Assessment of Lethal Dose and Lethal Time of Diazinon in Swiss Albino Mice

Approximately two thirds of deaths and millions of nonfatal cases are attributed to organophosphorus pesticides (OPP) annually. Diazinon, a prominent member of the OP pesticides, was introduced for both agriculture and public health usages during. For several decades, the compound was among the top pesticides in use in many countries, including Libya. The toxicity of this compound is based on its ability to inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase enzyme (AchE), which is vitally important for normal nerve impulse transmission. This study evaluated the acute toxicity of diazinon through acute exposure testing on female Swiss albino mice. In the acute toxicity test, 72 mice were subcutaneously injected with doses of diazinon ranging from 320 to 480 μL/ kg. Mortality and symptoms were recorded over four days, with the median lethal dose found to be 403.5 μL/kg. Based on the findings, the present study suggests that stringent controls and surveillance must be placed on diazinon and similar chemicals.