Application of biodiesel as carrier for insecticide emulsifiable concentrate formulation Chih-Ping Chin, Chi-Wei Lan, Ho-Shing Wu * Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Yuan Ze University, 320, Taiwan 1. Introduction Challenges in developing new pest control strategies not only include identifying novel active compounds, but also improving the delivery of a pesticide at the biological level [1]. Therefore, the development of a new drug delivery strategy is important. Petroleum derived aromatic compounds, which are not biode- gradable, are generally used as carriers and solvents for oil-soluble AIs in pesticides as EC formulation. However, concerns about environmental effects because of the incorporation of such petroleum-derived oils in pesticide delivery systems have led to a search for more environmental friendly compositions and methods of controlling pests and weeds. Currently, the primary carrier or solvent used for the production and composition of pesticide formulations for oil soluble AIs are petroleum derivatives, such as gasoline, diesel, xylene and trimethylbenzene. They may be hazardous to the environment and beneficial species because of their non-biodegradation and toxicology characteristics. The use of these aromatic solvents may produce offensive odors or enhance the offensive odors which that are produced by AIs and solvents because of their high vapor pressure. The aromatic solvents may also produce off-target damage because of drift and volatility, which are dangerous and possibly carcinogenic to the public and users. In addition, the use of large quantities of aromatic solvents may deplete the supply of petroleum derivatives for transportation and industrial use. Therefore, aromatic solvents are undesirable in environmental sensitive applications, such as agrochemical for- mulations. Consequently, it is crucial to develop EC formulations as carriers or solvents for oil-soluble AIs that are more environmental friendly than petroleum derived products. This type of substitute should have low toxicity, low odor, low water solubility, low vapor pressure, excellent color and effective spray ability. Vegetable oil was first proposed as an adjuvant in pesticide formulation [2]. Fischer–Tropsch (FT) hydrocarbons were also proposed as solvents or carriers. FT-derived white oil was proposed as a carrier for Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers 43 (2012) 578–584 A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 28 October 2011 Received in revised form 27 January 2012 Accepted 4 February 2012 Available online 16 March 2012 Keywords: Insecticide Chlorpyrifos Formulation Biodiesel Environment friendly Pesticide delivery system A B S T R A C T The emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulation is a solvent-rich (approximately 10 parts to 90 parts of solvent in the formulation) delivery system for oil-soluble agrochemicals, which may cause environmental pollution. This study evaluated a combination of pesticide and biodiesel that is nontoxic and biodegradable to overcome various problems with aromatic solvents. A 40.8% chlorpyrifos EC formulation was prepared by blending with biodiesel, cosolvent and surfactants and compared with a commercial product with only aromatic solvent as the carrier. Several physical and chemical tests were processed to compare these two formulations. Residual and phytotoxicity tests were performed with cabbage plants in a greenhouse. The experimental results revealed no considerable difference between the biodegradable and commercial formulations in stability tests. The results also indicated that the 40.8% chlorpyrifos EC prepared with biodiesel was up to grade. In addition, biodiesel can reduce the unpleasant odor that is generated from chlorpyrifos because of its low volatility. The high flash point of biodiesel enabled safer storage, transportation, and application of the formulation. According to the findings from residual experiments, biodiesel may increase the amount of active ingredient (AI) on the surface of plants because of its lipophilic characteristic, which enabled more effective pest controlling of the pesticide delivery system. In the phytotoxicity test, the use of biodiesel as the carrier did not harm plants in any application ratios and may reduce environmental risks. Therefore, for oil-soluble AIs, biodiesel may be a suitable alternative carrier for EC formulations. In contrast to commercial formulations, the use of biodiesel may help to reduce the dosage, cost of food production and adverse effects. Biodiesel may also provide added value, be environmentally friendly, and less hazardous. Therefore, biodiesel is an advantageous carrier to deliver AIs and to improve their performance. ß 2012 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +886 3 4638800x2564; fax: +886 3 4631181. E-mail address: cehswu@saturn.yzu.edu.tw (H.-S. Wu). Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers jou r nal h o mep age: w ww.els evier .co m/lo c ate/jtic e 1876-1070/$ – see front matter ß 2012 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.jtice.2012.02.003