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Malathion
General Information
- Fact Sheet: Malathion.pdf
- Product Names:
Fyfanon (Cheminova)
Vegetables & Fruit Trees Spray (Bonide Products), formulated with Carbaryl
Alco (Amvac Chemical)
ULV Mosquitocide 731 (Clarke Mosquito Control Products), formulated with Resmethrin,Piperonyl butoxide (some formulations)
Ferti-Lome (Voluntary Purchasing Group), formulated with PCNB, Captan (some formulations)
- Chemical Class: Organophosphate insecticide
- Uses: Alfalfa; apricot; asparagus; avocado; barley; bean (succulent and dry); beets (table); birdsfoot trefoil; blackberry; blueberry; boysenberry; broccoli; broccoli raab; Brussels sprout; cabbage (including Chinese); carrot; cauliflower; celery; chayote; cherry; chestnut; clover; collards; corn (field; sweet; and pop); cotton; cucumber; currant; dandelion; date; dewberry; eggplant; endive; escarole; potato; fig; garlic; gooseberry; grape; grapefruit; guava; hay grass; hops;
horseradish; kale; kohlrabi; kumquat; leek; lemon; lespedeza; lettuce (head and leaf); lime; loganberry; lupine; macadamia nut; mango; melon; mint; mushroom; mustard greens; nectarines; oats; okra; onion; orange; papaya; parsley; parsnip; passion fruit; pea; peach; pear; pecan; pepper; pineapple; pumpkin; radish; raspberry; rice; rutabaga; rye; salsify; shallot; sorghum; spinach; spring wheat; squash; strawberry; sweet potato; Swiss chard; tangelo; tangerine; tomato (including tomatillo); turnip; vetch; walnut; watercress; watermelon; wheat (spring, and winter); wild rice; and yam; indoor stored commodity treatment and empty storage facilities for barley, corn, oats, rye, and wheat. Homeowner outdoor uses: ornamental flowering plants, ornamental lawns, ornamental turf, vegetable gardens and fruit trees; ornamental flowers, shrubs, and trees; Christmas tree
plantations; slash pine; ornamental nursery stock; woody plants; building perimeters (domestic dwellings as well as commercial structures); uncultivated nonagricultural areas; outdoor garbage
dumps; intermittently flooded areas; irrigation systems; pastures; and rangeland. Treatment of headlice and their eggs. - Alternatives: Organic agriculture, Least-toxic outdoor residential control, Least-toxic head lice control, Least-toxic mosquito cotnrol
- Beyond Pesticides rating:
Health and Environmental Effects
- Cancer: Suggestive evidence ()
- Endocrine Disruption: Yes ()
- Reproductive Effects: Yes ()
- Neurotoxicity: Yes ()
- Kidney/Liver Damage: Yes ()
- Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes ()
- Birth/Developmental: Yes ()
- Detected in Groundwater: Yes ()
- Potential Leacher: Yes ()
- Toxic to Birds: Yes ()
- Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes ()
- Toxic to Bees: Yes ()
Residential Uses as Found in the ManageSafe™ Database
Additional Information
- Regulatory Status:
- Supporting information:
- Studies:
- Carcinogenicity of tetrachlorvinphos, parathion, malathion, diazinon, and glyphosate. Lancet Oncol. 2015 May; 16(5):490-1.
- Cytogenetic evaluation of malathion-induced toxicity in Sprague-Dawley rats. Moore PD, Patlolla AK, Tchounwou PB. 2011. Mutat Res. 725(1-2):78-82
- Acute Illnesses Associated With Pesticide Exposure at Schools. Alarcon, W. et. al. 2005. Journal of the American Medical Association 294(4): 455-465.
- Comparison of pesticide levels in carpet dust and self-reported pest treatment practices in four US sites. Colt, J. et. al. 2004.Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology 14:74–83
- US EPA's regulatory pesticide evaluations need clearer guidelines for considering mammary gland tumors and other mammary gland effects. Cardona, B. and Rudel, R.A., 2020. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology, p.110927.
- Prenatal and infant exposure to ambient pesticides and autism spectrum disorder in children: population based case-control study. von Ehrenstein, et al. 2019. BMJ 2019;364:l962
- Biomonitoring of Toxic Effects of Pesticides in Occupationally Exposed Individuals.. Arshad M, Siddiqa M, Rashid S, Hashmi I, et al. 2016. Saf Health Work. 7(2):156-60
- Dietary Intake and Its Contribution to Longitudinal Organophosphorus Pesticide Exposure in Urban/suburban Children.. Lu C, Barr DB, Pearson MA, Waller LA. 2008. Environ Health Perspect. 216(4):537-42.
- Genetic susceptibility loci, pesticide exposure and prostate cancer risk.. Koutros S, Berndt SI, Hughes Barry K et al. 2013. PLoS One. 8(4):e58195