Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Dimethoate

urenthesage - 2-4-2016 at 04:18

Is there any experiments that could be safely done with dimethoate? I know its an organophosphate so requires the full arsenal of PPE to be around, but is there any science I can do with it, without killing myself?

Pumukli - 2-4-2016 at 10:49

Are you talking about pure dimethoate or a pesticide with roughly 40% dimethoate content? In the later case the isolation could be your first challenge.

I can't think of too much chemistry starting from such a "complicated" substance apart from alkaline hydrolysis. That process could yield methanol, thioglycolic acid (salt), methylamine and thiophosphate salt, or phosphate salt.

I don't know the LD50 of the pure substance but dimethoate formulations (at least those I heard about) has it in the range of 400-600 mg/kg oral. These are considered poisonous but not too extremely, there were much worse insecticides in circulation a few years ago. (At least here in the EU, your milleage may vary.)

urenthesage - 2-4-2016 at 19:47

Quote: Originally posted by Pumukli  
Are you talking about pure dimethoate or a pesticide with roughly 40% dimethoate content? In the later case the isolation could be your first challenge.

I can't think of too much chemistry starting from such a "complicated" substance apart from alkaline hydrolysis. That process could yield methanol, thioglycolic acid (salt), methylamine and thiophosphate salt, or phosphate salt.

I don't know the LD50 of the pure substance but dimethoate formulations (at least those I heard about) has it in the range of 400-600 mg/kg oral. These are considered poisonous but not too extremely, there were much worse insecticides in circulation a few years ago. (At least here in the EU, your milleage may vary.)


Thanks, I dont think Im going to use it than. Its the 40% stuff. Ill save it for the leaf miners that like a birch tree I have on my property.