Methylisothiocyanate Fumigant Content of Douglas-Fir Heartwood at Various Moisture Levels After Treatment With Solid Sodium N-Methyldithiocarbamate

The relationship between moisture content and the presence of methylisothiocyanate (MITC) in wood following various applications of sodium n-methyldithiocarbamate (NaMDC) was investigated with small Douglas-fir heartwood blocks. While MITC levels were initially higher in wetter blocks, MITC levels in drier blocks remained more stable over the 8-week test period. The addition of water as well as NaMDC to blocks enhanced MITC levels only initially; this effect declined over the test period for blocks at 30% MC or greater. In comparing the effect on MITC levels of applying the NaMDC in powder or pellet form, no significant difference between the two application methods emerged