Names | |
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Preferred IUPAC name
Sodium methylcarbamodithioate | |
Other names
Metham sodium
Carbathion Carbathione Carbothion Metamsodium Metam-sodium | |
Identifiers | |
3D model (
JSmol)
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ChemSpider | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.004.812 |
PubChem
CID
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UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard (
EPA)
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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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Metam sodium is an organosulfur compound with the formula CH3NHCS2Na. 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 is prepared by combining methylamine, carbon disulfide, and sodium hydroxide: [2]
It also arises from the reaction of methyl isothiocyanate and sodium thiolate. [1]
Upon exposure to the environment, metam sodium decomposes to methyl isothiocyanate. [4]
Metam sodium is nonpersistent in the environment since it is prone to hydrolysis. The degradation products, carbon disulfide and methyl amine are however toxic. In 1991 a tank car with 19,000 gallons of metam sodium spilled into Sacramento River above Lake Shasta. This killed all fish in a 41-mile stretch of the river. By 20 years later the rainbow trout population had recovered. [5]