Impurities such as 2,6-dimethylaniline, N-methyl-2,6-dimethylaniline, N-(1-methoxycarbonyl-ethyl)-2,6-dimethylaniline, N-methyl-N-(1-methoxycarbonyl-ethyl)-2,6-dimethylaniline, N-methyl-N-(1-methoxyacetyl)-2,6-dimethylaniline, N-(1-methoxyacetyl)-2,6-dimethylaniline and N-ethyl-N-(methoxyacetyl)-2,6-dimethylaniline present in samples of technical metalaxyl were isolated by column chromatography and identified by nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectroscopy and comparison with reference compounds.