Open Access

Christoph Reichmuth, Dagmar Klementz

• Seit mehreren Jahren ist Sulfurylfluorid (Sulfuryldifluorid, SF) als Schädlingsbekämpfungsmittel für den Materialschutz und den Vorratsschutz gegen Insekten gelistet. Insbesondere der Ersatz des ozonzerstörenden Brommethans wird in diesen Anwendungsgebieten überwiegend mit diesem Wirkstoff realisiert. Sulfurylfluorid gilt seit langer Zeit als ein bewährtes Begasungsmittel gegen Termiten in Holzhäusern in den Vereinigten Staaten. Als 2005 die Industrienationen gemäß den Beschlüssen des Montrealer Protokolls den Ausstieg aus der Brommethantechnologie umsetzten, gab es Zulassungen für die Leerraumentwesung im Vorratsschutz und Genehmigungen für die Verwendung im Holz- und Materialschutz gegen Insekten.
• Sulfuryl fluoride (sulfuryl difluoride, SF) is well established for termite control in wooden houses as Vikane in the US since 1960. About 10 years ago, the company DowElanco (today DowAgroScience) decided to prepare the authorisation of SF also as replacement fumigant for the envisaged phase out of methyl bromide in 2005. The ozone depleting methyl bromide has in the meantime successfully been replaced by SF in many suitable fields of application. SF started to be used against wood boring insects in Sweden and Germany until it was eventually registered 2005 in many European countries also for stored product protection as Profume. The necessary ct-products (concentration x time of exposure) in the laboratory for effective insect control vary considerably depending on species, developmental stage and temperature. Experimental data require between 14mgh/l and 1694mgh/l for lethal treatments at about 25°C with eggs being the most tolerant stage. In practical mill fumigations ct-products of more than 1800mgh/l did not always control all included eggs of the insect samples even though the air temperature in the mill had been elevated to 35°C. It can be expected that a combination of warming up the object and use of SF may be the approach to meet the high control standards of the food producing industry. New authorisations are expected for various other products than the registered dried fruit and nuts. High purity SF can be used to control insects also in high value wooden artefacts.