Updates from the Daily News Blog

Pesticide Makers Win Bid to Overturn Pesticide Restrictions
February 27, 2013

Chlorpyrifos Preliminary Volatilization Assessment Finds Risks to Children; EPA Requests Comment to Address Uncertainties
February 21, 2013

Elevated Chlorpyrifos Residues Detected in Indigenous Children
January 16, 2013

U.S. EPA Fails to Protect Salmon from Dangerous Chemicals
November 1, 2012

Bats at High Risk from Pesticide Exposure
August 28, 2012

New Research Suggests Boys More Vulnerable to Effects of Chlorpyrifos Than Girls
August 10, 2012

Pesticides in Air a Risk To Pregnant Women, Unborn Children
July 25, 2012

EPA Wants Further Risk Mitigation Measures for Chlorpyrifos, Groups Want it Banned
July 23, 2012

Study Shows Harmful Effects of Long-Term Pesticide Exposure
June 21, 2012

Toxic Pesticide-Encapsulated Paint Introduced to Combat Malaria
May 22, 2012

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Chlorpyrifos

General Information

• Fact Sheet: Chlorpyrifos.pdf
• Product Names:

  Chemsico roach control (Chemiso)
  Pyrinex mole cricket bait (Micro-Flo)
  Dursban (Dow AgroSciences)
  Lorsban (Dow AgroSciences)
  Ortho Ant Stop (Solaris Group), formulated with Calcium silicate, Aromatic petroleum distillates
  Ortho Dursban Lawn & Garden Insect Control (Solaris Group), formulated with Calcium silicate
  Bonide Termite & Carpenter Ant Dust (Bonide Products)
  Raid Ant Bait (SC Johnson)
  Hot Shot Maxattrax Roach Bait (Spectrum Brands) 

• 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 and Environmental Effects

• 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 Yes (6)
• Detected in Groundwater: Yes (6)
• Potential Leacher: Yes (6)
• Toxic to Birds: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Bees: Yes (8)

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • 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)
• 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