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Malathion

General Information

• Beyond Pesticides Malathion ChemWatch Factsheet
• Malathion product names
• Chemical Class:Organophosphate insecticide
• Uses: Alfalfa; apricot; asparagus; avocado; barley; bean (succulent and dry); beets
  (table); birdsfoot trefoil; blackberry; blueberry; boysenberry; broccoli; broccoli raab; Brussels
  sprout; cabbage (including Chinese); carrot; cauliflower; celery; chayote; cherry; chestnut; clover;
  collards; corn (field; sweet; and pop); cotton; cucumber; currant; dandelion; date; dewberry;
  eggplant; endive; escarole; potato; fig; garlic; gooseberry; grape; grapefruit; guava; hay grass; hops;
  horseradish; kale; kohlrabi; kumquat; leek; lemon; lespedeza; lettuce (head and leaf); lime;
  loganberry; lupine; macadamia nut; mango; melon; mint; mushroom; mustard greens; nectarines;
  oats; okra; onion; orange; papaya; parsley; parsnip; passion fruit; pea; peach; pear; pecan; pepper;
  pineapple; pumpkin; radish; raspberry; rice; rutabaga; rye; salsify; shallot; sorghum; spinach; spring
  wheat; squash; strawberry; sweet potato; Swiss chard; tangelo; tangerine; tomato (including
  tomatillo); turnip; vetch; walnut; watercress; watermelon; wheat (spring, and winter); wild rice; and
  yam; indoor stored commodity treatment and empty storage facilities for barley, corn, oats, rye, and
  wheat. Homeowner outdoor uses: ornamental flowering plants, ornamental lawns, ornamental
  turf, vegetable gardens and fruit trees; ornamental flowers, shrubs, and trees; Christmas tree
  plantations; slash pine; ornamental nursery stock; woody plants; building perimeters (domestic
  dwellings as well as commercial structures); uncultivated nonagricultural areas; outdoor garbage
  dumps; intermittently flooded areas; irrigation systems; pastures; and rangeland. Treatment of headlice and their eggs.
• Alternatives: Agriculture, Outdoor residential, Head lice, Mosquitoes
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health Effects

• EPA Acute Toxicity Class: II (moderately toxic)
• Cancer: Suggestive Evidence (26)
• Endocrine Disruption: Yes (30)
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (13)
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (11)
• Kidney/ Liver Damage:Yes (4)
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (6)
• Birth/ Developmental Defects: Yes (7)

Environmental Effects

• Detected in Groundwater: Yes (4)
• Detected in Streams: Frequently (37)
• Potential Leacher: Yes (4)
• Toxic to Birds: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Fish/ Aquatic Organisms: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Bees: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Mammals: Not documented
• Long-Range Transport: Not documented

Additional Information

• Regulatory Information:
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) signed (7/2006)
  • NRDC and friends revised risk assessment comments (2005)
  • Beyond Pesticides' Cumulative Risk Organophosphate comments (2002)
  • Beyond Pesticides' preliminary risk assessment comments (2000)
• Supporting information:
  • Asthma, Children and Pesticides (Beyond Pesticides)
  • NCAP Malathion Factsheet (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides)
  • Extoxnet Malathion Factsheet (Extension Toxicology Network)
  • PAN Pesticides Database:Malathion (Pesticide Action Network)
  • Scorecard Malathion Factsheet (Environmental Defense Fund)
  • ABC Malathion Factsheet (American Bird Conservancy)
  • CHEC Malathion Factsheet (Children's Health Environmental Coalition)
• Key Studies:
  • Acute Illnesses Associated With Pesticide Exposure at Schools. Alarcon, W. et. al. 2005. Journal of the American Medical Association 294(4): 455-465.
  • Comparison of pesticide levels in carpet dust and self-reported pest treatment practices in four US sites. Colt, J. et. al. 2004. Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology 14:74–83