The radiolytical degradation of acephate in oxygen-saturated aqueous solution was studied by 60Co ?-irradiation. The inhibition ratio of acetyl cholinesterase (AChE) was measured to investigate the toxicity of acephate solutions saturated with oxygen before and after irradiation with different absorbed doses. Furthermore, the degraded products of acephate were analyzed by HPLC, IC and GC-MS, respectively. The 60Co ?-radiation degradation route of acephate in oxygen-saturated aqueous solution can be preliminarily deduced by inspecting the degradation degree of acephate molecules, the concentration inorganic ions in solution and the molecular structure of degraded products with the toxicity.Cited