The Standard – July 2015

Sodium monofluoroacetate, also commonly referred to as sodium fluoroacetate or 1080 in its pesticide form, is a derivative of fluoroacetic acid. It occurs naturally in various plants as an anti-herbivore, and its salt form can be produced synthetically by treating sodium chloroacetate with potassium fluoride.  Sodium monofluoroacetate is highly toxic to mammals and insects, and 1080 has been in use for pest control since the 1950s. It has been used in several countries to protect agriculture from various herbivorous mammals, and has been used extensively in New Zealand and Australia to control invasive non-native mammals that threaten native wildlife and vegetation. 

Fipronil is not a neonicotinoid, but like many neonicotinoids, it is often used as an acaricide to control ticks and mites as well as other insects¹. Its activity is based on blocking the g-aminobutryic acid (GABA) receptor site on GABA-gated chloride channels. Fipronil binds more tightly to this receptor in insects than in vertebrate² making it an attractive pesticide for use in flea and tick collars, especially in areas where Lyme disease is endemic. Contact with pets treated with fipronil is one of the primary reasons for elevated levels of fipronil in indoor environments, and elevated levels of human exposure in non-agricultural workers.  For this reason, government researchers are studying human exposure to fipronil.

PCNs are a group of 75 chlorinated naphthalenes, which are structurally similar to PCBs. Until the 1970s, PCNs were high-volume chemicals commercially produced as mixtures of several congeners marketed as Halowax, Nibren, and other commercial trade names. Total global production of PCNs was estimated at 150,000 metric tonnes until production ceased in Europe and North America in the 1980s. PCNs were mainly used as wood preservatives, paint and engine oil additives, cable insulation, and as a component in capacitors.

CIL is recognized as the world leader in the separation of carbon-13 (¹³C) and oxygen-18 (¹⁸O) stable isotopes. In the 1980s, CIL took the initiative to construct the world’s largest ¹³C isotope-separation plant, CIL Isotope Separations, LLC (CIS), located in Xenia, Ohio, in order to provide a sufficient supply of ¹³C starting materials to support development of new research and diagnostic chemicals.  In 2013, CIL embarked on a significant expansion of its ¹³C production capacity and maintains its leadership position in the separation of ¹³C with a current production capacity of more than 420 kg of ¹³C per year.