03 April 2024 Bulletin

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Diazinon

Diazinon (IUPAC name: O,O-Diethyl O-[4-methyl-6-(propan-2-yl)pyrimidin-2-yl] phosphorothioate), a colourless to dark brown liquid, is a thiophosphoric acid ester developed in 1952 by Ciba-Geigy, a Swiss chemical company. It is a non-systemic organophosphate insecticide formerly used to control cockroaches, silverfish, ants, and fleas in residential, non-food buildings. Diazinon was heavily used during the 1970s and early 1980s for general-purpose gardening use and indoor pest control. A bait form was used to control scavenger wasps in the western U.S. In 2004, residential use of diazinon was banned but it is still approved for agricultural uses. Diazinon kills insects by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, an enzyme necessary for proper nervous system function. It has a low persistence in soil, with a half-life of between 2 to 6 weeks. [1,2]

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