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Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

How To Find Ingredients in Pesticide Products

Beyond Pesticides offers resources below to evaluate the health and ecological effects of specific chemical exposure from ACTIVE INGREDIENTS in pesticide products, as well as regulatory information and supporting scientific documents. Because various pesticide products can contain more than one active ingredient, it is important to READ the LABEL to determine chemical components.

With 192 different active ingredients and counting, it is essential to establish the connection between the use of these chemicals and their respective hazards.

View the step-by-step guide on how to search for the active ingredient(s) in pesticide products below:

  1. Go to U.S. EPA's Pesticide Product and Label System and enter the product name. The generic product name may vary.
  2. After searching, click on the chemical ingredients tab or the link for the most recent label to find Active Ingredients.
                 Chemical List                                            Label List 

    If one selects the chemical ingredients tab, skip to Step 4 . If not, proceed to step number 3

  3. To find the active ingredient(s) on the label, search for the page in the document containing the date of registration. Usually, the active ingredients section occurs within the first few pages of the label document.

  4. Return to the Beyond Pesticides Gateway and search for the active ingredient name in the yellow box to the right or from the list below. 

Back to the Gateway

MCPB (4-(2-Methyl-4-chlorophenoxy) butyric acid)

General Information

  • Product Names:
  • Chemical Class: Phenoxy compound
  • Uses: Registered for use on pea crops before flowering, for post-emergence control of broadleaf annual and perennial weeds including Canadian thistle, buttercup, mustard, purslane, ragweed, common lambsquarters, pigweed, smartweed, sowthistle, and morning glory.
  • Alternatives: Organic agriculture
  • Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

  • Cancer: Possibly (3)
  • Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
  • Reproductive Effects: Not documented
  • Neurotoxicity: Yes (8)
  • Kidney/Liver Damage: Yes (8)
  • Sensitizer/ Irritant: Not documented
  • Birth/Developmental: Not documented
  • Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
  • Potential Leacher: Not documented
  • Toxic to Birds: Yes (8)
  • Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Not documented
  • Toxic to Bees: Not documented

Additional Information