Diazinon

Diazinon (IUPAC name: O,O-Diethyl O-[4-methyl-6-(propan-2-yl)pyrimidin-2-yl] phosphorothioate, INN - Dimpylate), a colorless to dark brown liquid, is a thiophosphoric acid ester developed in 1952 by Ciba-Geigy, a Swiss chemical company (later Novartis and then Syngenta). It is a nonsystemic 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. Diazinon is used in flea collars for domestic pets in Australia and New Zealand. Residential uses of diazinon were outlawed in the U.S. in 2004 but it is still approved for agricultural uses. An emergency antidote is atropine.

History

Diazinon was developed in 1952 by the Swiss company Ciba-Geigy to replace the insecticide DDT. Diazinon became available for mass use in 1955, as DDT production tapered. Before 1970 diazinon had issues with contaminants in the solution. but by the 1970s, alternative purification methods were used to reduce residual materials. After this, diazinon became an all-purpose indoor and outdoor commercial pest control product. In 2004, U.S. residential use of diazinon was outlawed, except for agricultural purposes and cattle ear tags .