Toxicological Characterization of the Thermal Decomposition Products of Chemicals: a New Approach to an old Problem

Different calorimetric techniques coupled with chemical analyses and ecotoxicological bioassay led to the proposal of a suitable protocol for the definition of a Key Safety Indicator (KSI) useful to rank the hazard of a compound with respect to the toxicological profile of its thermal decomposition products. The method was applied to Fenitrothion, a phosphorganic pesticide. Similar results were obtained using either adiabatic and isothermal calorimetry, both with respect to the decomposition products identified and to their toxicological profile. This allows to exclude a priori the necessity of carrying out the larger-scale time-consuming adiabatic experiments.