Concentrations of propoxur in air following repeated indoor applications

The insecticide propoxur was applied as 2 non-overlapping bands approximately 1 m wide to the interior of houses in El Salvador once every 35 days for a period of 9 months. Air samples were collected from the interior of the houses once every seventh day during the entire period. In the study area, air temperatures remain relatively constant, while rainfall varies seasonally. It was found that volatilization of propoxur, as determined by the amounts detectable in air, represented release of the chemical from the treated surface and that the volatilization process was most influenced by the amount of moisture present in the air. Higher air concentrations of propoxur occurred during periods of high relative humidity than in periods of low relative humidity. The principles involved in this process and its bearing on the value of propoxur in malaria control programmes are discussed.