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Chlorpyrifos

General Information

• Beyond Pesticides Chlorpyrifos ChemWatch Factsheet
• Chlorpyrifos product names
• Chemical Class:Organophosphate insecticide
• Uses: food and feed crops, golf courses, as a non-structural wood treatment, and as an adult mosquitocide
• Alternatives: Agriculture, Nonresidential buildings
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health Effects

• EPA Acute Toxicity Class: II (moderately toxic)
• Cancer: Not documented
• Endocrine Disruption: Yes (30)
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (6)
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (8)
• Kidney/ Liver Damage: Yes (17)
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (4)
• Birth/ Developmental Defects: Yes (6)

Environmental Effects

• Detected in Groundwater: Yes (6)
• Detected in Streams: Frequently (37)
• Potential Leacher: Yes (6)
• Toxic to Birds: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Fish/ Aquatic Organisms: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Bees: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Mammals: Yes (8)
• Long-Range Transport: Yes (41, 42)

Additional Information

• Regulatory Information:
  • EPA and Dow agreed to stop the sale of most residential uses because of health risks to children
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) signed (7/2006)
  • Beyond Pesticides' EPA Risk Assessment comments.
• Supporting information:
  • Daily News Blog entries (Beyond Pesticides)
  • Asthma, Children and Pesticides (Beyond Pesticides)
  • The Low Down on Dursban (Beyond Pesticides)
  • Alternatives to Using Chlorpyrifos (Beyond Pesticides)
  • Safer Choice (Beyond Pesticides)
  • NCAP Chlorpyrifos Factsheet (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides)
  • Extoxnet Chlorpyrifos Factsheet (Extension Toxicology Network)
  • PAN Pesticides Database:Chlorpyrifos (Pesticide Action Network)
• Key Studies:
  • Long-term sex selective hormonal and behavior alterations in mice exposed to low doses of chlorpyrifos in utero. Haviland, J. A., Butz, D. E., Porter, W.P. 2009. Reproductive Toxicology. 29(1):74-79
  • Acute Illnesses Associated With Pesticide Exposure at Schools. Alarcon, W et. al. 2005 Journal of the American Medical Association. 294(4):455-465
  • Chlorpyrifos (Dursban)-associated birth defects: report of four cases. Sherman, JD. 1996. Arch Environ Health. 54(2):141-3
  • Top 15 Farmworker Poison