Abstract
This review concentrates on the main fumigants currently applied to commodities: phosphine (PH3) and methyl bromide (CH3Br). It discusses possible new fumigants, such as carbonyl sulfide (COS) and ethyl formate (EtF), that may be able to be applied in such a way that "residues" after fumigation do not exceed the range of natural levels. The review aims to raise some general issues and to suggest some general conclusions from a synthesis of studies on analytical chemistry and on fumigant behavior.