Spectrophotometric determination of ferbam using 4-(2'-pyridylazo)resorcinol

A direct spectrophotometric method has been reported for ferric dimethyldithiocarbamate (ferbam) by complexation with 4-(2'-pyridylazo)resorcinol in the pH range 8.5-10.5.The sensitivity of the method is enhanced by the addition of a micellar solution of Triton X-100. Beer's law is obeyed over the concentration range 5-102 mu g/10 ml. The values of molar absorptivity and Sandell's sensitivity are 3.0 x 10(4) dm(3) mol(-1) cm(-1) and 0.0139 mu g cm(-2) respectively. The method has been tested for the determination of ferbam in commercial samples, crops and grains in the presence of various other ions, dithiocarbamates and xanthates.