Analysis of Dithiocarbamate Pesticides by GC-MS

Introduction The class of dithiocarbamate fungicides (DTCs) is widely used in agriculture. They are non-systemic and both the formulation and their break-down products typically remain at the site of application. DTCs are characterized by a broad spectrum of activity against various plant pathogens, low acute mammal toxicity, and low production costs . The dithiocarbamate moiety is highly reactive: it readily chelates most heavy metals, reacts with sulfhydryl groups of proteins, rendering itself neurotoxic, teratogenic, and cytotoxic.