ABSTRACT
The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitor insecticides comprise two distinctly different chemical groups that have the same basic mechanism of action but different toxicities. These two groups are the organophosphates and the carbamates (1). The organophosphate insecti cides are most often involved in serious human poisoning (2-4). Formulations range from less than 1% to more than 95% of pure material. To date, several thousand organophosphate compounds have been synthesized, and more than 1 0 0 different products are currently marketed (5). Usually, organophosphates sold for household use are more dilute formulations (about 1% to 2 %) compared to those sold for agricultural use (40% to 50%) (6 ). Access to these types of insecticides is difficult to control because of their overwhelming availability. They are found in flea collars, ant traps, fly paper, and various sprays for domestic and garden use; and they are used commercially to a great extent (7,8).
