leptophos

[ lep-tuh-fos ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a solid compound, C 13 H 10 BrCl 2 O 2 PS, used as a nonsystemic insecticide for food crops and lawn grass.

Word History and Origins

Origin of leptophos¹

Apparently lepto- + (phenyl)phos(phonothionate) a chemical component

Example Sentences

Typical of the agency's shortcomings, says the subcommittee, is the EPA'S failure to act effectively against leptophos, an insecticide that has recently been implicated in an outbreak of nervous disorders among employees at a plant operated by the Velsicol Chemical Corp. in Bayport, Texas.

From Time Magazine Archive

In 1973 and 1974, while the EPA was evaluating leptophos, it received repeated warnings from scientists that the compound was neurotoxic, or capable of causing nerve damage in test animals.

From Time Magazine Archive

Yet it was not until 1975 that the agency acted to ban the import into the U.S. of foods containing any traces of leptophos.

From Time Magazine Archive