Updates from the Daily News Blog

Study Shows Brain Tumors in Children Caused by Parental Pesticide Exposures
April 12, 2013

Bed Bugs Display Multiple Layers of Resistance to Pesticides
March 26, 2013

Risk of Infant Leukemia Associated with Mother's Pesticide Exposure
January 31, 2013

Prenatal Exposure to Widely Used Pesticide Ingredient Linked to Childhood Cough
September 12, 2012

Take Action: EPA Proposes Expansion of Neurotoxic Pyrethroid Uses
January 31, 2012

EPA Releases Pyrethroid Risk Assessment, Ignores Numerous Health Effects
November 16, 2011

Centers for Disease Control Reports Illness and Death Linked to Bed Bug Pesticides
September 26, 2011

Army-Funded Study Links Gulf War Illness to Pesticides and More
September 20, 2011

Research Shows Commonly Used Pesticides Produce Greater Toxic Effect When Mixed
August 11, 2011

Research Links Mixture of Old and Current Pesticides in the Environment to Developmental Effects
July 11, 2011

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Permethrin

General Information

• Fact Sheets: permethrin.pdf, Synthetic Pyrethroids.pdf
• Product Names:
  Ambush (Gowan)
  Ambush (Amvac Chemical)
  Dragnet (FMC)
  Pounce (FMC)
  Pramex (Valent Biosciences), formulated with Piperonly butoxide (some formulations)
  Assault II (ABC Compounding)
  Atroban (Schering-Plough Animal Health Corporation), forumulated with Piperonyl butoxide (some formulations)
  Champion (Chase Products), formulated with Piperonyl butoxide, Tetramethrin (some formulations)
  Chemi-cap (Chemical Packaging), formulated with Piperonyl butoxide, and Pyrethrins  
  Evercide (McLaughlin Gormley King), formulated with N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide, D-trans Allethrin, Pyrethrins, Tetramethrin, Piperonyl butoxide (some formulations)
  Unicorn (Phaeton Corporation)
  Sergeant's (Sergeant's Pet Care Products), formulated with Pyrethrins, Piperonyl butoxide, Pyriproxyfen, N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide (some formulations)
  Raid (S.C. Johnson & Son), formulated with D-Allethrin, Tetramethrin, Piperonyl butoxide, Pyrethrins, N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide, Fenoxycarb (some formulations)
  Misty (Amrep), formulated with Piperonyl butoxide, Tetramethrin, Pyrethrins, N-octyl bicycloheptene dicarboximide (some formulations)

• Chemical Class: Synthetic pyrethroid insecticide
• Uses: Food/feed crops, livestock and livestock housing, modes of transportation, structures, buildings (including food handling establishments), public health mosquito abatement programs, residential use sites including use in outdoor and indoor spaces, pets, and clothing (impregnated and ready to use formulations).
• Alternatives: Organic agriculture, Least-toxic insect control, Least-toxic mosquitoe control
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Possible (10)
• Endocrine Disruption: Yes (5)
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (13)
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (11)
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Yes (11)
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (4)
• Birth/Developmental Not documented
• Detected in Groundwater: Yes (7)
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Not documented
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes (8)
• Toxic to Bees: Yes (8)

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) signed (4/2006)
  • Beyond Pesticides' RED comments.
• Supporting information:
  • NCAP Permethrin Factsheet (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides)
  • Extoxnet Permethrin Factsheet (Extension Toxicology Network)
  • PAN Pesticides Database:Permethrin (Pesticide Action Network)
  • Scorecard Permethrin Factsheet (The Pollution Information Site)
  • CHEJ Permethrin Factsheet (Children's Health Environmental Coalition)
• Studies:
  • • Subchronic dermal application of N,N-diethyl m-toluamide (DEET) and permethrin to adult rats, alone or in combination, causes diffuse neuronal cell death and cytoskeletal abnormalities in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus, and Purkinje neuron loss in the cerebellum. Abdel-Rahman, A. et. al. 2001 Exp Neurol. 172(1):153-71.