Genesis

Chlorpyrifos is a pesticide known as Dursban®. My first experience with Dursban® began after I bought a townhouse in Montrose. I found what I thought was a winged ant and went to the local hardware store to get information about dealing with them. I received a crash course about termites and was told that Dursban® was the pesticide of choice. Dursban® is sold as a liquid or in granules of different concentrations. For use against termites, a 6% liquid is recommended. The concentrated liquid is mixed with water and applied by spraying the ground and wood foundation. The safety warnings stated to avoid skin contact and work in a well-ventilated area. After opening and mixing the pesticide, I decided that wearing a charcoal-filtered mask would be a good idea. The odor was strong even when the pesticide was diluted. I applied the pesticide to the ground around the house, on the wooden patio fence and in the crawlspace under the house. I could smell the solvent type odor throughout the house within thirty minutes. The odor was detectable for over a week downstairs and in the garage. The colony was destroyed, and I could not find any further evidence of termites. Throughout the year, I spoke with my neighbors about pests. Besides termites, spiders and ants were also a persistent problem for my neighbors. After the treatment, I found only one large wolf spider all year.

I chose Dursban® because I wanted to learn more about its use, dangers and effectiveness. Its performance as a pesticide was impressive. Safety and health issues were also a concern. After learning the structure, the synthesis of the molecule was intriguing. Additionally I really wanted to learn how the compound functioned as a pesticide.