Stability of nano-sized permethrin in its colloidal state and its effect on the physiological and biochemical profile of Culex tritaeniorhynchus larvae.

The occurrence of pesticidal pollution in the environment and the resistance in the mosquito species makes an urge for the safer and an effective pesticide. Permethrin, a poorly water-soluble pyrethroid pesticide, was formulated into a hydrodispersible nanopowder through rapid solvent evaporation of pesticide-loaded oil in water microemulsion. Stability studies confirmed that the nanopermethrin dispersion was stable in paddy field water for 5 days with the mean particle sizes of 175.3 ± 0.75 nm and zeta potential of -30.6 ± 0.62 mV. The instability rate of the nanopermethrin particles was greater in alkaline (pH 10) medium when compared with the neutral (pH 7) and acidic (pH 4) dispersion medium. The colloidal dispersion at 45°C was found to be less stable compared with the dispersions at 25 and 5°C. The 12- and 24-h lethal indices (LC50) for nanopermethrin were found to be 0.057 and 0.014 mg l-1, respectively. These results were corroborative with the severity of damages observed in the mosquito larvae manifested in epithelial cells and the evacuation of the midgut contents. Further, the results were substantiated by the decrease in cellular biomolecules and biomarker enzyme activity in nanopermethrin treated larvae when compared to bulk and control treatment.

Review: Selective ligand-exchange adsorbents prepared by template polymerization.

Highly selective ligand-exchange absorbents have been prepared by template polymerization, a process in which the target molecule serves as a template for assembly of specific recognition sites. In an effort to develop materials suitable for chromatographic separations, thin coatings of the selctive templated polymers have been grafted to two reactive macroporous supports, poly(trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate) (TRIM), and propylmethacrylate-derivatized silica beads. The precursor polymer prepared from the trifunctioal TRIM monomer is macroporous and highly crosslinked, providing a stable structure for surface grafting. The TRIM precursor polymer and various surface-grafted copolymers have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and IR, (13)C NMR, and XPS spectroscopic techniques. Composite adsorbents have also been prepared using propylmethacrylate-modified silica particles. While equilibrium rebinding selectivites for both types of surface-templated materials are similar to those reported previously for bulk-polymerized template polymers, the composite materials are far better suited to chromatographic separatios. Highly similar bis-imidazole substrates can be separated by ligand-exchange chromatography on these new templated adsorbents. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.