Profenofos metabolites in human poisoning

Area of Science:

• Toxicology
• Analytical Chemistry
• Forensic Science

Background:

• Profenofos is an organophosphate insecticide.
• Fatal poisonings necessitate accurate identification of causative agents and their metabolites.
• Developing sensitive analytical methods is crucial for toxicological investigations.

Observation:

• Profenofos and its metabolites were quantified in biological samples from a fatal poisoning victim.
• Gas chromatography/flame photometric detection and high-performance liquid chromatography were employed.
• Samples were methylated with diazomethane for enhanced detection.

Findings:

• Low levels of parent profenofos and high concentrations of its metabolites were detected in blood and urine.
• Four major phosphorus-containing metabolites were identified: despropylated profenofos, desethylated profenofos, and des-S-propylated profenofos.
• 4-Bromo-2-chlorophenol (BCP), a key moiety of profenofos, was also identified in both free and conjugated forms.

Implications:

• This study provides valuable data on the metabolic profile of profenofos in humans.
• The findings aid in the toxicological diagnosis and understanding of profenofos poisoning.
• Analytical methods described can be applied to future forensic and clinical toxicology cases involving profenofos.