Bromomethane

Bromomethane, or methyl bromide, is the volatile halogenated compound CH₃Br. It has been used as a fumigant and as a chemical intermediate.

Fumigation: The use of chemicals to kill pests in enclosed spaces or materials. Bromomethane gas penetrates stored goods and soil to control insects, nematodes, and other pests.
Soil fumigation: The treatment of soil with pesticides to suppress pests, pathogens, or weeds before planting. Bromomethane was widely used before planting to control soilborne pests and pathogens.
Antoine Béchamp: A French chemist and physician who studied chemical reactions and biological processes in the nineteenth century. Béchamp is credited with preparing methyl bromide in the nineteenth century.
1,3-Dichloropropene: A volatile chlorinated compound used as a soil fumigant and nematicide. It replaced bromomethane in some soil treatments but does not match every use.
Ozone-depleting substance: A substance that contributes to stratospheric ozone loss through atmospheric chemical reactions. Bromomethane is regulated in this category because its breakdown releases ozone-destroying bromine.
Methyl bromide fumigation: The use of bromomethane gas to control pests in soil, commodities, or structures. This is the principal agricultural and quarantine use associated with bromomethane.
Quarantine treatment: A prescribed treatment that prevents pests from spreading through traded goods or transport. Bromomethane remains relevant to certain regulated treatments of commodities and shipments.
Methyl bromide discovery: The nineteenth-century identification and preparation of methyl bromide as a chemical compound. The compound's early laboratory history precedes its adoption as a fumigant.
Sulfuryl fluoride: A colorless gas used chiefly to fumigate buildings and stored commodities. It serves as a fumigant alternative in some structural and commodity applications.
Ozone depletion potential: A measure comparing the ozone-depleting impact of a substance with that of a reference compound. This metric helped quantify bromomethane's environmental harm and guide international controls.

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