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Metam Sodium

General Information

• Beyond Pesticides Metam Sodium ChemWatch Factsheet
• Metam Sodium product names
• Chemical Class: Methyldithio-carbamate soil fumigant
• Uses: agricultural soil fumigant,currently labeled for use on all food, feed, and fiber crops; pre-plant on turf grass, to control invading plant roots in drains and sewers, and for vegetation control along drained ponds and lakes (in California only) used for wood pole processing, in leather processing and in raw cane and sugar processing, as well as in industrial water purification systems
• Alternatives: Agriculture
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health Effects

• EPA Acute Toxicity Class: I (highly toxic)
• Cancer: Probable (15)
• Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (7)
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (7)
• Kidney/ Liver Damage:Not documented
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Not documented
• Birth/ Developmental Defects: Yes (21)

Environmental Effects

• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Detected in Streams: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Yes (7)
• Toxic to Birds: Yes (40)
• Toxic to Fish/ Aquatic Organisms: Yes (7)
• Toxic to Bees: Not documented
• Toxic to Mammals: Not documented
• Long-Range Transport: Not documented

Additional Information

• Regulatory Information:
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) signed (7/2008)
• Supporting information:
  • NCAP Metam Sodium Factsheet (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides)
  • PAN Pesticides Database:Metam Sodium (Pesticide Action Network)
• Key Studies:
  • Top 15 Farmworker Poison