Fourier transform infrared spectrometric determination of Ziram

A procedure has been developed for vapour-phase Fourier transform infrared determination of Ziram, a dithiocarbamate pesticide. The method is based on the evolution of CS2, after decomposition of the dithiocarbamate with dilu ted H2SO4 at 50 degreesC. The CS2 evolved was swept by a carrier flow of ni trogen to a laboratory-made infrared gas cell of 39 mm pathlength and 490 m ul volume. The signals were registered as a function of time. The area of p eaks obtained from absorbance measurement in the wavenumber range between 1 600 and 1450 cm(-1) were interpolated in a calibration line established fro m Ziram standards treated in the same way as samples. The method provided a n absolute limit of detection of 0.055 mg, a variation coefficient of the o rder of 6% for an analyte mass of 50 mg, and an analysis time of 3.5 min. ( C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.