Toxicity studies on tetrasul III. Short-term comparative studies in rats with tetrasul and structurally related acaricides

In a comparative study 0, 50, 200, 1000 and 3000 ppm (parts per million) of five acaricides, tetrasul (2,4,5,4′-tetrachlorodiphenylsulphide), V110 (2,4,5,4′-tetrachlorodophenylsulphoxide), tetradifon, chlorfenson and kelthane were given to groups of 10 male and 10 female rats in separate 90-day toxicity experiments. Growth, food intake, mortality, haematology, blood and liver biochemistry, organ weight, histopathology, number of liver parenchymal cells per surface unit and the diameter of liver-cell nuclei were used as criteria. The acaricides investigated, with the exception of kelthane, induced both functionally and structurally the same liver alterations. SER (smooth endoplasmic reticulum) whorls were found in the higher dose-levels of all 5 compounds. In all compounds, except kelthane, enlarged thyroids were found accompanied by histological alterations. Tetrasul was more toxic than V110, followed by tetradifon. Chlorfenson was equally as toxic as tetrasul. Kelthane can be regarded as the most toxic of this group of compounds. The 50-ppm dosage appeared to be a no-toxic effect level only in the case of tetradifon.