Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Linuron

General Information

• Product Names:

  Layby (Tessenderlo Kerley) formulated with Diuron
  Linex (Terssenderlo Kerley)

• Chemical Class: Substituted urea herbicide
• Uses: Restricted Use Pesticide used to control germinating and newly emerging grasses and broad-leafed weeds on agricultural crops, ornamental bulbs and poplar trees.
• Alternatives: Organic agriculture
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Possible (8)
• Endocrine Disruption: Yes (30)
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (8)
• Neurotoxicity: Not documented
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Not documented
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Not documented
• Birth/Developmental: Not documented
• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Not documented
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Bees: Not documented

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Tolerance Reassessment Eligibility Decision (TRED) Signed (5/2002)
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) (3/1995)
• Supporting information:
  • Extoxnet Linuron Factsheet (Extension Toxicology Network)
  • PAN Pesticide Database – Linuron (Pesticide Action Network) 
• Studies:
• Environmental Control of Astrocyte Pathogenic Activities in CNS Inflammation. Wheeler, M.A., Jaronen, M., Covacu, R., Zandee, S.E., Scalisi, G., Rothhammer, V., Tjon, E.C., Chao, C.C., Kenison, J.E., Blain, M. and Rao, V.T., 2019. Cell, 176(3), pp.581-596.
• Exploring associations between residential exposure to pesticides and birth outcomes using the Dutch birth registry. Simões, M., Vermeulen, R., Portengen, L., Janssen, N. and Huss, A., 2023. Environment International, p.108085.
• Pesticides and prostate cancer incidence and mortality: An environment-wide association study. Soerensen, S. et al. (2024) Pesticides and prostate cancer incidence and mortality: An environment-wide association study, Cancer. Available at: https://acsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cncr.35572.
• Immune response of Brazilian farmers exposed to multiple pesticides . Jacobsen-Pereira, C.H. et al. (2020) ‘Immune response of Brazilian farmers exposed to multiple pesticides’, Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 202, p. 110912. doi:10.1016/j.ecoenv.2020.110912.