Mice excrete 3-tertbutylphenyl-N-methylcarbamate as phenolic metabolites, with only minor oxidative products. 10. Different rates of metabolism among insects could account for the selective toxicity of aryl-N-methylcarbamates.</p>

Influence of conditioning agents and enzymic hydrolysis on the biochemical methane potential of sewage sludge

Biochemical methane potential (BMP) tests have been carried out on sewage sludge from two wastewater treatment plants to assess the effect of additives (FeCl3 and two cationic polyelectrolytes) used in sludge dewatering. BMP tests were also carried out on the concentrated solid phase from the enzymic hydrolysis pre-treatment (42 °C, 48 h). FeCl3 had no significant effect on specific methane production, obtaining 242–246 LCH4/kgVSo. The effect of the combination of polyelectrolyte and FeCl3 depended on the polyelectrolyte and the sludge, but generally led to an increase in specific methane production (25–40%). When enzymic hydrolysis was applied as a pre-treatment, specific methane production increased from 6.8% in the sludge containing FeCl3 to 20% in the sludge without FeCl3, although the increases were not statistically significant. In terms of LCH4/kgVSrem, a general improvement was achieved both by means of additives and by enzymic hydrolysis. However, this improvement was only significant in the case of sludge which had undergone previous enzymic hydrolysis (62%) and in the untreated sludge containing a polyelectrolyte and FeCl3 (24%). Cationic polyelectrolytes inhibited solid–liquid separation during enzymic hydrolysis and, although the presence of only FeCl3 did not affect this separation, a significant decrease (32%) in LCH4/kgVSrem was observed.