Description

Benfluralin is an herbicide used primarily on turf, including lawns and golf courses, mostly by lawn care operators,to control grasses and other weeds. It is also used to control weeds in ornamental plants, lettuce, alfalfa, clover, birdsfoot trefoil, nonbearing fruit and nut trees, nonbearing berries, nonbearing vineyards, along rights of way (including utility substations, highway guardrails, and sign posts), fence rows and hedgerows, and Christmas tree plantations. Children may ingest benfluralin through hand-to-mouth or object-to-mouth activity on treated turf, or through ingestion of soil or possibly even granules of benfluralin. They could absorb the chemical through skin if playing in treated grass soon after application. They may also inhale the herbicide during and immediately after application.

Health Effects

Immediate Health Effects

If SWALLOWED, benfluralin is Slightly Toxic
If ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN, benfluralin is Moderately Toxic
If INHALED (SNIFFED OR BREATHED IN), benfluralin is Moderately Toxic

Longterm or Delayed Health Effects

There is evidence benfluralin may cause cancer, but there is not enough evidence to determine if it will cause cancer in humans.

Other

Animals that have ingested benfluralin have demonstrated chronic (non-cancer) effects. Benfluralin was added to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Release Inventory because of its chronic effects on blood and on the liver in animal studies.
Benfluralin is a skin sensitizer and can be irritating to skin and eyes.
Ingesting large amounts can result in vomiting and diarrhea.
Can be toxic to the kidneys, liver and thyroid.

How Exposures Occur

Absorption through the Skin

Usually through occupational exposure.

Drinking Water

Groundwater can become contaminated and find its way into drinking water.

Inhalation

Usually through occupational exposure.

Occupational

Those who work with benfluralin can bring it home on clothing and shoes. Others in the home may be exposed when it enters the home environment.

Significant Statistics

Approximately 700,000 pounds of the active ingredient benfluralin is used annually, most of it on commercial and residential turf.

EPA R.E.D. Facts: Benfluralin. EPA. July 31, 2004. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/benfluralin_fs.pdf.

Children are most at risk from exposure at home because they are likely to encounter treated lawns and put objects sprayed with benfluralin in their mouths.

EPA R.E.D. Facts: Benfluralin. EPA. July 31, 2004. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/benfluralin_fs.pdf

Benfluralin bioaccumulates, meaning it enters an animal’s body and is stored there.

EPA R.E.D. Facts: Benfluralin. EPA. July 31, 2004. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/benfluralin_fs.pdf

Solutions

How to detect benfluralin

Read labels and ask lawn care professionals what they plan on using in and around your home. You can also find out if benfluralin is an ingredient in a pesticide product in Pesticide Action Network Pesticides Database. Or, search for benfluralin in the National Library of Medicine’s Household Products Database to find a list of brands that contain it.
Community water systems are required to produce annual consumer confidence reports and mail them to every water customer. See Safe Drinking Water: What’s a Consumer Confidence Report for more information.

If your water source is a well, your water is not monitored for contaminants as is required for public water supplies by the Safe Drinking Water Act. Private testing of the water is necessary.

Even if your water comes from a community water system, contaminant levels can vary from house to house. You can have your water tested by sending samples to a certified laboratory. For more information on how to test your water, see Safe Drinking Water: Testing Your Water.

You can search for water quality reports from your water provider, obtain information on well water testing and find a list of state-certified drinking water laboratories at the U.S. EPA’s Office of Water’s website or call the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline, 800-426-4791.

How to minimize exposure to benfluralin

Avoid the use of pesticides whenever possible, especially near children.
Contact your local sanitation department or hazardous waste disposal program to find out how to dispose of pesticides properly. Earth 911 lists hazardous waste disposal sites by zip code.
Do not allow children to play on lawns treated with benfluralin-containing products

Alternatives

Adopt Integrated Pest Management, instead of resorting to herbicides for weed removal. For information on IPM, see Pest Control without Pesticides.
Remove garden weeds by hand; mulch the soil around garden plants to prevent weeds from sprouting. Diversify landscaping to reduce turf grass. See also How to Kill Weeds Without Herbicides.
Maintaining a healthy lawn is your best defense against weedy invaders. For more information about how to accomplish this, consult the resources below.
Buy certified organic foods, which are grown without synthetic pesticides, when you can. See 10 Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic.

Otherwise, wash fruits and vegetables well and peel them.

Use a doormat to wipe feet or take shoes off at the door to prevent pesticides from being tracked indoors. Replace carpets with washable rugs and mop floors frequently to remove any residues

For More information

Books, articles, factsheets and reports

EPA R.E.D. Facts: Benfluralin. EPA. July 31, 2004. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/benfluralin_fs.pdf.

Reregistration Eligibility Decision for Benfluralin. EPA. July 2004. http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/REDs/benfluralin_red.pdf

Other government agencies

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Pesticide Programs
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington DC 20460
703-305-5805
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/

Nonprofit organizations

Beyond Pesticides/National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides
701 E Street SE Suite 200
Washington DC 20003
202-543-5450
http://www.beyondpesticides.org/index.html

Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA)
49 Powell Street, Suite 500
San Francisco, CA 94102
415-981-1771
http://www.panna.org

Other websites

Pesticide Action Network Pesticides Database

http://www.pesticideinfo.org

Extension Toxicology Network Pesticide Information Profiles

http://ace.ace.orst.edu/info/extoxnet/

Pesticide Action Network's Non-Pesticide Advisor

http://www.panna.org/resources/advisor