Chemistry:Metam sodium

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Metam sodium[1]
Ball-and-stick model of the component ions of metham sodium
Names
Preferred IUPAC name
Sodium methylcarbamodithioate
Other names
Metham sodium
Carbathion
Carbathione
Carbothion
Metamsodium
Metam-sodium
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
UNII
Properties
C2H4NNaS2
Molar mass 129.18 g/mol
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references
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Metam sodium is an organosulfur compound with the formula CH
3
NHCS
2
Na
. The compound is a sodium salt of a dithiocarbamate. The compound exists as a colorless dihydrate, but most commonly it is encountered as an aqueous solution.[2] It is used as a soil fumigant, pesticide, herbicide, and fungicide. It is one of the most widely used pesticides in the United States, with approximately 60 million pounds used in 2001.[3]

Metam-sodium belongs to two HRAC groups, so it is designated Group A/C (Aus), Group A/C1 (global) and Group 1/5 (numeric).[4]

Preparation and properties

Metam sodium is prepared by combining methylamine, carbon disulfide, and sodium hydroxide:[2]

CH
3
NH
2
+ CS
2
+ NaOH → CH
3
NHCS
2
Na + H
2
O

It also arises from the reaction of methyl isothiocyanate and sodium thiolate.[1]

Upon exposure to the environment, metam sodium decomposes to methyl isothiocyanate and other sulfur compounds.[5]

Safety and environmental considerations

Metam sodium is nonpersistent in the environment since it decomposes rather quickly to toxic methyl isothiocyanate and carbon disulfide.[5] In 1991 a tank car with 19,000 gallons of a metam sodium based pesticide spilled into Sacramento River above Lake Shasta. This killed all fish in a 41-mile stretch of the river. 20 years later the rainbow trout population had recovered.[6]

See also

References