CHLORDIMEFORM JMPR 1978 Explanation Chlordimeform was evaluated in 1971 and 1975 (FAO/WHO 1972b, 1976b) and a temporary ADI was established. Temporary MRLs were recommended for a number of foods and five requirements for further information were listed. In 1976 the manufacturer temporarily suspended, the sale of the pesticide. This action was noted by the 1976 and 1977 Joint Meetings (FAO/WHO 1977a, 1978a). Having completed a number of long-term toxicological, metabolism and residue studies, in 1978 the manufacturers approached authorities in a number of countries to allow limited commercial use in cotton crops. The results of these studies were evaluated by the meeting. EVALUATION FOR ACCEPTABLE DAILY INTAKE BIOCHEMICAL ASPECTS Effects on Enzymes and other biochemical parameters Chlordimeform and its major metabolites were tested for their ability to affect DNA, RNA and protein synthesis. In vitro studies using HeLa cells exposed to a variety of concentrations of chlordimeform and its major metabolites showed that the synthesis of macromolecules were virtually unaffected except at extremely high concentrations at which RNA synthesis was reduced (Murakami and Fukami, 1974). Several studies have been reported to define the mode of action of chlordimeform. Chlordimeform has shown a complex mechanism of action eliciting a variety of unusual biochemical and pharmacological responses. Chlordimeform has shown little activity on cholinergic transmission although in frog muscle preparations a decrease in acetylcholine reception sensitivity has been observed. Chlordimeform has been shown to be an effective uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation and inhibitor of electron transport. Physiologically, chlordimeform acting as a direct depressant on cardiac and vascular muscle, induced a hypotensive state in dogs. Chlordimeform did not interfere with the autonomic nervous system. The mechanism of cardiovascular depression may be related to that noted with frog nerve preparations treated with procaine, a local anesthetic. 4-chloro-o-toluidine has been shown to interfere with rat cardiac receptors (Lund et., al., 1978; Chinn et al., 1976; Wang et al., 1975; Watanabe et al., 1975; Matsumura and Beeman, 1976; Knowles, 1976; Hollingworth, 1976). It has been suggested that the increase in biogenetic amines resulting from inhibition of monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity by chlordimeform and its metabolites may be a factor in expressing the complex mode of action. Matsumura and Beeman (1976) have shown that rats treated with chlordimeform accumulated seratonin and norepinephrin in the brain while Benezet and Knowles (1978) showed dopamine to also accumulate. While, as had been suggested in the past that MAO inhibition is not the primary mechanism in chlordimeform insecticidal activity, inhibition of this process in concert with several other biological events has provided some data that may resolve the toxic mode of action in mammals. In further studies towards this goal, Knowles and his coworkers have continued to examine the metabolic fate of chlordimeform. They have also investigated the physiological significance and toxic action of the metabolic product. These workers have proposed that sequential oxidative and N-demethylation of chlordimeform results in the formation of two formamidine derivatives, the N-mono-desmethyl and the N-didesmethyl formamidines. These two metabolites appear to be more acutely toxic and more biologically active than chlordimeform. The onset of acute signs of poisoning was shown to be faster with these metabolites than with chlordimeform itself. Chlordimeform and the two formamidine metabolites have been shown to increase sleeping time in mice. Chlordimeform may indirectly influence chemically induced sleep or it may be an active sleep inducer especially through the action of some of its metabolites. Based on preliminary acute toxicity data, the two formamidine chlordimeform metabolites appear to be rapidly formed and may serve to contribute directly to the overall toxic action in rats. In contrast, two additional metabolites, the N-formyl-4- chloro-o-toluidine and the 4-chloro-o-toluidine were not as acutely toxic as chlordimeform but still appear to have contributed to the complex mode of action. The latter toluidine metabolites have been shown in vivo to induce a sedative and an anesthetic effect in addition to their biochemical ability to inhibit MAO activity. To define the multiple stress on animals treated with chlordimeform, Knowles and coworkers reported the acute poisoning response in rats of all of these metabolites following a variety of administrative routes. The signs of poisoning following acute Intoxication with chlordimeform and its two major formamidine metabolites included a marked hyperexcitability which increased with time and was accompanied by a high degree of sensitivity to external stimuli. Stimulation caused rapid running and elicited an intense escape behavior in rats. At the latter stages of poisoning, prostration and hyperextension of the hind legs occurred and death followed shortly. Signs of poisoning were observed to be the most rapid with the didesmethyl (the NH2 derivative) formamidine, Hyperexcitability was evident almost immediately after poisoning and within five to six minutes convulsions were observed. In sharp contrast, rats treated with N-formyl and the 4-chloro-o-toluidine metabolises responded rapidly as though they had been sedated. This condition was soon followed by one which resembled an anesthetic effect (Benezet et al., 1978). As mentioned above, the increase in biogenic amines resulting from inhibition of MAO activity undoubtedly has some physiological significance in defining the overall toxic response. Previous studies have shown that inhibition of rat MAO activity was relatively rapid and reversible following chlordimeform intoxication. In contrast to classical MAO inhibitory chlordimeform exhibited a readily reversible Inhibition (Maitre et al., 1978). Recovery was complete within two days in liver and four days in brain following an acute intraperitoneal dose of 100 mg/kg. In evaluating the sensitivity of the two types of MAO activity to inhibition with chlordimeform, the type B seemed to be more sensitive. Subacute, intraperitoneal administration of 10 mg/chlordimeform/kg body weight for four days did not appear to result in brain M0 inhibition and only marginally reduced liver MAO activity. This suggested the low cumulative potential for MAO inhibition at low or threshold doses. In contrast, Kaloyanova et al., (1978) observed substantial inhibition when rats were administered 5 mg/kg daily for 40 days. This inhibition may have resulted from an observed cumulative effect of prolonged administration and delayed recovery of MAO activity over the 40 day treatment interval. Thus, evidently the complex mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated. Direct diverse actions of chlordimeform and its metabolites and the indirect action of many biologically active amines all interacting simultaneously appear to preclude a rapid resolution of this complicated event. TOXICOLOGICAL STUDIES Mutagenicity In a series of bioassays, chlordimeform and its principle metabolites were examined for mutagenic effects on histidine-auxotrophic mutants of Salmonella either alone or after biological activation. Chlordimeform tested in a series of five tester strains (TA-98, TA-100, TA-1535, TA-1537 and TA-1538), was found to be negative at concentrations up to and including 20 mg/ml. The desmethyl metabolite of chlordimeform was slightly mutagenic when assayed against TA-1535. The Formyl-metabolite was negative when tested against the five tester strains although in one instance a weak response was elicited with TA-100. In contrast, the 4-chloro-o- toluidine metabolite was found to elicit a positive mutagenic response at high concentrations with the tester strains TA-100 and TA-1535 (Arni and Muller, 1976a, b and c; Konopka and Haymann, 1977a and b; Rashid, 1974). Chlordimeform did not elicit a mutagenic response when examined utilizing a streptomycin dependent E. coli-SD 4 tester strain (Hurni and Ohder 1970), A potential metabolite of chlordimeform formed in soil and in the presence of sunlight from the 4-chloro-o-toluidine (4,4-dichloro-2,2-dimethylazobenzene) was found to be inactive when examined against two tester strains of Salmonella, TA-1535 and TA-1538 (Rashid, 1974). Mouse - Dominant Lethal Chlordimeform was administered to groups of 20 male mice at dosage levels of 0, 22 and 66 mg/kg/body weight. The males were mated with two untreated females weekly for six consecutive weeks in a standard dominant lethal assay. No evidence of dominant lethal effects was observed in the progeny of the male mice treated with chlordimeform (Fritz, 1978). Chlordimeform was bioassayed as a potential carcinogen using the C3H7OT 1/2 CLB mouse embryo fibroblast oncogenic transformation assay Nesnow and Heidelberger, 1976) and found to be negative over a range of 1 to 100 µg/ml. This assay has been shown to have a low rate for false positive responses suggesting that a positive result is highly likely to be an animal carcinogen (Nesnow, 1978). Groups of Chinese hamsters (3 males and 3 females per group) were administered chlordimeform by gavage on two consecutive days at dose levels of 0, 60, 120 and 240 mg/kg. A positive control using cyclophosphamide (128 mg/kg) and a negative control of carboxymethylcellulose was used in an in vivo, mutagenesis assay evaluating bone marrow cells. In all dosage groups (sacrificed 24 hours after the second dose) the percentage of cells displaying changes in nuclei did not differ from the negative controls. The positive controls showed a marked increase in the percentage of cells with anomalies of the nuclei (Langeuer and Muller, 1977). Teratogenicity Groups of rabbits (group size ranged from 17 to 38 dams per group) were administered chlordimeform orally from day 6 to day 18 of pregnancy at dose levels of 0, 10, 30 and 100 mg/kg/body weight. The administration of chlordimeform at 100 mg/kg/body weight produced a distinct adverse effect on dams in the first four days of treatment within four hours of administration of chlorphenamide. Examination of dams and fetuses (fetuses were removed by caesarian section on day 28 of pregnancy) suggested that the low dose had no teratogenic or embryo toxic effect. In the high dose group, the number of incompletely ossified sternebrae showed a slight increase over that observed in the controls and in the other groups. In addition, the number of live fetuses with malformations was slightly increased. These malformations included a median cleft palate and exencephaly and an omphalocele. Further examination of spontaneous malformations observed in a cumulative control of 2495 rabbit fetuses suggested that these abnormalities may be spontaneous and not as a consequence of the administration of chlordimeform (Fritz, 1971). Groups of rats (25 females/group, 30 females were used as controls) were administered chlordimeform in carboxymethylcellulose at dose levels of up to 0, 10, 25 and 50 mg/kg/day from six to day fifteen of pregnancy. Examination of fetuses removed by caesarian section on day 21 showed that a slight delay in growth of the fetuses had occurred at the two upper treatment levels. This effect was probably a direct result of a slightly toxic response in the dams as evidenced by reduced body weight gain and reduced food intake and somnolence noted on days 6, 7 and 8 of pregnancy. No teratogenic events were observed in the offspring although an increased incidence of eternal ossification defects occurred at 25 mg/kg (Fritz, 1975). Short Term Studies Monoamineoxidase (MAO) activity of liver, brain and serum was examined from rats treated with chlordimeform at dosages of 0, 5, 10 and 50 mg/kg/day for 40 consecutive days. The MAO activity was determined with a variety of substrates. A dose-dependent inhibitory promotion was observed using several of the substrates representing different forms (isoenzymes) of MAO activity. The liver, brain and serum MAO activity was significantly inhibited at 5 mg/kg/day, the lowest dose level tested. A distinct, dose-response relationship was observed in both liver, brain and serum with two of the substrates used in the assay (Kaloyanova et al., 1978). Mice - 4-chloro-o-toluidine Groups of mice (30 males and 30 females/group, TIF.: NMRI strain) were bred and maintained under SPF conditions and fed a diet containing 4-chloro-o-toluidine at concentrations of 0, 750, 1500, 3000 and 6000 ppm for 60 days. Mortality 50% was observed in the 6000 ppm group. Food intake and growth were retarded at the two highest dose levels. No abnormal clinical signs of poisoning were observed. Eye examinations did not indicate adverse occular changes. A toxic Hemolytic anemia in both sexes of all treated groups was characterized by reticulocytosis and heinz body formation. In the male mice of all treated groups, hemoglobin concentration, packed cell volume and erythrocyte count was slightly below that of controls. In addition, Leukocytosis was observed in all animals of all dosage groups with the exception of female at the 750 ppm level. In both sexes at 6000 ppm and in the females at 3000 ppm total protein concentration was reduced, blood glucose and urea nitrogen values were increased. Plasma GPT was increased in male mice at 3000 ppm and in female mice at 1500 ppm. Urinalysis revealed a reduced specific gravity in both sexes at 3000 ppm and above and in females at 1500 ppm. Microscopic examination of tissues and organs at the conclusion of the studies showed slight to moderate vacuolar changes of Hepatocytes, which was pronounced in animals at the 3000 ppm levels and above. There was also a marked congestion of the spleen at these high dose levels. In addition, the urinary bladder revealed hyperemia and dilation of the capillaries in the mucosal layer. These changes were accompanied by edema, multiple intraepithelial hemorrhage and focal proliferation of the transitional cell epithelium. On occasion, these changes in the urinary bladder were noted at the lowest concentration (Suter et al., 1976b). Rat - 4-chloro-o-toluidine Groups of rats (30 males and 30 females per group Tif/Rai, strain) were maintained under SPF-barrier conditions and fed 4-chloro-o-toluidine in the diet at concentrations of 0, 750, 1500, 3000 and 6000 ppm for 60 days. There was no mortality over the course of the study and clinical signs of poisoning were not observed. Ophthamological examinations did not suggest changes related to the presence of 4-chloro-o-toluidine in the diet. Growth was reduced in the upper three dosed groups at dietary levels of 1500 ppm and above. Toxic hemolytic anemia in both sexes of all treated groups was characterized by a variety of hematological parameters including: reduced hemoglobin content, reduced hematocrit content, reduced blood cell count, increased methemoglobin content, heinz body formation, reticulocytosis and polychromatophilia. In the highest dose group, an increased number of immature red blood cells (normoblasts) were observed. An increased leukocyte count and prothrombin time was recorded at the 3000 and 6000 ppm level. Total protein was slightly reduced at 3000 and 6000 ppm and there was a shift in the globulin content as observed by electrophoresis. Plasma lambda-glutamyl transpeptidase of males and alkaline phosphatase of females was increased at 6000 ppm. Urinalysis was not significantly affected. In all treated animals, the liver showed an increase in size accompanied by hypertrophy of the hepatocytes. In the two highest dose groups, the spleen was enlarged and microscopic examination showed pronounced congestion and hemorrhage. In the highest dose group, slight or moderate proliferation of the transitional cell epithelium was noted in the urinary bladder (Suter et al., 1976b). Long Term Studies Mice - Chlordimeform Hydrochloride Groups of mice (50 males and 50 females per group, Tif: MAG strain, SPF derived) were fed chlordimeform in the diet at concentrations of 0, 20, 100 and 500 ppm for 24 months. At the conclusion of the dietary feeding interval animals were maintained on control diet until 90% of a group had died, at which time the remaining animals of the group were sacrificed. There were no acute signs of toxicity related to chlordimeform in the diet over the course of the feeding trial. Growth and food consumption were similarly unaffected by the presence of chlordimeform in the diet. Mortality was significantly increased in females after 60, and 90 weeks at 500 and 100 ppm respectively. In males, significantly increased mortality was observed after 70 and 110 weeks at 500 and 100 ppm. However, lifespan was not significantly affected in males at 100 ppm. The animals fed dietary levels of 100 ppm and above displayed an increased incidence of hemorrhagic tissue masses in subcutaneous tissues, retroperitoneum and some internal organs (kidney, liver and spleen) which upon examination were classified as malignant haemangioenditheliomas. These malignancies which were reported to occur rarely in control populations mere found predominantly in the 100 and 500 ppm dietary groups. In some animals the tumors were of multiple origin and metastases were observed in the lungs. There were no other types of neoplasm observed in the study which were attributable to chlordimeform in the diet. Under the conditions of this study, 20 ppm in the diet appears to be a no effect level (Suter et al., 1978). Mice - N-formyl-4-chloro-o-toluidine Groups of mice (50 male and 50 female/group, Tif: MAG strain) were bred and maintained under standard SPF conditions and fed N-formyl-chloro-o-toluidine in the diet at concentrations of 0, 20, 100 and 500 ppm for 24 months. Alter 24 months all animals were fed a control diet until the study was concluded when 90% of a group of animals had died. There was no sign of adverse behavior and acute mortality was not noted. Growth and food consumption were unaffected. There were significant differences noted in survival after one year of age. Both males and females showed an increased mortality after at 100 and 500 ppm approximately one year of feeding. The onset of increased mortality occurred earlier in females. The females at the 20 ppm dietary level showed a slightly higher, non-significant mortality during the same period. Detailed gross and microscopic examination of a variety of tissues and organs showed the presence of numerous gross anatomical lesions. There was an increased number of hemorrhagic masses in the subcutaneous tissues in the retroperitoneum and in some internal organs of mice at all treatment levels. Detailed microscopic examination confirmed that the increased incidence of hemorrhagic masses were malignant tumors of vascular origin. These tumors were histologically classified as malignant haemangioenditheliomas. In addition to the occurrence of tumors, the time to tumor relationship was decreased as the dietary concentration was increased. Apart from a significantly higher incidence and earlier appearance of malignant vascular tumors noted at all dose levels, other neoplasms occurring in the study were not influenced by the dietary concentration; a non-effect level was not demonstrated under the conditions of this experiment (Sachsse at al., 1978a). Mice - 4-chloro-o-toluidine Groups of mice (30 males and 30 females per group, ICR-strain) were fed dietary concentrations of 4-chloro-o-toluidine for 80 weeks at dietary levels of 0, 20, 100 and 500 ppm. At the conclusion of the study, gross and microscopic examination of tissues and organs was performed. Data were not presented with respect to general observation, behavior changes, food consumption and growth. There appeared to be no significant changes with respect to organ and tissue weight in animals sacrificed at 80 weeks. The results of the histological examination of tissues and organs suggest that there was a dose-related increase in the number of tumors observed when data from both sexes are combined. These have been characterized as reticulum cell sarcoma. In addition, there was a dose-related increase in the overall tumor incidence at all treatment levels. The study showed a high incidence of spleenic effects and lung problems, indicative of probable infection in the colony. A no-effect level has not been demonstrated in the study based upon the dose-related increase in tumor incidence at all dietary levels tested. Unfortunately, a complete analysis of the study was precluded in part due to the overall tumor incidence in control animals. The control tumor incidence ranged from 56 to 73% of the animals at eighty weeks. The data upon which statistical analyses were based utilized a modified life table (acturial) method. On the basin of the actual incidence of tumors, the dose/effect relationship is still apparent when use is made of total tumor incidence data (Ezumi and Nakao, 1974b). Mice - 4-chloro-o-toluidine Groups of mice (50 males and 50 females/group, Tif: MAG strain) were derived and maintained under standard SPF-barrier conditions and fed a diet containing 4-chloro-o-toluidine at concentrations of 0, 2, 20, 100 and 500 ppm for 24 months. After 24 months all animals were fed control diets until the study was concluded when 90% of a group of animals had died. There were no overt toxicological signs of poisoning. Growth and food consumption were unaffected. An adverse effect on longevity (lifespan) was noted in both males and females at the two highest dietary levels. At the conclusion of the study upon gross examination there was a marked increase number of hemorrhagic masses in subcutaneous tissue, in the retroperitoneum and in some internal organs. Microscopic examination revealed an increased incidence of hemorrhagic malignant tumors of vascular origin at dosage levels of 20 ppm and above. The incidence in control exceeded the incidence observed at 2 ppm. The tumors were histologically classified as malignant haemangioenditheliomas and on occasion metastases were observed. There was not only a significant dose-dependent increase in the total incidence of malignant tumors but, the tumors occurred in animals at the higher concentrations at a markedly earlier date than those at the lower concentrations. (The time-to-tumor calculations were dose related). A benign variant of the haemangioma was observed in all groups. The occurrence of other types of neoplasms in the study was apparently not influenced by the presence of 4-chloro-o-toluidine in the diet. Under the conditions of this experiment, 2 ppm in the diet appears to be a non-effect level (Sachsse et al., 1978b). Rat - 4-chloro-o-toluidine Groups of rats (30 males and 30 females/group, Sprague-Dawley strain) were fed a diet containing 4-chloro-o-toluidine at concentrations of 0, 20, 100 and 500 ppm for periods of 94 weeks for the males and 104 weeks for the females. There was a slight increase in mortality over the course of the study that appeared to be dose related when calculations of combined mortality data with both sexes were made. There was no indication of a reduced lifespan as a consequence of 4-chloro-o-toluidine in the diet. At the conclusion of the study there seemed to be an increased liver weight observed at 500 ppm. A dose-related decrease in ovarian weight was also observed at all dose levels. There was a dose-related increase in tumors in the study. In the animals sacrificed at the conclusion of the study, liver nodules, described as tumor-like, were observed at 100 and 500 ppm but not in the controls and in the 20 ppm group. Upon microscopic examination these nodules were found to be non-malignant. In those animals that died during the course of the study there were a significant number of tumor-like nodules and swellings in the liver which were classified as benign or malignant hepatomas upon histological examination. On an overall evaluation of the study, it was concluded that liver tumors were found in all dose groups but not in controls. The total incidence of liver tumor was related to dietary dosage and found to be higher in females than in males. However, incidence of malignant tumors while increasing with dose was not sex related. Additionally, adenoma of the adrenal gland was found in the treated groups. A "no-effect level" was not seen in this study (Ezumi and Nakao, 1974a). As in the previous mouse study, the data calculations are based on the modified life table (actuarial) method. Two studies, each using both rats and mice in the bioassay, have been undertaken under the U.S. National Cancer Institute carcinogenicity program to evaluate the carcinogenic potential of 4-chloro-o-toluidine. Full reports of these studies are not available. Mice In an initial study reported only in summary, groups of 25 male mice were fed 4-chloro-o-toluidine in the diet for 2 years at levels of 0, 750 and 1500 ppm. Similar groups of female mice were fed dietary concentrations of 0, 2000 and 4000 ppm. Further details on the parameters used in the study are unavailable. There appear to be a significant number of vascular tumors observed in both male and female mice. There were no differences reported between the treated and control animals with regard to other tumors. In a more well-defined program, reported as a draft report, groups of mice (50 males and 50 females per group, B6C3F1 strain) were fed dietary concentrations of 4-chloro-o-toluidine in a lifetime (92 to 99 weeks) carcinogenic bioassay. The females were fed dietary levels of 0, 3750 and 15,000 ppm while the males were fed dietary levels of 0, 1250 and 5000 ppm. Body weight of treated animals was reduced. Mortality was not affected. A significant number of tumors designated as hemangiosarcoma of the epididimus, testes, urinary bladder, seminal vesicle and prostate were recorded in the high dosed male mice receiving 5000 ppm in the diet. A similar neoplastic condition existed in the reproductive organs of both high and low-dosed groups of female mice. Rat Groups of 25 male rats/group were fed dietary levels of 0, 2000 and 4000 per four months at which time the dietary level was decreased to 500 and 1000 ppm for the remainder of the study. The rat study showed no significant differences between the treated and control animals. Groups of rat (50 males and 50 females per group, 20 males and 20 females were used in controls, F344 strain) were fed dietary concentration of 4-chloro-o-toluidine at levels of 0, 1250 and 5000 ppm. A significant number of rats survived the two-year feeding trial although growth was retarded at the high dose. Gross and microscopic pathological examinations of the animals revealed no tumours associated with the presence of 4-chloro-o-toluidine in the diet. It was concluded that 4-chloro-o-toluidine hydrochloride was not carcinogenic for F344 rats (Anonymous, 1978b). Rat - 2 Year dietary-lifetime studies - Interim reports A series of three one-year interim reports entitled "Lifetime Feeding Study in Rats" indicate that studies are being performed with chlordimeform, N-formyl-4-chloro-o-toluidine and with 4-chloro-o-toluidine. Details of the studies are not defined. The reports, designated "interim reports", contain some brief information on hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis urine electrophoresis and growth and food consumption data for a one year period (Anonymous, 1978a, b and c). For chlordimeform, the data show a slight growth retardation at the highest dose level accompanied by a toxic hemalytic anemia. Methaemoglobin was increased at 4 weeks in a dose related response from 20 ppm. However, no effects were noted at 13, or 26 weeks, and minor changes were observed only at 500 ppm after 52 weeks. Total serum protein was reduced at 500 ppm. Heinz bodies, generally associated with methemoglobinemia were not observed in male rats but were observed in females. The dose levels used in these studies are 0, 2, 20, 100 and 500 ppm in the diet with groups of 108 rats/sex/dose being used. There may have been an interim sacrificed but data are not reported. The data for the N-Formyl-metabolite appear to be similar to that described for chlordimeform. At the highest dose level, hemaglobin concentration was significantly reduced in both males and females. In addition, packed cell volume and red blood cell count were decreased and there was a significant reticulocytosis. There was an increased methemoglobin formation but heinz bodies were not observed. Blood chemistry, urine analysis and urine elcotrophoresis were not unusual. As with the previous study, growth was slightly retarded at the 500 ppm dose level although food consumption did not appear to be affected. Preliminary data presented for the dietary 4-chloro-o-toluidine study show a reduction in weight gain in both sexes at the highest dietary concentration. This was again associated with a toxic hemolytic anemia. A marginal decrease was observed in the hemoglobin concentration in males and females at the highest dose level. Methemoglobin concentration at the end of one year was increased in females at the top three dose levels while with the males it was increased only at the top dose level. Again, heinz bodies were not noted in male rats but were noted in females. Against blood chemistry, urine analysis and urine electrophoresis was not affected. In all studies, there was a suggestion that an interim sacrifice was made. A statement was made that neither toxic symptoms nor gross pathology changes were found at this interim sacrifice time. The reports of these three studies are incomplete and the data could not be evaluated at the present time. The studies should be considered when full reports are available (Anonymous, 1978a, b and c). COMMENTS Chlordimeform was reviewed and evaluated for acceptable daily intake in 1971 and 1975 and a temporary ADI was allocated. The metabolic pathway in animals has been well-defined but no information is available on either the metabolic fate in man or the primary mode of toxic action. In studies performed subsequent to the initial reviews, adverse effects of long-term exposure were observed. Results of a preliminary report suggested a carcinogenic response in mice with 4-chloro-o-toluidine, a major metabolite of chlordimeform. At that time voluntary withdrawal of all agricultural uses of chlordimeform was instituted by the major manufacturers to allow time to complete ongoing studies which would permit a complete evaluation of the hazards associated with continued agricultural use. An extensive series of short-term, high-level and long-term, low-level studies in both rats and mice, were reviewed and considered by the Meeting. Results of long-term studies demonstrate that chlordimeform and its principal metabolites, the N-formyl chlordimeform and 4-chloro-o-toluidine, are carcinogenic in the mouse, producing a dose-related malignancy histologically characterized as a haemangioendothelioma. In carcinogenicity studies with rats, results have been conflicting. Chlorimeform was not mutagenic to bacteria but its main metabolite 4-chloro-o-toluidine was mutagenic in the same bioassay systems. Because of these concerns, the temporary ADI was reduced. The Meeting was informed that there were currently uses of chlordimeform on cotton from which food residues have not been detected at the limit of the existing method of analysis. In consideration of this and the new data expected within one year, the Meeting recommended chlordimeform be reviewed in 1979. TOXICOLOGICAL EVALUATION Level causing no toxicological effect Rat: 100 ppm in the diet equivalent to 5 mg/kg bw Dog: 250 ppm in the diet equivalent to 6.25 mg/kg bw ESTIMATE OF ACCEPTABLE DAILY INTAKE FOR HUMANS 0-0.0001 mg/kg body weight RESIDUES IN FOOD AND THEIR EVALUATION USE PATTERN The manufacturers were currently limiting their proposals to aerial applications to cotton crops under supervised conditions which limit the uptake by operators, bystanders and consumers in Guatemala, Colombia, Nicaragua, Salvador and USA. Further such applications to cotton in Australia, Egypt, Mexico and Sudan were under consideration. Use pattern on cotton In 1972, chlordimeform was recommended in cotton at rates of 0.5 - 1.0 kg/ha. Further research revealed that useful control could be achieved at rates of 0.125 to 0.25 kg/ha by killing eggs and early instar larvae and in 1973 these rates were recommended. Emulsifiable solutions of chlordimeform base, or solutions of the hydrochloride in Australia, USA and several other countries, are need on a 3 - 5 day schedule when moth flights begin or when eggs appear. In some other countries including Colombia and Guatamala it has been found necessary to use 1 kg/ha when mites are to be controlled. The compound is active again a narrower spectrum of insects than the organo-chlorine compounds and other compounds used on cotton and is being used successfully in integrated pest management programmes in the USA and other countries. Observations have shown that it does little harm to many beneficial insects and its removal in 1976 created a serious situation because acceptable alternatives were not available. RESIDUES RESULTING FROM SUPERVISED TRIALS Cotton Reports on supervised trials carried out between 1969 and 1977 (Ciba-Giegy/Schering, 1978) and showing residues in cottonseed and cotton products processed from seed cotton grown under a range of treatment regimes were considered. The analytical methods used were based on the determination of 4-chloro-o-toluidine which is a moiety common to chlordimeform and its intermediate metabolites as-well as being the principal metabolite in plants and animals (Morton, 1968; Nor-Am, 1969; Ciba-Geigy, 1976; Schering, 1973). The limits of determination were in the range 0.01 - 0.05 mg/kg of chlordimeform equivalents with recoveries usually above 80% (69-106%). A gas-chromatographic, method which allows separate determination of chlordimeform and its metabolites and has a limit of determination of 0.01 mg/kg and recoveries in the range of 74 - 106% was also used (Schering, 1975). Most determinations were concerned with residues in intact cottonseeds. The application rate ranged from 125 g to 3.6 kg/ha. From 1 to 20 applications were made and the interval between the last application and harvest ranged from 0 to 89 days. Table 1 summarizes the results from the many trials reported Ciba-Geigy/Schering, 1978). There was no direct relationship between the residue levels and the experimental conditions such as application rate, number of applications, length of waiting period etc. However, the results suggest that the application rate had the strongest influence on the residue level, followed by the interval between last application and harvest. Tables 2 and 3 summarize the results of typical trials carried out in the USA. As shown in Table 3, the decrease of residues with time is most pronounced during the first 10 days after the last treatment of the cotton plants. The number of applications in a season appears to have little influence on the residue present at harvest. When comparing the dates of application with the residue levels in seed, it was thought that the later the last application was made in the season, the higher the residues. To test this hypothesis a study was conducted in South Carolina in 1977 (Ciba-Geigy, 1978b) in which the interval between applications and the pre-harvest interval were varied. The date of the last application was compared with the proportion of open bolls. With only one exception, the 0.25 kg/ha rate resulted in residues proportionally higher than the 0.125 kg/ha rate. In addition, the data showed that the timing of the last application (number of bolls open) influences the level of residues more than the total number of applications or the interval between applications. Though most of the data are from trials using the emulsifiable concentrate base, in some studies the emulsifiable concentrate and the soluble powder (hydrochloride) formulations were compared. The results were essentially the same (see Table 3). Trials in which the fate of residues were traced through all stages of cottonseed processing showed that this similarity remains at each stage (Table 4). TABLE 1. Effect of application rate on chlordimeform residues in cottonseed. Application rate, No. of Residue, mg/kg kg/ha trials Range Mean 0.125 32 <0.05 - 0.49 0.1 0.25 2 <0.05 <0.05 0.45 2 2.0 - 2.8 2.4 0.5 9 <0.05 - 3.0 1.7 0.6 5 <0.05 - 3.0 1.5 0.75 1 1.3 1.3 1.0 23 <0.05 - 5.7 2.3 1.5 2 0.25 - 3.7 2.0 2.0 6 0.05 - 5.6 1.9 2.25 1 12.0 12.0 3.6 1 13.1 13.1 NOTE: The high figures in the range represent residues in cottonseed harvested immediately after application. TABLE 2. Chlordimeform residues in cottonseed, USA. Application State Year No. Rate, Formulation 20 30 40 50 60 70 > 70 kg/ a.i./ha Ala. 1970 8 0.5 EC 0.46 Miss. 1970 9 0.5 EC 0.95 Ark. 1969 9 0.5 EC < 0.05 Tex. 1970 9 0.5 EC 0.22 Cal. 1969 10 0.5 SP 2.7 Cal. 1969 10 0.5 EC 2.3 Geo. 1970 14 0.5 EC 3.0 Cal. 1970 7 0.75 SP 2.6 S. Car. 1969 5 1.0 EC <0.05 Okla. 1970 6 1.0 EC < 0.05 Tex. 1969 1.0 EC 0.22 Cal. 1968 10 1.0 SP 3.3 Miss. 1969 11 1.0 EC 0.81 Tex. 1970 7 1.5 EC 0.25 Tex. 1970 9 1.5 EC 3.7 Tex. 1969 7 2.0 EC 0.05 Miss. 1970 9 2.0 EC 5.6 Miss. 1969 11 2.0 EC 0.62 Tex. 1970 11 2.0 EC 1.5 Tex. 1970 9 2.25 EC 12.0 (3 days) EC = Emulsion concentrate SP = Soluble powder TABLE 3. Effect of pre-harvest interval on level of chlordimeform residues in cottonseeds Application State Year No. Rate, kg Formulation 3 7 10 14 21 a.i./ha Ariz. 1970 6 1.0 EC 1.8 1.6 2.3 1.9 Ariz. 1970 6 1.0 SP 2.0 1.8 2.4 1.6 Florida 1970 14 1.0 EC 3.7 3.0 2.0 3.0 Florida 1970 14 1.0 SP 5.7 5.1 2.3 2.9 Georgia 1975 20 0.5 EC 2.0 1.0 1.0 0.81 Miss. 1975 20 0.5 EC 3.0 1.6 1.3 0.92 EC = Emulsion concentrate SP = Soluble powder TABLE 4. Effect of Processing on chlordimeform residues in cottonseed and cottonseed products. 333/ 333/ 333/ 333/ 333/ 333/ 333/ 13/ 13/ 13/ 13/ 13/ Trial no. 107 92 92 105 86 109 08 77 77 77 77 77 Location Texas Calif. Calif. Calif. - Miss. Texas Calif. Calif. Calif. Calif. Miss. Rate of application kg/ha 0.5 0.5 0.5 1.0 - 2.0 2.0 1.0 1.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 Formulation EC EC EC SP - EC EC EC SP EC SP EC No. of applications 9 10 10 10 - 9 11 15 15 15 15 15 Pre-harvest interval (days after last appl.) 57 84 84 28 - 24 45 21 21 21 21 - Cottonseed 0.22 2.3 2.7 3.3 - 5.6 1.5 2.9 3.4 - - Lint cotton 0.37 - - - - 5.2 - - - - Delinted cottonseed 0.19 - - - - 1.4 - - - - Linters 0.47 - - - - 2.3 - - - - Cottonseed hulls 0.20 3.1 3.9 8.0 - 8.5 2.2 3.75 4.0 - - Solvent-extracted meal 0.15 1.6 2.5 2.0 - 1.4 0.32 0.15 0.2 - - Screw press extracted meal 0.09 0.92 1.1 1.1 - 0.83 0.39 - - - - Crude solvent-extracted meal 0.11 - - - 1.2 0.63 0.28 0.41 0.52 0.8 1.1 3.8 TABLE 4. Cont'd. 333/ 333/ 333/ 333/ 333/ 333/ 333/ 13/ 13/ 13/ 13/ 13/ Trial no. 107 92 92 105 86 109 08 77 77 77 77 77 Location Texas Calif. Calif. Calif. - Miss. Texas Calif. Calif. Calif. Calif. Miss. Refined solvent-extracted meal 0.09 0.73 0.78 - 1.0 0.21 0.33 0.37 0.38 0.8 0.8 3.3 Crude screw press-extracted oil 0.17 - - - 4.0 1.7 1.3 - - - - - Refined screw press-extracted oil 0.14 1.3 1.7 - 3.6 0.85 0.72 - - - - - Solvent-extracted soapstock - 1.2 1.8 - - - - - - - - - Screw press-extracted soapstock - 2.8 2.8 - - - - - - - - - Refined, bleached, deodorised oil - - - - - - - <0.05 <0.05 0.05 0.06 <0.05 Refined, bleached, deodorised, hydrogenated oil - - - - - - - <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 FATE OF RESIDUES General Since the 1971 Meeting FAO/WHO, 1972b there have been a number of detailed studies on metabolism in cotton plants and on the fate of residues in cottonseed and products subjected to commercial processing. There have also been studies of the nature and fate of residues in lactating cows and a balance and characterization study of radio-labelled metabolites in a lactating goat. Studies have also been made into the fate of residues fed to poultry. Fate in plants The metabolic behaviour was studies in greenhouse-grown cotton plants (Gross, 1977). Selected leaves of the plants were treated at a rate equivalent to 0.6 kg a.i./ha with 14C-phenyl-labelled chlordimeform at the "first flower" stage and the treatment was repeated twice at one-week intervals. The distribution of radioactivity and pattern of metabolites were determined 30 minutes and one, two, eight and eleven weeks after the first treatment. The last period corresponded to the normal pre-harvest interval. Metabolism was relatively slow: six weeks after the last treatment, 18.2% of the radioactivity was still unchanged chlordimeform. The treated leaves were exhaustively extracted with acetonitrile/water (8:2). The extractable radioactivity was further fractionated into hexane, methylene chloride- and water-soluble fractions. The radioactivity of the organic fractions was found to consist of at least seven different substances. Four of them were characterized by TLC comparison with reference compounds (Figure 1) as chlordimeform, N-demethyl-chlordimeform, 4-chloro-o-toluidine and N-formyl-4-chloro-o-toluidine. Their identIty was confirmed by gas co-chromatography. A fifth compound, also found by Bull (1973) was not identical to any of the available reference compounds. Fifty six per cent of the foliar-applied dose was found in the plant after one week, the balance being lost by volatilization. Most of the absorbed radioactivity remained in the treated plant parts during eight weeks accounted for only 1.8% of the dose. At harvest the radioactivity calculated as chlordimeform was 0.45 mg/kg in the open bolls, 0.1 mg/kg in the fibre and 0.3 mg/kg in the seeds. No parent insecticide was found in the seeds and only 4.5% of the radioactivity in the seeds still contained the intact aniline moiety. Hydrolysis of the parent compound to yield N-formyl-4-chloro-o-toluidine and 4-chloro-o-toluidine was the main degradation pathway. N-demethylation of chlordimeform was of more importance only at later sampling times. Strong evidence for the formation of the N-hydroxymethyl derivative of chlordimeform as an intermediate was found. Some water-soluble and unextractable compounds were produced. As previously demonstrated by Bull (1973), this metabolic behaviour of chlordimeform in cotton is similar to that reported in apple seedlings (Sen Gupta and Knowles 1969) and grapefruit seedlings (Ehrhardt and Knowles, 1970).After hydrolysis and analysis by TLC and GLC, 45% of the water-soluble radioactivity was found as 4-chloro-o-toluidine. Another 42% of the radioactivity remaining in the aqueous hydrolysate was extractable with n-butanol at pH 1 but was not further characterized. The unextractable radioactivity in the treated leaves was low at all time intervals. On the other hand, when the untreated leaves, stems and green bolls at the 8 week sampling interval were extracted exhaustively with acetonitrile/hexane (7:3), then 80% aqueous methanol and finally hot methanol only 15% to 23% of the radioactivity of each plant part could be extracted. No unchanged chlordimeform was present in the untreated plant parts. When the plant material was hydrolysed 45%, 17% and 10.5% of the radioactivity of the untreated leaves, stems and bolls, respectively, was extractable by iso-octane. Extraction of cottonseeds, taken from mature bolls 11 weeks after the first application, showed 8% of the radioactivity in the acetonitrile/hexane phase and an additional 7% of the radioactivity in the aqueous methanol. Hydrolysis of the seeds showed that only 4.5% of the radioactivity could be converted to 4-chloro-o-toluidine. When the nonextractable radioactivity of the weeds was further fractionated by chemical means into pectin, lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose fractions, the main part of the radioactivity (78%) was found to be associated with the cellulose fraction and 14%, 2% and 6% in the hemicellulose, lignin and pectin fractional respectively. Gross (1977) concluded that when 14C-chlordimeform was topically applied to cotton leaves, there was little movement of the radioactivity and none of chlordimeform itself into the untreated plant parts. The translocated radioactivity consisted exclusively of polar, mainly non-extractable substances, suggesting a possible incorporation of radioactivity into natural products. Fischer and Cassidy (1976a) reported an experiment in which the soil of a cotton field plot was treated with 14C-chlordimeform when the cotton was ten weeks old. The rate of application to the soil surface was equivalent to 1.0 kg a.i./ha. Radioactivity in the cotton plants seven weeks after treatment was equivalent to 0.13 mg/kg chlordimeform. Biphasic extraction showed 42.4% in the organic fraction, 34.9% in the polar fraction and 25.8% was non-extractable. Thirteen weeks after treatment the mature cotton contained 0.09 mg/kg in the leaves. The radioactive content of these mature samples was too low to fractionate for balance determinations. Treatment of soil surrounding a growing cotton plant showed that 14C-chlordimeform and its soil metabolites are taken up, in small quantities by cotton, especially the seeds and fibres. In another experiment Fischer and Cassidy (1976b) treated a cotton field plot over-the-top with formulated 14C-chlordimeform at a rate of 1.0 kg/ha when the plants were 10, 12 and 14 weeks old. Radioactivity in the cotton plants immediately after treatment was equivalent to 2.44 mg/kg chlordimeform. At harvest the radioactivity calculated as 14C-chlordimeform was 12.91 mg/kg in the leaves, 0.99 mg/kg in stalks, 0.03 mg/kg in the fibre and 0.26 mg/kg in the seed with 0.07 mg/kg in the oil and 0.19 mg/kg in the meal. The balance could be done only on the leaves and stalks at maturity because of the low radioactivity in the other plant parts. From the leaves and stalks respectively, the organic fractions contained 57.6% and 72.9%, the polar fractions 18.9% and 11.4% and the non-extractable fractions 18.8% and 17.8%. Parent 14C-chlordimeform accounted for 31.0% and 45.2% in leaves and stalks respectively. The radioactivity co-chromatographing with other known standards was minor, accounting for no more than 8% of the total in either leaves or stalks. This indicates that there is a large percentage of polar conjugates. The data show that, although leaf radioactivity is high, there is little translocation of 14C-chlordimeform metabolites to the seed or fibre. Application of the method for determining chlordimeform and its metabolites to cotton leaves showed that 88.9% of the radioactivity in the leaves but only 29.9% of that in the seeds could be accounted for as 4-chloro-o-toluidine. This indicates extensive further metabolism of the translocated metabolites of 14C-chlordimeform. Fischer and Cassidy (1976c) identified the radioactive metabolites in leaves after phenyl-14C-chlordimeform was sprayed over-the-top according to standard agricultural practice. At mature harvest the total radioactivity in the leaves consisted of parent chlordimeform 60.3%, demethyl-chlordimeform 4.1%, 4-chloro-o-toluidine 7.6% and its N-formyl derivative 7.0%. Identification was based on partitioning characteristics and cochromatography with standards. The metabolism of chlordimeform by cotton leaves involves, therefore, sequential hydrolysis of terminal groups with 4-chloro-o-toluidine as the final non-polar product. These data show that parent chlordimeform will account for the main part of the material containing the chlorotoluidine moiety in mature cotton foliage. Cotton grown in a greenhouse was injected with ring-labelled chlordimeform in order to characterize the radioactive metabolites, especially those not extractable with methanol and water, and to elucidate the metabolic pathway of chlordimeform in cottonseed (Honeycutt and Cassidy, 1977). The injections were made into the stem 69, 73 and 81 days after planting, the plants were grown to maturity and the cotton harvested 157 days from planting. The cottonseed contained radioactivity equivalent to 0.65 mg/kg of chlordimeform at maturity. Polar, extractable material accounted for 58% of the total radioactivity in the seed and consisted of 5-chloro-2-formamidobenzoic acid (N-formyl-5-chloroanthranilic acid) (3%) and eight unknown polar metabolites, none of which made up more than 8% of the total. Forty per cent of the radioactivity in the cottonseed was not extractable and was further fractionated into base-soluble (30%) and base-insoluble (23%) radioactivity. The base-soluble radioactivity was characterized as low molecular weight degradation products "A" (1.2%) and "B" (5.7%), as well as high molecular weight (> 1,000) components (20%) physicochemically similar to lignin. The base-insoluble radioactivity was characterized mainly as radioactive conjugates (17.6%) covalently linked to natural products physicochemically similar to cellulose. Three percent of the total radioactivity in the cottonseed could not be solubilized either by strong acid or base hydrolysis. Application of the total hydrolysis method to both the polar extractable and the non-extractable radioactivity showed that a total of only 19.8% of the radioactivity in the cottonseed could be converted to 4-chloro-o-toluidine (5-CAT). The above data confirm that the metabolism of chlordimeform in cottonseed is extensive, processing through 5-CAT, its N-formyl derivative and N-formyl-5-chloroanthranilic acid to hydroxylated metabolites which become conjugated to natural products such as lignin, pectin, cellulose or hemicellulose. This explains why attempts to define a moiety common to chlordimeform and its metabolites in cottonseed have not been successful. The authors have deduced the scheme set out in Figure 2 to explain the metabolism of chlordimeform in cotton. They contend that 4-chloro-o-toluidine is incorporated into lignin according to the schemes outlined in Figure 2. In animals Burkard (1971a) studied the fate following the application of a 0.5% solution of chlordimeform to the hindquarters of cows. The treatment was applied three times at 7-day intervals and the results were determined in milk collected daily until 33 days after the last treatment. At the end of that period the cows were slaughtered and samples of meat, liver and fat were analysed. Generally the total residue in milk was below the limit of determination (0.03 mg/kg) except on the day following treatment when it rose to a maximum of 1.0 mg/kg. Thereafter the concentration declined rapidly reaching the limit of determination on the third day. The meat and fat contained no detectable residues but liver contained from 0.3 to 0.6 mg/kg 33 days after the last treatment. In a further study Burkard (1971b) fed Swiss cows daily with 1 kg of a concentrate containing from 40 to 240 ppm chlordimeform for periods up to 42 days. Residues were determined in samples of milk collected throughout the trial and in samples of meat, fat, liver and kidney obtained from cows slaughtered after 7, 14, 21 and 42 days continuous administration. Total residues of chlordimeform and its metabolites in all milk, meat and fat samples analysed were below the limit of determination (0.03 mg/kg). However, the residues in the kidney and liver samples (mean values of duplicate determinations) were as shown in Table 5.
TABLE 5. Residues of chlordimeform and its metabolites in cows. Chlordimeform and metabolites, mg/kg Duration of feeding (days) In concentrate In liver In kidney 21 40 0.09 < 0.03 21 120 0.38 0.07 7 240 0.45 0.05 14 240 0.58 0.13 21 240 0.50 0.13 42 240 0.44 0.09 Honeycutt and Cassidy (1976) fed a lactating goat with cottonseed containing biosynthesized metabolites of phenyl-14C-chlordimeform at a level equivalent to 0.032 ppm chlordimeform daily for 4 consecutive days. The total recovery of radioactivity was 97.1%. It was primarily distributed between the urine (21.3%), which reached a plateau by the 2nd day, the faeces (35.9%), which reached a plateau by the third day, and the rumenintestinal contents (38.7%). There was no deposition of radioactivity in tissues (< 0.002 mg/kg), even though uptake of the biosynthesized metabolites occurred. The milk contained 0.9% of the total dose, its radioactivity plateaued by the second day (0.0004 ± 0.0001 mg/kg chlordimeform equivalents). The ratio of the concentration in milk to that in the feed was 0.013. Blood contained < 0.2% of the total dose. Comparison of the 14C-extractables of the original cottonseed with those in the faeces, urine and rumen-intestinal contents, suggests that the goat metabolized the biosynthesized metabolites in cottonseed. However, metabolism to natural products was not significant since expired 14CO2 accounted for only 0.3% of the total dose. Ciba-Geigy Corp. (1971) conducted experiments in which white Leghorn hens in active egg production were fed a commercial egg laying mash to which chlordimeform was added at rates equivalent to 0, 0.25, 0.75 and 1.50 mg/kg of feed. Groups were sacrificed after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days feeding and were subjected to post-mortem examination and assessment of egg production, body-weight change and food consumption. There were no significant differences between treated and control binds in any of the features examined. Residues in eggs and tissues (breast, fat and liver) were determined by Jenny (1971). Eggs collected at -3 (pre-treatment), -1 (pre-treatment), 3, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days from each group contained no detectable amounts of chlordimeform and/or its metabolites containing the 4-chloro-o-toluidine moiety. The breasts of birds sacrificed at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of feeding treated feed as well as 49 days after returning to untreated feed contained no significant residues. Average residues of 0.11, 0.09 and 0.22 mg/kg were detected in fat at the feeding levels of 0.25, 0.75 and 1.50 ppm respectively, at the 21-day interval only. No residues were detected in livers from chickens fed 0.25 ppm chlordimeform at any of the intervals tested and residue of 0.09 mg/kg was detected in liver from chickens fed 0.75 ppm only at the 21-day interval. Residues of 0.20, 0.17, and 0.10 mg/kg were detected in livers from the 1.5 ppm level at intervals of 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Nine days after withdrawal from the feed containing 1.5 ppm, no residues could be detected in any of the tissues. In processing The Meeting reviewed many data on the level and fate of residues during processing. Cottonseed is subjected to well-defined sequential processes, details of which were available (Ciba-Geigy, 1978). The results of some typical trials are set out in Table 4 and 6. The distribution is independent of the pattern of application as is apparent from Table 6. Although the major fraction of the residue remains in the hulls and the meal from which the oil has been removed there is still a significant concentration in the crude oil. Treatment of crude cottonseed oil with caustic soda in the refining process does not reduce the residue concentration significantly but the additional refining procedures including bleaching, hydrogenating and deodorizing reduce the residue in the oil to a level below the detection limits of present analytical methods (< 0.05 mg/kg). Since all the oil used for human consumption is at least subjected to the bleaching and deodorizing process, virtually all the chlordimeform will be removed before the cottonseed oil is consumed. In soil In the course of studies on the uptake of chlordimeform and its soil metabolites from treated soil into cotton Fischer and Cassidy (1976a) applied radio-labelled chlordimeform to a cotton field plot thirteen weeks before harvesting the cotton. The rate of application was equivalent to 1 kg/ha. TABLE 6. Effect of use pattern on Chlordimeform residues in cottonseed products. AGA AGA AGA AGA AGA AGA AGA AGA AGA AGA Trial No. 4397 4408 4409 4449 4450 4502 4981 4981 4981 4981 Location Alab. Ariz. Calif. Georg. Georg. Miss. S.C. S.C. S.C. S.C. Rate of application 0.125 0.125 0.25 0.125 0.25 0.125 0.125 0.25 0.125 0.25 Formulation EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC EC No. of applications 7 7 6 11 12 9 12 12 17 17 Pre-harvest interval 28 39 31 22 16 31 21 21 21 21 Cottonseed 0.2 0.82 0.35 0.35 0.35 0.30 0.29 0.20 0.22 0.40 Hulls 0.36 1.8 0.85 0.58 0.55 0.33 0.86 0.50 0.90 0.75 Meal 0.19 1.2 0.45 0.24 0.32 0.45 0.18 0.10 0.17 0.15 Soap stock 0.10 0.84 0.34 0.17 0.23 0.22 0.09 0.07 0.10 0.10 Crude oil 0.10 0.46 0.21 0.15 0.23 0.16 0.10 0.07 0.11 0.08 Refined oil 0.12 0.66 0.32 0.17 0.19 0.19 0.07 <0.05 0.08 0.07 Refined bleached deodorised oil <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 Refined bleached deodorised hydrogenated oil <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 <0.05 Radioactivity in the top 75 mm layer of silt loam soil accounted for 1.23 mg/kg chlordimeform equivalents after treatment. Seven weeks later this level had decreased to 0.33 mg/kg and at 13 weeks to 0.20 mg/kg. When the 0-75 mm layer was extracted after seven weeks, 32% of the radioactivity partitioned into the organic fraction, 20% partitioned into the polar fraction and 44% remained non-extractable, showing that the chlordimeform had degraded rapidly. The radioactivity in the samples taken 13 weeks after treatment was too low to fractionate. Except for one sample, the level of radioactivity as chlordimeform equivalents in the 75-150 mm and 150-200 mm layers was less than 0.01 mg/kg; thus leaching did not occur in this silt loam. In a later study when radio-labelled chlordimeform was applied at the rate of 1 kg/ha over cotton plants and soil in field plots, Fischer and Cassidy (1976b) found that the radioactivity in the 0-75 mm layer of silt loam was 1.24 mg/kg immediately after the first treatment but only 0.21 mg/kg after the final treatment and 0.20 mg/kg at harvest of the mature cotton. This decrease is due to (1) less drainage from the leaves onto the soil at the later sprayings because of the increased cover with plant growth, (2) volatility of the chlordimeform and (3) soil metabolism. Radioactivity was less than 0.01 mg/kg in the 75-150 and 150-225 mm layers at all-sampling dates. These data show that metabolism of 14C-chlordimeform in silt-loam is rapid and that the metabolites are not leached. Analysis of the 0-75 mm layer of soil taken at harvest showed that 91.0% of the radioactivity could be converted to 4-chloro-o-toluidine. Therefore, although 57% of the soil metabolites were polar or non-extractable, they contained this moiety. Following this study Fischer and Cassidy (1976b) planted soybeans at a rotation crop 38 weeks after the original treatment with chlordimeform at 1 kg/ha. At maturity the soybeans were found to contain radioactivity equivalent to 0.01 mg/kg chlordimeform in the stalks and less than 0.01 mg/kg in the beans themselves. Wheat planted in the plots was examined for radioactivity at maturity. The radioactivity was equivalent to 0.16 mg/kg in the straw and 0.03 mg/kg in the grain. METHODS OF RESIDUE ANALYSIS Although methods have been developed for the determination of chlordimeform alone, most of the residue data have been based on the determination of chlordimeform and its metabolites as 4-chloro-o-toluidine. Geissbuhler et al. (1971) published the method used by Ciba-Geigy Ltd. and Schering A.G. for the development of chlordimeform pesticides. This method has been utilized with and without modification for much of the work reported in this monograph. In this method chlordimeform and its potential metabolites and/or conjugates are hydrolyzed to 4-chloro-o-toluidine in the presence of plant and soil material by successive treatments with acetic acid and sodium hydroxide. The aromatic amine is steam distilled and extracted into iso-octane. Diazotization and coupling of 4-chloro-o-toluidine with N-ethyl-1-naphthylamine yields a stable purple dye, which, after column chromatography on cellulose, is measured colorimetrically. To verify the identity of chlordimeform, the azo-dye is separated and visualized on a cellulose thin-layer plate. Alternatively, 4-chloro-o-toluidine is diazotized and iodinated. The iodine derivative is determined by electron capture gas chromatography. A further potential metabolite of chlordimeform 2,2-dimethyl-4-4-dichloroazobenzene, is reduced to 4-chloro-o-toluidine in the presence of zinc and acid 1,4-dioxane and likewise determined by gas chromatography. Recoveries in various plant and soil materials have been observed to vary between 75 and 100% for all three quantitative methods described. The limit of determination is 0.05 mg/kg. APPRAISAL Chlordimeform products which had been widely used for many years as insecticides/acaricides on a large variety of crops and on livestock, were withdrawn by the manufacturers in 1976. Additional studies have since been carried out and new proposals have been made for commercial use on cotton crops under restricted conditions. Information on those proposed uses in various countries and data on the nature, level and fate of residues, and including the fate of residues in cottonseed products used in the rations of dairy cattle and poultry was also examined. The influence of rate of application pre-harvest interval and number of applications were investigated. At the maximum application rate of 1 kg/ha the residue rarely exceeded 2 mg/kg in cottonseed, seed meal or crude oil. Solvent-extracted oil contained significantly lower residues than screwpress-extracted oil. Treatment of crude oil with caustic sodal did not reduce residues markedly but refining procedures such as bleaching and deodorization as normally undertaken in commercial practice reduced the levels to below the analytical detection limits (< 0.05 mg/kg). Eggs from hens fed for 28 days on rations containing up to 1.5 ppm contained no detectable residues. Meat, fat and liver from hens slaughtered at various intervals throughout the study was analysed. Although nothing was found in any of the meat, small residues were detected in some samples of fat and liver. Cows fed for up to 42 days on rations containing excessive levels of chlordimeform (up to 240 ppm) showed no residues (< 0.3 mg/kg) in milk, fat or meat at any stage during the feeding; but residues in some animals fed at the highest rates, ranged up to 0.6 mg/kg in liver and 0.1 mg/kg in kidney. Since there appears to be no likelihood of livestock rations containing more than 0.5 mg/kg of residue however, detectable residues are unlikely to occur in foods of animal origin. The analytical methods used determined chlordimeform, the intermediate metabolite N-formyl-4-chloro-o-toluidine and the final metabolite 4-chloro-o-toluidine together as 4-chloro-o-toluidine. No attempt was made to quantify the amounts of each present and the limit of determination was 0.05 mg/kg. Studies of the metabolism of chlordimeform in cotton plants and goats showed that metabolism in plants and animals proceeds through sequential hydrolysis of terminal groups to 4-chloro-o-toluidine. In cotton metabolism proceeds to the formation of polar metabolites which apparently conjugate to natural products. Sprays applied after the bolls open would partly avoid translocation of residues as metabolites from the treated leaves to seed but would result in the retention of significant residues of the parent compound in fibre and seed. In a study involving the feeding of cottonseed containing biosynthesised radioactive metabolites to a goat, no residues were deposited in the animal tissue (limit of determination 0.002 mg/kg). In the light of the new data examined, the Meeting decided that there was no need to amend the temporary MRL formerly proposed for cottonseed and crude cottonseed oil; but unless direct application to cattle were to be re-installed, the MRL for foods of animal origin should be based on the data reflecting the feeding of cottonseed hulls, cottonseed meal and similar products. As chlordimeform is no longer used on crops other than cotton, the recommendations for temporary MRLs previously made for crops other than cotton should be held in abeyance until such time as the uses on those crops should be reinstated. RECOMMENDATIONS The following new or amended recommendations for temporary MRLs replace all previous recommendations. Commodity Temporary MRL mg/kg Cottonseed 2 Cottonseed (crude) 2 Cottonseed oil (edible) ) No residues are to ) occur at the current Meat of cattle ) limit of detection ) (0.05 mg/kg) Meat of pigs ) Meat of poultry ) " " " " Meat of sheep ) Milk ) Milk products ) FURTHER WORK OR INFORMATION Required (by 1979) 1. Full submission of all toxicological data. 2. Continued epidemiology data on people exposed to chlordimeform. 3. Reports of continued observation of the possible occurrence of haemorrhagic cystitis. REFERENCES Anonymous Chlordimeform HC1 Life Time Feeding Study in Rats - One (1978a) Year Interim Report. Unpublished report from CIBA-GEIGTY, Ltd., Basal, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Anonymous N-Formyl-4-chloro-o-toluidine Life Time Feeding Study in (1978b) Rats One Year Interim Report. Unpublished report from CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Anonymous 4-chloro-o-toluidine HC1 Life Time Feeding Study in Rats (1978c) - One Year Interim Report. Unpublished report from CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Anonymous Bioassay of 4-chloro-o-toluidine Hydrochloride for (1978d) Possible Carcinogenicity. NCI Carcinogenic Programme Preliminary Draft Report [ NIH ] 79-1721). Arni, P. and D. Muller Salmonella/Mammalian-Microsome Mutagenicity (1976a) Test with C-8513 Chlordimeform HC1. Unpublished report from CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Arni, P. and D. Muller Salmonella/Mammalian-Microsome Mutagenicity (1976b) Test with CGA 72651 (N-formyl-4-chloro-o-toluidine). Unpublished report from CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Arni, P. and D. Muller Salmonella/Mammalian Microsome Mutagenicity (1976c) Test with CGA 72647 (4-chloro-o-toluidine HC1). Unpublished report from CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basil, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Benezet, H.J. and C.O. Knowles Inhibition of Rat Brain (1976) Monoamine Oxidase by Formamidine and Related Compounds. Neuropharmacol. 15:369. Benezet, H.J., K.M. Chang and C.O. Knowles Formamidine Pesticides- (1978) Metabolic Aspects of Neurotoxicity in Pesticide and Venom Neural Toxicity. Ed. D.L. Shankland, R.M. Hollingworth and J. Smyth, Jr. Plenum Press, N.Y. pg. 189-206. Bull, D.L., Environmental Entomology 2, 869. (1973) Burkhard, N. Residues in milk, meat, liver and fat of a Swiss cow (1971a) washed with a 0.5% solution of chlordimeform. Report RVA 14/71, Agrochemical Division, CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland. 1 February 1971. Chinn, C., W.R. Pfister and G.K.W. Yim Local Anesthetic-Like Actions (1976) of the Pesticide Chlordimeform. Fed. Proc. 35:729. Ciba-Geigy Chlorphenamidime residues in eggs and poultry tissues. (1971) Research Report C79910, CIBA-GEIGY, Corp. Greensboro N.C. Ciba-Geigy Method for determination of chlordimeform residues - (1976) Method REM 4/76. Ciba-Geigy Submission of data for the reevaluation of chlordimeform by (1978) the 1978 FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues, CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel and Schering AG, Berlin. July 24, 1978. Ciba-Geigy Residues resulting from chlordimeform application to (1978a) cotton. Report by H.B. Camp and B.G. Tweedy No ABR-78004 (4 January 1978). Ehrhardt, D.A. and Knowles, C.O. J. Econ. Entomol. 63, 1306. (1970) Ezumi, K. and H. Nakao Effects of 4-chloro-o-toluidine in Oral (1974a) Prolonged Administration to Rat for 94 (Male) and 104 (Female) Weeks. Unpublished report from Nihon Schering Inc., Osaka, Japan submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Ezumi, K. and H. Nakao Effects of 4-chloro-o-toluidine in Oral (1974b) Prolonged Administration to Mice for 80 Weeks Unpublished report from Nihon Schering, Inc., Osaka, Japan submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. FAO/WHO 1971 Evaluations of some pesticide residues in food. (1972b) AGP:1971/M/9/1; WHO Pesticide Residues Series No 1. FAO/WHO 1975 Evaluations of some pesticide residues in food. AGP: (1976b) 1975/M/13; WHO Pesticide Residue Series No 5. FAO/WHO Pesticide residues in food. Report of the 1976 Joint Meeting, (1977a) of the FAO Panel Experts on Pesticide. Residues and the Environment and the WHO Expert Group on Pesticide Residues. FAO Food and Nutrition Series, No 9; FAO Plant Production and Protection Series, No 8; WHO Technical Report Series, No 612. FAO/WHO Pesticide residues in food - 1977. Report of the FAO Panel of (1978a) Experts on Pesticide Residues and Environment and the WHO Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues. FAO Plant Production and Protection Paper 10 Rev. par 4.13. Fischer, W.C. and Cassidy, J.E. Uptake of radio-labelled (1976a) chlordimeform and its soil metabolites in cotton in a field prepared for rotation crops. Report No GAAC-76014 CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, Greensboro, N.C. March 15, 1976. Fischer W.C. and Cassidy, J.E. Uptake and characterization of (1976b) the metabolites of radio-labelled chlordimeform in spray treated cotton and field soil. Report of Biochemistry Department CIBA-GEIGY Corporation Report ABR - 76056 July 27, 1976. Fischer W.C. and Cassidy, J.E. Identification of the metabolites (1976c) of chlordimeform in mature leaves of spray treated field cotton. Report No ABR - 76073 from Biochemistry Department, CIBA-GEIGY, Corporation, Greensboro, N.C. Fritz, H. Reproduction study on C8514 Technical Rabbit - Seg II. (Test (1971) for teratogenic and embryotoxic effects). Unpublished report from Toxicology/ Pathology CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basely Switzerland, submitted by CIBA-GEIGY Ltd to the WHO. Fritz, H. Reproduction Study on C8514 Technical Rat-Seg II (Test for (1975) Teratogenic or Embroyotic Effects). Unpublished report from Toxicology/Pathology CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basely Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Geisebuhler, H., Kossmann, K., Baunck, I. and Boyd, V.F. (1971) Determination of total residues of chlorphenamidine in plant and soil material by colorimetry and thin layer and electron capture gas-chromatography. Agric. Food Chem. 19 (2):365. Gross Metabolism of chlordimeform in cotton. Project Report 19/77 from (1977) Biochemistry Department, CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland (April 1977). Hollingworth R.M. Chemistry Biological Activity and Uses of (1976) Formamidine Pesticides. Environ. Health Perspect. 14: 57-69. Honeycutt, R.C. and Cassidy, J.E. Extraction and characterization (1977) of cottonseed metabolite from cotton injected with o 14C-chlordimeform. Report No ABR - 77087 from Biochemistry Department, CIBA-GEIGY, Corporation, Greensboro, N.C. Sept. 14, 1977. Hurni, H. and H. Ohder Report on the Mutagenic Effect of Technical (1970) C-8514-N. Unpublished report from Tierfarm AG Biomedical Research, Sisseln, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., to the WHO. Jenny, N.A. Chlorphenamidine residues in eggs and poultry (1971) tissues/Analysis of tissue and egg samples. Knowles, C.O. Chemistry and Toxicology of Quinoxaline Organotin (1976) Organofluorine and Formamidine Acaracides. Env. Health Perspect. 14:93-102. Kalyonova, F.P., Z. Zapryanav and A.I. Baynova Influence of the (1978) Insecticide Chlordimeform of the Activity of the Monoamine Oxidase (MAO) of Albino Rats. Comptes Rendus de l'Academi Bulgare des Sciences 31 (4): 491-493. Konopa, E.A. and H. Heymann Salmonella/Microsome Mutagenicity (1977) Test with Chlordimeform. Unpublished report from Pharmaceuticals Division, CIBA-GEIGY, Corporation, Surnmity N.J. submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., to the WHO. Konopka. E.A. and H. Heymann Salmonella/Microsome Mutagenicity (1977b) Test with Chlordimeform. Unpublished report from Pharmaceuticals Division, CIBA-GEIGY Corporation, Summit, N.J. submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Langauer, M. and D. Muller Nucleus Anomaly Test on Somatic (1977) Interphase Nuclei-C-8513- Chinese Hamster. Unpublished report from Toxicology/Pathology, CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Lund, A.E., G.K.W. Yim and D.L. Shankland The Cardiovascular (1978) Toxicity of Chlordimeform, a Local Anesthetic-Like Action in Pesticide and Venom Neurotoxicity. Ed. D.L. Shankland, R.M. Hollingworth and T. Smyth, Jr. Plenum Press, N.Y., pgs. 171-177. Maitre L., A. Felner, P. Waldmeier and W. Kehr Moccasins Oxidase (1978) Inhibition in Brain and Liver of Rats Treated with Chlordimeform. J. Agr. Fd Chem. 26 (2): 442-446. Matsumura, F. and R.W. Beeman Biochemical and Physiological (1976) Effects of Chlordimeform. Environ. Health Perspect. 14: 71-82. Morton Method for the determination of chlordimeform. Method 333/7 (1968) (7/12/68) Murakami, J. and J. Fukami Effects of Chlophenamidine and Its (1974) Metabolites on HeLa Cells. Bull. Env. Contam. and Tox. 11: 184-188. Nesnow, S. and C. Heidelberger The Effect of Modifiers of Microsomal Enzymes on Chemical Oncogenesis in Cultures of C3H Mouse Cell Lines. Cancer Res. 36:1801-1808. Nesnow S. Unpublished bioassay submitted to the WHO. (1978) Nor-Am Method of analysis for chlordimeform residues - Research Method (1969) 333/44. 5/6/69. Sachsse, K., P. Suter, F. Zak and R. Hess Lifespan Feeding Study in (1978b) Mice with 4-chloro-o-toludine. Unpublished report from Toxicology, CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Schering Method of analysis of chlordimeform residues. Method 36 268/8 (1973) (24/4/73). Schering Method of determination of chlordimeform and its degradation (1975) products. Method 36268/9 17/11/75. Sen Gupta, A.K. and Knowles, C.O. J. Agric. Food Chem. 17, 595. (1969) Suter, P., H. Luetkemeier, K. Sachsse and F. Zak 60-day Pending (1976a) Study in the Rat with chloro-o-toluidine HC1. Unpublished report from Toxicology/Pathology, CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland, submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Suter, P., H. Luetkemeier, K. Sachsse and F. Zak 60-day Pending (1976b) Study in Mice with 4, chloro-o-toluidine HC1. Unpublished report from Toxicology/Pathology, CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Suter, P., F. Zak, K. Sachsse and R. Hess Lifespan Feeding Study (1979) in Mice with Chlordimeform HC1. Unpublished report from Toxicology/Pathology, CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd., Basel, Switzerland, submitted by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. to the WHO. Wang, C.M., T. Narahashi and J. Fukami Mechanism of Neuromuscular (1975) Block by Chlordimeform. Pest. Biochem. Physiol. 5: 119-125. Watanabe, H., S. Tsuda and J. Fukami. Effects of Chlordimeform (1975) on Rectusabdominum Muscle in Frog. Pest. Biochem. Physiol. 5: 150-154.
See Also: Toxicological Abbreviations Chlordimeform (EHC 199, 1998) Chlordimeform (ICSC) Chlordimeform (WHO Pesticide Residues Series 1) Chlordimeform (WHO Pesticide Residues Series 5) Chlordimeform (Pesticide residues in food: 1979 evaluations) Chlordimeform (Pesticide residues in food: 1980 evaluations) Chlordimeform (Pesticide residues in food: 1985 evaluations Part II Toxicology) Chlordimeform (Pesticide residues in food: 1987 evaluations Part II Toxicology) Chlordimeform (IARC Summary & Evaluation, Volume 30, 1983)