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Mevinphos

      PESTICIDE NAME: Mevinphos
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      Trade name(s): Phosdrin, Duraphos
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      Manufacturer(s): Shell Chemical Co., A Division of Shell Oil
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                       P.O. Box 3871
                       Houston, TX.  77001
                       Amvac Chem Corp.
                       4100 E. Washington Blvd.
                       Los Angeles, CA.  90023
      I.  Basic information
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          A. Molecular structure: C7H13O6P
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          B. Chemical name: alpha isomer of 2-carbomethoxy-1-methylvinyl
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      dimethyl phosphate _ 60%
          C. Derivatives: no information available
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          D. Molecular weight: 224.1 g/mole
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          E. Solubility in water: very soluble
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          F. Common physical appearance: pale yellow to orange liquid
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          G. Oral LD50(rat): 7 mg/kg
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          H. Pesticide classification: organophosphate insecticide
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          I. Restricted use list (N.Y.): yes
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             EPA priority pesticide list: no
          J. Crop use: alfalfa, apple, celery, cabbage, cauliflower,
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      broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, endive, escarole, leafy greens,
      peppers, radish, turnip, rutabaga, spinach
      II.  Text
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           Mevinphos is an organophosphate insecticide which is used on
      apples, alfalfa and a variety of vegetable crops in the state of New
      York.  It is soluble in water and readily hydrolyzed losing
      insecticidal ability within 2-4 weeks.  Its adsorptive abilities in
      soil are low and it is desorbed rapidly.
           Mevinphos is not widely treated in the scientific literature;
      however, Sharom,  et ala.a, give a very complete analysis of mevinphos
      transport.  Transformation is not discussed due to the high
      leachability of the pesticide.
      III. Soils information
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           A.  Degradation and transformation
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           Information concerning degradation of mevinphos in soils is not
      extensive; however, one researcher did report that the pesticide lost
      insecticidal capability in 2 to 4 weeks(1).
           B.  Adsorption and transport
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           In organic, sand, sediment, and sandy loam soils the adsorption
      order of organophosphates has been determined to be:
      leptophos>ethion>chlorpyrifos>parathion>diazinon>mevinphos.  Generally,
      adsorption is inversely proportional to solubility in water and
      mevinphos is very soluble.  Therefore, desorption is of the order
      mevinphos>carbofuran>carbaryl>lindane>diazinon>parathion(2).  In an
      organic soil (1g substrate) the adsorption coefficients were found to
      be l/n = 0.95 and K = 19(2).
      The table below presents data concerning mevinphos leaching in sand and
      organic soils.  The reference is given at the end of the title.
      Percent mevinphos leached in two soils (10 rinses of 200ml each) (2)
         fraction #    sand           organic soil
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            1          98.4%             80.4
            2           1.0               9.4
            3            0                1.0
            4            0                 0
        total(10x)     99.4              90.8
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      IV.  References
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      1.Kahn, S.U.  Pesticides in the Soil Environment. 1980.  Amsterdam:
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          Elsevier.
      2.Sharom, M.S., J.R.W. Miles, C.R. Harris, F.L. McEwen. 1980.  Water
                                                                     _____
          Research. 14. 1095-1100.
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