Insecticides are used in the oil palm plantation to control insect pests. Insecticides such as cypermethrin are commonly used to treat bagworms, nettle caterpillars and rhinoceros beetles. The use of pesticides in oil palm plantations has resulted in a growing concern for the presence and danger of the residues in the environment. A method has been developed to monitor leaching and the persistence of insecticides such as cypermethrin in the oil palm agroenvironment. Cypermethrin (Figure 1) is the common name for (RS)-α-cyano-3 phenoxybenzyl (1RS)-cis,trans-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethylcyclopropanecarboxylate (C22H19Cl2 NO3 ). Aimcocyper, Ambush, Ammo, Cynoff and Cypercopal are some of the trade names of cypermethrin. In its pure form, cypermethrin, is an odourless crystal, while a sample of 93% purity is a viscous semi-solid. Its melting point is in the range of 60°C-80°C. Cypermethrin is less soluble in water (0.01 mg litre-1). Its molecular weight is 416.3.

Main Research: Dr Halimah Muhammad