E. Waters, J. Huff, H. B. Gerstner
Oct 1, 1977
Citations
0
Influential Citations
46
Citations
Quality indicators
Journal
Environmental research
Abstract
Abstract Mirex, a chlorinated insecticide, is the active ingredient in bait used to control the imported fire ant. Prepared in 1946, mirex was first introduced for use in pesticidal formulations in 1959; mirex acts as a stomach poison. Extreme persistence in the natural environment provides an opportunity for accumulation in the food chain. No metabolism of mirex appears to take place in mammalian systems, although mirex causes liver damage and has been reported to produce hepatomas in mice. Mirex readily crosses the rat placental barrier; while no teratogenic effects are apparent, reduced litter size and a high incidence of cataracts in the offspring have been reported. An abstracted literature collection spanning the years 1947 to 1976 of 325 references has been published by Waters and Black (1976) .