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Preventive Insecticides
Carbaryl |
Permethrin |
Bifenthrin |
| Label Information | Label Information | Label Information |
Carbaryl
The EPA considers carbaryl “likely to be carcinogenic in humans” due to increased tumor production in mice. This determination is based on a study that exposed male mice to 14.73 mg/kg carbaryl every day for 104 weeks. An average-size mouse needs to ingest about 1/2 pound of carbaryl to equal this level of exposure during this time period. Female mice required an exposure of 1,248.93 mg/kg/day for cancer development. The International Agency for Cancer Research has stated that carbaryl “ is not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans” due to inadequate animal studies.
Carbaryl is classified as moderate in toxicity when ingested by rats. It is low in toxicity to rabbits when ingested. Researchers who voluntarily ingested doses of 2.8 and 5.45 mg/kg of carbaryl and used atropine to counteract its effects experienced stomach pain, sweating, weakness, and nausea. They recovered completely after 4 hours. Dogs that ingested carbaryl at doses up to 500 mg/kg survived. Carbaryl bears a Caution signal word indicating low toxicity.
Causes toxicity to insects by contact or ingestion
Moderate in toxicity to rats and low in toxicity to rabbits when ingested
Low in toxicity to rats and rabbits when applied to the skin
Practically non-toxic to rats when inhaled
Increased incidence of malignant tumors when male mice exposed to 14.73 mg/kg carbaryl every day for 104 weeks
International Agency for Research on Cancer has not classified its carcinogenicity to humans due to inadequate studies
EPA classifies carbaryl “likely to be carcinogenic in humans” due to increased tumor production in mice
No adverse reproductive effects to rats at highest doses tested
No adverse reproduction effects to rhesus monkeys administered up to 20 mg/kg carbaryl
No change in testicular function in carbaryl workers with at least one year of work experience
Breaks down through hydrolysis and microbial degradation in the environment
Half-life of 12.1 days at pH 7 in distilled water
Degrades completely in river water within 2 weeks
Moderately mobile in soils
Half-life in soils ranges from 4 days under aerobic and 72.2 days under anaerobic conditions
When dissolved in water has low potential to volatilize
Practically non-toxic to several species of birds tested
Can be highly to slightly toxic to fish, depending on the species
Highly toxic to freshwater invertebrates
Highly toxic to honey bees
To see Pesticide Fact Sheets on these insecticides, visit National Pesticide Information Center
For additional information on human health risks from pesticides and definitions visit EPA Human Health Risks
For additional information on environmental risks from pesticides visit EPA Environmental Effects
