Mechanistic studies on the chemical fate of three N-methyl carbamate pesticides

CHED 1106

Demar Pitter, dpitte1@towson.edu and Clare N. Muhoro, cmuhoro@towson.edu. Department of Chemistry, Towson University, Towson, MD 21252
Carbamate compounds are useful pest control agents because they are an alternative to ozone-depleting organochlorine pesticides, and because they are active against organophosphate-resistant pests. Accurate descriptions of the chemical fate of carbamates under environmental conditions are increasingly important as the use of these pest-control agents becomes widespread. We report studies on the aquatic fate of the three N-methyl carbamate pesticides propoxur, carbofuran and carbaryl. Aqueous solutions of these compounds were monitored by UV-vis and NMR spectroscopies to identify products of decomposition under various conditions. We will present results on characterization of degradation products and relative stability of the three compounds, and propose tentative pathways for the decomposition of the parent compounds. Additionally, preliminary findings on the influence of ambient metals on degradation will be discussed.