LABORATORY STUDIES ON INSECT REPELLENCY

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The results of repellency tests conducted by Morton et al. on more than 4000 compounds were utilized to ascertain the effectiveness of typical molecular groups as repellents on the human skin. Other substances containing certain potentially repellent groups were then synthesized or prepared and subjected to repellency tests at Ottawa with the mosquito Aedes aegypti (L.) as the test insect. From the results of these tests, certain physical and chemical characteristics were evaluated in relation to repellency. The maximum repellent activity was invariably exhibited by compounds with atmospheric boiling points ranging from 230° to 260 °C. It is presumed that chemicals with this range maintain a vapor concentration that is repellent to mosquitoes. The important atom from the standpoint of repellency seems to be oxygen. However, an oxygenated linkage such as hydroxy or carbonyl alone is not associated with repellency. Increased repellency appears to result when a hydroxyl group is once removed from unsaturation. It was confirmed that mixtures of substances enhance the repellent properties of various chemicals.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: