Colorless to gray crystalline solid. Practically
odorless.
Selective, nonsystemic, preemergent herbicide to control most annual grasses and
many broad-leaved weeds.
Dacthal is used as a preemergent herbicide.
ChEBI: Dacthal is a diester and a methyl ester.
DCPA is an alkyl phthalate; benzene-
dicarboxylic acid herbicide, pesticide pre-emergent herbi-
cide is used on annual broadleaf weeds and grasses
in a wide spectrum of vegetable crops.
Soil. Bartha and Pramer (1967) reported that DCPA was degraded by soil microorganisms via cleavage of the herbicide molecule into propionic acid and 3,4-dichloroaniline.
The acid was mineralized to carbon dioxide and water and two molecules of 3,4-dichloroaniline were condensed to form 3,3′4,4′-tetrachloro-azobenzene. Metabolites identified
in soil and turfgrass thatch are monomethyl tetrachloroterephthalate and 2,3,5,6-tetrachloroterephthalic acid (Hartley and Kidd, 1987; Krause and Niemczyk, 1990). Residual
activity in soil and the half-life in soil were reported to be approximately 3 months (Hartley
and Kidd, 1987; Worthing and Hance, 1991)
UN3077 Environmentally hazardous substances,
solid, n.o.s., Hazard class: 9; Labels: 9-Miscellaneous
hazardous material, Technical Name Required.
May react violently with strong oxidi-
zers, bromine, 90% hydrogen peroxide, phosphorus
trichloride, silver powders or dust. Incompatible with silver
compounds. Mixture with some silver compounds forms
explosive salts of silver oxalate.
Incineration in a unit with
efficient gas scrubbing. Containers must be disposed of
properly by following package label directions or by con-
tacting your local or federal environmental control agency,
or by contacting your regional EPA office.
