6. Dithiocarbamates

By the early 1920s, analytical methods had become more sophisticated, often detecting arsenic in processed fruit and vegetables. This was a cause for concern, and substitute products were actively sought. 1930 marked the debut of synthetic organic pesticides.

A large number of effective products were soon available. Manufacturers got into the habit of patenting all the products in a chemical family, active or suspected of being active, and of occupying the market by simultaneously developing several products in each of these families. Their succession is designed to correct defects and shortcomings that have appeared over time.

The fungicidal activity of N-dimethyldithiocarbamates, already used as rubber vulcanizers, was discovered simultaneously in the USA by Tisdale and Williams, and in Great Britain by Martin, in 1934. Ziram and Ferbam...