AbstractThe promotion of hydrolysis of some organophosphorus pesticides by mercury(II) ion was studied. The presence of mercuric chloride at 20 mg litre−1increased the initial hydrolysis rates of malathion, fenitrothion, fenthion and parathion‐methyl in pH 5.5 buffer by two to three orders of magnitude. The hydrolysis was found to be first order with respect to both mercury(II) ion and the pesticide. The main hydrolysis product was 3‐methyl‐4‐nitrophenol for fenitrothion, and 4‐nitrophenol for parathion‐methyl. It is postulated that the reaction involves the formation of a 1:1 complex and a very slow regeneration of the mercury(II) ion from the reacted complex. Mercury(II) ion had little effect on the organophosphorus pestici
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