Baygon (Bayer 39007) (o-Isopropoxyphenyl N-methylcarbamate) 
Incubation of baygon with rat liver microsomes gave rise to about seven 
metabolites. Those identified were: 2-isopropoxyphenyl N-hydroxymethyl- 
carbamate; 2-hydroxyphenylmethylcarbamate; 2-isopropoxyphenol; 2-isopropoxy- 
phenyl carbamate; and 2-isopropoxy-5—-hydroxyphenylmethylcarhamate. Carbon 
dioxide was also evolved, probably from the methyl group (352, 836, 1110, 
1112). 
When fed to humans, baygon was recovered from urine almost quantita- 
tively as o-isopropoxyphenol, probably excreted as the glucuronide (352). 
The N-hydroxy analog, o-isopropoxyphenol and 2-hydroxyphenylmethyl- 
carbamate were observed after exposure of houseflies and roaches to baygon 
(352, 1001, 1111, 1427). In houseflies, labeled N-C!*H3 and C!'=0 gave 
rise to ch0,. Carbon dioxide was also formed rapidly by metabolism of the 
Cl4-labeled isopropoxy group (1001). In other studies with susceptible and 
baygon resistant strains of Musca domestica L., hydrolysis was shown to’ be 
unimportant as a metabolic reaction. The attack on baygon involved 
hydroxylation; and the metabolites, which were the primary hydroxylation 
products or the result of the degradation of these materials, were identi- 
fied as (in order of their decreasing amounts): 5-hydroxy-2-isopropoxyphenyl 
methylcarbamate, 2-hydroxyphenyl methylcarbamate and acetone, 2-isopropoxy- 
phenyl N-hydroxymethylcarbamate, and 2-isopropoxyphenyl carbamate. There 
Were six or more additional unidentified compounds. The metabolites with 
hydroxyl groups were conjugated as evidenced by the release of the hydroxy- 
lated carbamates when feces extracts were incubated with 8-glucosidase, 
B-glucuronidase, sulfatase, and acid phosphatase. The 5-hydroxy baygon 
predominated (1703). 
Plants converted baygon into a water soluble fraction (378). In bean 
plants, in addition to seven unidentified metabolites, 2-hydroxyphenyl- 
methylcarbamate, 4-hydroxy baygon, and N-hydroxymethyl baygon were identified 
(845, 846). “ 
Twenty-five percent of the applied baygon was lost from sand in 100 
days, but there was practically no decline in silt-loam soil during a six 
month period (579). 
When exposed to ultra-violet light (2537 A), baygon decomposed but 
the products were not identified (3). 
50 
