Dimethoate is a widely used

organophosphate In organic chemistry, organophosphates (also known as phosphate esters, or OPEs) are a class of organophosphorus compounds with the general structure , a central phosphate molecule with alkyl or aromatic substituents. They can be considered ...

insecticide Insecticides are substances used to kill insects. They include ovicides and larvicides used against insect eggs and larvae, respectively. Insecticides are used in agriculture, medicine, industry and by consumers. Insecticides are claimed t ...

and

acaricide Acaricides are pesticides that kill members of the arachnid subclass ''Acari'', which includes ticks and mites. Acaricides are used both in medicine and agriculture, although the desired selective toxicity differs between the two fields. Termino ...

. It was patented and introduced in the 1950s by

American Cyanamid American Cyanamid Company was a leading American conglomerate which became one of the nation's top 100 manufacturing companies during the 1970s and 1980s, according to the Fortune 500 listings at the time. It started in fertilizer, but added ...

. Like other organophosphates, dimethoate is an

acetylcholinesterase inhibitor Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEIs) also often called cholinesterase inhibitors, inhibit the enzyme acetylcholinesterase from breaking down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine into choline and acetate, thereby increasing both the level and ...

which disables

cholinesterase The enzyme cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8, choline esterase; systematic name acylcholine acylhydrolase) catalyses the hydrolysis of choline-based esters: : an acylcholine + H2O = choline + a carboxylate Several of these serve as neurotransmitters ...

, an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products ...

essential for

central nervous system The central nervous system (CNS) is the part of the nervous system consisting primarily of the brain and spinal cord. The CNS is so named because the brain integrates the received information and coordinates and influences the activity of all p ...

function. It acts both by contact and through ingestion. It is readily absorbed and distributed throughout plant tissues, and is degraded relatively rapidly.

Fruit Fly Control Efforts

The Queensland fruit fly, or ''

Bactrocera tryoni The Queensland fruit fly (''Bactrocera tryoni'') is a species of fly in the family Tephritidae in the insect order Diptera. ''B. tryoni'' is native to subtropical coastal Queensland and northern New South Wales. They are active during the day ...

'', is a tephritid fly species that has caused more than $28.5 million a year in damage to Australian fruit crops. In order to combat infestation, farmers treated crops with dimethoate and

fenthion Fenthion is an organothiophosphate insecticide, avicide, and acaricide. Like most other organophosphates, its mode of action is via cholinesterase inhibition. Due to its relatively low toxicity towards humans and mammals, fenthion is listed as m ...

. However, the use of these chemicals was banned in 2011 due to safety concerns.

Trade names

*Rogor *B-58 (sometimes referred to as preparation B-58), produced in Russia.

Poisoning Incidents

In late October 2020 a Bulgarian farmer, a previous jackpot winner of the national 'toto' lottery drank a glass of the russian B-58 brand, as of early November 2020 he is hospitalised in a comatose condition, he has a history of psychiatric issues but it is currently unknown whether the incident was accidental or intentional.

References

External links

EPA Report on Dimethoate
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors Organophosphate insecticides Phosphorodithioates Carboxamides {{organic-compound-stub