Ferbam (Ferric dimethyldithiocarbamate) 
Ferbam reacts with thiols by a radical exchange mechanism. The 
final products are the corresponding disulfide of the parent thiol and 
dimethyldithiocarbamate (Owens and Rubenstein, 1964). At pH >7, ferbam 
decompsoes to give dithiocarbamate ions. At pH <5, it decomposes to di- 
methylamine and CS9. At pH 6 to 7, the nature of the buffer is important: 
ferbam is stable in acetate but decomposes in phosphate buffer to dithio- 
carbamate (Owens and Ruberstein, 1964). (See also Dithiocarbamates.) 
Fluoroacetamide (P=Ctig-F nip) 
Fluoroacetate (F-CH» -C-ONa) 
Fluoroacetate and fluoroacetamide are convulsants for the cockroach 
as well as the mouse. At high doses, hyperexcitability was followed by 
prostration and tremors. In general, fluoroacetate was more toxic to mice 
than insects. The reverse was found with fluoroacetamide, probably be- 
cause of the higher rate of hydrolysis in insects. Fluoroacetamide was 
hydrolyzed to fluoroacetate. This then entered the tricarboxylic acid 
cycle where fluorocitrate formed and blocked the citric acid cycle by in- 
hibition of aconitase (Matsumura and Brown, 1963). 
Recently, a bacterium was isolated that was capable of metabolizing 
fluoroacetamide and fluoroacetate with the release of F (Kelly, 1965). 
CH,- c7 x 
0 2 Oxaloacetic | “\ on 
F-CH9 -C-%) —> F-CH» -C-OH 39 
Acid HO-C-CO 
| OH 
Fluoroacetamide Fluoroacetate fu 
F-CH-C 
*o 
Fluoro citric 
Acid 
115 
