The rate of hydrolysis of the molluscicide N-tritylmorpholine.

N-Tritylmorpholine (Frescon, WL 8008) shows promise for the control of the snails that are intermediate hosts of trematodes. A knowledge of the rate of hydrolysis of the compound is important in connexion with its field use, and the rate of hydrolysis of (14)C-N-tritylmorpholine has been found to be dependent on the pH of the water and on the initial concentration of the compound. This rate is relatively high at low pH values (< 7.0), but decreases logarithmically as the pH increases.A prolonged low-dosage technique has been developed for the application of N-tritylmorpholine to irrigation systems. The present results indicate that, under these conditions, effective control of the snails is likely to be achieved in water of pH > 7.5, whereas in water of pH < 7.0 the compound is unlikely to penetrate very far downstream before losing its molluscicidal activity. In waters in the pH range 7.0-7.5 the use of higher concentrations and shorter application times may be desirable.