What is the Difference Between Organochlorine and Organophosphate

The key difference between organochlorine and organophosphate is that organochlorine compounds are now not in use for agricultural purposes, whereas organophosphate compounds are still in use as insecticides.

Organochlorine and organophosphate compounds are useful chemicals in agricultural and other related purposes. However, organochlorine compounds are no longer in use due to health and environmental concerns.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Organochlorine 
3. What is Organophosphate
4. Organochlorine vs Organophosphate in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Organochlorine vs Organophosphate

What is Organochlorine?

Organochlorine substances are pesticides that are chlorinated hydrocarbons that were used extensively from 1940 to 1970 in agriculture and mosquito control. The most commonly used members in this group include DDT, methoxychlor, dieldrin, chlorane, toxaphene, lindane, and benzene hexachloride. Most of these organochlorine compounds are found to be neurotoxicants and were banned in the USA, but some are still in use in different countries.

Exposure of people to these compounds can occur through accidental inhalation from an area in which these substances were recently applied. Ingestion of fish, dairy products, and other contaminated fatty foods are the other ways of exposure.

Organochlorine pesticides can be accumulated in the environment. These compounds can be very persistent and move long distances through surface runoff or groundwater. Before 1970, the year when the use of these compounds was banned, organochlorine pesticides caused widespread reproductive failure among birds because birds laid eggs with thin shells that cracked before hatching.

Typically, short-term exposure to organochlorine pesticides can cause convulsions, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, tremors, confusion, muscle weakness, slurred speech, salivation, and sweating. On the other hand,  long-term exposure can cause damage to the liver, kidney, central nervous system, thyroid gland, and bladder.

What is Organophosphate?

Organophosphate insecticides are a group of human-made chemicals that poison insects and mammals. These compounds are the most widely used insecticides these days in agriculture, home applications, gardens, and veterinary practice.

These compounds can cause the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, which can lead to the accumulation of acetylcholine in the body. The common members of this group include malathion, parathion, diazinon, fenthion, dichlorvos, chlorpyrifos, etc.

Exposure to these compounds can be harmful. Poisoning can come from these compounds after exposure to these compounds for the long term. The poisoning can cause nerve damage and disrupt hormone production in humans and animals.

What is the Difference Between Organochlorine and Organophosphate?

Organochlorine and organophosphate compounds are useful chemicals in agricultural and other related purposes. The most commonly used organochlorines include DDT, methoxychlor, dieldrin, chlorane, toxaphene, lindane, and benzene hexachloride, while common organophosphate compounds include malathion, parathion, diazinon, fenthion, dichlorvos, and chlorpyrifos. The key difference between organochlorine and organophosphate is that organochlorine compounds are now not in use for agricultural purposes, whereas organophosphate compounds are still in use as insecticides.

Moreover, organochlorine compounds are harmful to animals and the environment, while organophosphate compounds are harmful to pests but not considered harmful to the environment. In addition, organochlorine substances are mainly used as pesticides whereas organophosphate substances are mainly used as insecticides.

The below infographic presents the differences between organochlorine and organophosphate in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Organochlorine vs Organophosphate

Organochlorine substances are pesticides and chlorinated hydrocarbons that were used extensively from 1940 to 1970 in agriculture and mosquito control. Organophosphate insecticides are a group of human-made chemicals that poison insects and mammals. The key difference between organochlorine and organophosphate is that organochlorine compounds are now not in use for agricultural purposes, whereas organophosphate compounds are still in use as insecticides.

Reference:

1. “Organochlorine Pesticides.” Delaware.

Image Courtesy:

1. “DDT jug” By Jolomo at English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Organophosphates susceptible to cleavage by PTE” By Lslanglois – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia