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Physical Properties
Molecular weight:391.3; Physical form:Tech. is a yellow-brown to brown liquid, which sometimes tends to crystallise partly at room temperature. Density:1.29 (20 °C); Melting point:34-35 °C; cis- isomers 63-65 °C; trans- 44-47 °C; Flash point:>100 °C ('Perigen'); Vapour pressure:cis- 0.0025 mPa; trans- 0.0015 mPa (both 20 °C) (D. Wells et al., Pestic. Sci., 1986, 17, 473); Partition coefficient(n-octanol and water):logP = 6.1 (20 °C); Solubility:In water 6 × 10-3 mg/l ( pH 7, 20 °C). In xylene, hexane >1000, methanol 258 (all in g/ kg, 25 °C).; Stability:Stable to heat (2 y at 50 °C), more stable in acidic than alkaline media with optimum stability c. pH 4; DT50 50 d ( pH 9), stable ( pH 5, 7) (all 25 °C).
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Toxicology
Oral:Oral LD50 values of permethrin depend on such factors as: carrier, cis/trans ratio of the sample, the test species, its sex, age and degree of fasting; values reported sometimes differ markedly. Values for a < Percutaneous:Acute percutaneous LD50 for rats >2500, rabbits >2000 mg/kg. Mild eye and skin irritant (rabbits). Moderate skin sensitiser. Inhalation: LC50 (3 h) for mice and rats >685 mg/m3 air; (separate study
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Environmental Profile
Ecotoxicology:
Bees:Toxic to bees. LD50 (24 h) (oral) 0.098µg/bee; (topical) 0.029µg/bee.Birds:Typical oral LD50 values for a cis/trans ratio of c. 40:60 are: for chickens >3000, mallard ducks >9800, Japanese quail >13 500 mg/ kg.Daphnia: LC50 (48 h) 0.6µg/l.Fish: LC50 (96 h) for rainbow trout 2.5µg/l; (48 h) for rainbow trout 5.4, bluegill sunfish 1.8µg/l.
Environmental fate:
EHC 94 concludes that permethrin is not likely to be a hazard to the environment when used as recommended.Animals:In mammals, there is hydrolysis of the ester bond, hydroxylation, and elimination as the glucoside conjugate (M. Elliott et al., J. Agric. Food Chem., 1976, 24, 270; L. C. Gaughan et al., ibid.,Soil:In soil and water, degradation is rapid. DT50 in soil <38 d ( pH 4.2-7.7, o.m. 1.3-51.3%) (R. L. Holmstead et. al., J. Agric. Food Chem., 1978, 26, 590). WATER SOLUBILITY: <1 ppm HAZARDS: Fish, Bee: Highly toxic in laboratory tests; low in field tests. Bird: Practically nontoxic
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Transport Information
Signal Word:CAUTION; Hazard Class:II(Moderately hazardous)