Introduction: Non-selective phosphorus-containing amino acid-type herbicides (PAAHs) to be used for foliage exhibit lower toxicities than paraquat and are easily obtainable; they, thus, have come into wide use since 1980. The PAAHs include glufosinate (GLUF), glyphosate (GLYP) and bialaphos (BIAL). In Japan, there are many kinds of products containing GLUF and GLYP commercially available, and the number of suicidal cases using them is increasing [1]. In acute poisoning by GLUF, there is a latent period for 4–60 h before appearance of poisoning symptoms, such as lowered consciousness levels, respiratory arrest and generalized convulsion; when more than 100 mL of BASTA. | Glufosinate and glyphosate by Yasushi Hori and Manami Fujisawa Introduction Non-selective phosphorus-containing amino acid-type herbicides PAAHs to be used for foliage exhibit lower toxicities than paraquat and are easily obtainable they thus have come into wide use since 1980. The PAAHs include glufosinate GLUF glyphosate GLYP and biala-phos BIAL . In Japan there are many kinds of products containing GLUF and GLYP commercially available and the number of suicidal cases using them is increasing 1 . In acute poisoning by GLUF there is a latent period for 4-60 h before appearance of poisoning symptoms such as lowered consciousness levels respiratory arrest and generalized convulsion when more than 100 mL of BASTA Fluid GLUF anion surfactant bluegreen in color is ingested the physical conditions of the victim are seriously aggravated with high incidence 2 . Respiratory controls such as securance of the respiratory tract and artificial respiration are very important for rescuing such victims. Since it is possible to predict the aggravation of the GLUF poisoning for a victim from the time after its ingestion and from a blood GLUF concentration 3 the rapid analysis of blood GLUF becomes very meaningful not to miss the timing for starting the respiratory control it is critical to prevent a victim from falling into the unfortunate turning point. For analysis of GLUF and GLYP in biomedical specimens various methods by a modified technique of the standard GC-NPD with N-acetyl and O-methyl derivatizations 4 GC MS using ieri-butyldimethylsilyl i-BDMS derivatization 5-7 TLC 8 HPLC with fluorescence detection after post-column derivatization using o-phthalaldehyde 9 HPLC with fluorescence detection after pre-column derivatization using 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate FMOC-Cl 10 HPLC with UV detection after pre-column derivatization using phenyl isothiocyanate 11 ion chromatography with electrochemical detection without any derivatization 12 LC MS with N-acetyl .
