Warning symbols
Harmful

CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

No specific references to material in 2000 Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG2000)

Health Hazards

Eye irritant.

• Oral LD₅₀ (rat) 8210 mg/kg
• Intravenous LD₅₀ (rat) 1050 mg/kg

Prolonged expression to high dose may be carcinogenic and teratogenic.

INDUSTRIAL/COMMERCIAL USES

DMMP is widely used as a flame retardant and this is its primary commercial use. It can also be used as a catalyst and as a reagent in organic synthesis because it can be used to generate a highly reactive and very useful ylide reagent.

It is used in the manufacture of the nerve gas sarin using the US "di-di" process, but in a manner distinct from ylide chemistry. It can also be used as a simulant for Sarin training exercises and in the calibration of detectors.

COMMENTS

In Oct. 4 1992 a cargo plane belonging to the Israeli airline El Al crashed in the Amsterdam suburb of Bijlmer, killing 43 people. People living in the area and rescue workers suffered health problems, including autoimmune disease, for years afterward. The cargo included a number of chemicals including 50 gallons of DMMP and two others used in Sarin synthesis. The quantities involved are too small for the preparation of a militarily useful quantity of Sarin, but would be consistent with making small quantities for testing detection methods and protective clothing.