Dimethoate chemical formula structure properties uses and toxicity details
Dimethoate is a systemic insecticide that works by inhibiting cholinesterases, which are enzymes involved in nerve impulse transmission. It is chemically an organophosphate. Similar to all organophosphates, it is related to nerve gases, and it is among the most toxic of all pesticides to vertebrates, including humans.
Dimethoate is a systemic pesticide that is taken up by plants' roots and translocated to the ground pieces, where it is poisonous to sucking insects that feed on plant juices (for example, leafhoppers, aphids, and thrips). Dimethoate may not destroy caterpillars or other chewing pests because there isn't enough juice-containing tissue consumed for it to be efficient.
Dimethoate Exposure
Most of the people will not be exposed to Dimethoate from water or air. Levels in food are much lower. The main risk of exposure is if we work where dimethoate is used or made. The Chances of people being exposed to dimethoate are through:
Breathing Dimethoate if we work where it is used or made
Drinking Dimethoate is unlikely
Drinking Dimethoate accidentally
Eye Contact with the Dimethoate if we work where it is used or made
Touching Dimethoate if we work where it is used or made
Tafgor Insecticide
The USP of Tafgor is that it is highly compatible with other pesticides and insecticides. It's a contact and systemic organophosphate insecticide that kills insect pests like the stem borer, mosquito, beetles, aphid, and weevil quickly. It acts both through Ingestion and by Contact.
Uses of Tafgor
Dimethoate formulations can be used to control a wide range of Aphididae, Acari,
Coccidae, Aleyrodidae, Collembola, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, Pseudococcidae and Citrus, cereals, cotton, coffee, olives, fruit, grapes, pastures, beetroot, pulses, potatoes, tobacco, tea, and vegetables all have Thysanoptera in them.
They can also be used for the control of animal houses or flies. Dimethoate is given as a systemic acaricide and insecticide, with Contact and action of the stomach. It also acts as a cholinesterase inhibitor.
Some Banned Pesticides and Insecticides
Chlorpyrifos, which is a type of insecticide called “organophosphate,” was first marketed in 1965 and banned for most residential uses in 2000. Now, it is widely used on soybeans, corn, nut and fruit trees, cranberries, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower, among several other foods. Also, it is used on golf courses to protect the fence posts and utility poles and to kill cockroaches, mosquitoes, and ants.
Endosulfan, a drug so dangerous that the United Nations wants it banned worldwide, was banned in India in 2011 by a Supreme Court order. In Kerala, the endoscope is banned, but other such chemicals continue to be used. But, groundwater contamination which is leading to the unsafe water supply is one of its consequences.
Neonicotinoids are given as a nicotine-like class of insecticides, which impair the neurological systems of the insects. They have been linked to the die-offs of monarch butterflies and bees — two key pollinators — and birds as well. The global food system, which relies on bees to pollinate at least 30% of the crops of the world. Now we may notice the danger to global food systems. Certain neonicotinoids in 2013 were banned by the European Union and some non-EU nations as well.
Toxaphene was primarily used on cereal grains, cotton, nuts, fruits, and vegetables as a non-systemic and contact insecticide. Also, it has been used to control mites and ticks in livestock. Toxaphene is highly insoluble in water, and it has a half-life in soil of approximately 12 years. It has also been shown to bioconcentrate in marine species and to be transported through the atmosphere. It has been banned in 37 countries globally, and its use has been severely restricted in other 11 countries.
Methyl bromide, whose usage was banned in 1990 by Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances. Also, in the atmosphere, methyl bromide attacks the ozone layer. Despite the ban, nearly 70,000 tonnes of methyl bromide were still used as a soil fumigant globally in 1999.
Atrazine, which is a weed killer that is persistent environmentally and has been linked to hormone disruption and birth defects, was banned in 2004 in the European Union. In the US, it remains the main and most widely used herbicide, while the debate over its safety continues.
Precautions to Take When Exposed to Dimethoate
If anyone touches dimethoate, they should wash or shower right away. Workers who touch dimethoate must wash any areas of the body that can have contacted it and, change with clean clothing. Also, protect the family members by not taking exposed clothing home. Exposed work clothes must be cleaned by others who have been told of the hazards of exposure.
If you breathe dimethoate, move to some fresh air, and seek medical attention. If you get dimethoate in your eyes, rinse the eyes with plenty of water for 15 minutes, at least, and seek medical help.
FAQs on Dimethoate Organophosphate Insecticide in Chemistry
1. What is Dimethoate in chemistry?
Dimethoate is an organophosphate insecticide with the molecular formula C5H12NO3PS2 used to control a wide range of agricultural pests.
- It belongs to the class of organophosphorus compounds.
- Chemically, it is a phosphorodithioate ester.
- It acts as a systemic insecticide, meaning it is absorbed and transported within plant tissues.
2. What is the chemical formula and molar mass of Dimethoate?
The chemical formula of Dimethoate is C5H12NO3PS2, and its molar mass is approximately 229.26 g·mol-1.
- Carbon (C): 5 atoms
- Hydrogen (H): 12 atoms
- Nitrogen (N): 1 atom
- Oxygen (O): 3 atoms
- Phosphorus (P): 1 atom
- Sulfur (S): 2 atoms
3. What type of compound is Dimethoate?
Dimethoate is a phosphorodithioate ester and belongs to the organophosphate class of compounds.
- It contains a phosphorus atom double-bonded to sulfur (P=S).
- It has ester linkages involving oxygen atoms.
- It contains both sulfur and nitrogen functional groups.
4. How does Dimethoate work as an insecticide?
Dimethoate works by inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, leading to accumulation of acetylcholine in the nervous system of insects.
- It binds to the active site of acetylcholinesterase.
- This prevents breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.
- Continuous nerve stimulation causes paralysis and death of the insect.
5. Is Dimethoate soluble in water?
Dimethoate is moderately soluble in water due to its polar functional groups.
- It contains polar P=O (or P=S), C=O, and ester groups.
- These groups enable interaction with water molecules through dipole–dipole forces.
- Its solubility influences its environmental mobility in soil and water.
6. What happens when Dimethoate undergoes hydrolysis?
Dimethoate undergoes hydrolysis in the presence of water, breaking its ester bonds into smaller, less active products.
- Hydrolysis is accelerated under alkaline conditions.
- The reaction cleaves P–O or ester linkages.
- This process reduces its insecticidal activity over time.
7. What functional groups are present in Dimethoate?
Dimethoate contains several important functional groups including a phosphorodithioate (P=S) group, ester linkages, and an amide group.
- P=S (thiophosphoryl) group
- Ester (–COO–) functional group
- Amide (–CONH–) linkage
8. What is the difference between Dimethoate and other organophosphates?
Dimethoate differs from many other organophosphates because it is a systemic insecticide and contains a P=S (thiophosphate) bond rather than a P=O bond in its original form.
- Some organophosphates are contact insecticides only.
- Dimethoate can be absorbed and translocated within plants.
- Its thiophosphate structure can be metabolically oxidized to a more toxic oxon form.
9. Why is Dimethoate considered toxic to humans?
Dimethoate is toxic to humans because it inhibits acetylcholinesterase, disrupting normal nerve impulse transmission.
- It interferes with breakdown of acetylcholine.
- This leads to overstimulation of muscles and glands.
- Symptoms may include headache, nausea, and muscle twitching.
10. How is Dimethoate detected or analyzed in the laboratory?
Dimethoate is commonly analyzed using gas chromatography (GC) or high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).
- Samples are extracted from soil, water, or food matrices.
- They are separated using chromatographic techniques.
- Detection is often performed with mass spectrometry (GC–MS or LC–MS).
