Degradation of the insecticide parathion in methanol by gamma-irradiation

The gamma-radiation from Co-60 used to induce parathion degradation in methanol solution, and the resulting products were quantified by GC-NPD and identified by GC-MS. The insecticide was completely degraded (99%) in methanol after treatment with 30 kGy doses at a dose rate of 3.12 kGy.h(-1). The metabolites detected after radiolysis were p-aminophenol, paraoxon and aminoparathion, but no p-nitrophenol. The parathion radiation yield (G-parathion) in methanol solution was also calculated.