Carbaryl (1-naphthol N-methylcarbamate) is a widely used neurotoxic insecticide in the carbamate family. It is used to kill over 100 species of insects on home lawns and gardens, and in citrus, fruit and nut trees, forests, shade trees, hay, cotton, rice, tomatoes, corn, soybeans and vegetables. It is also widely used in dust form and also in baits. Carbaryl is also used to control insects on animals: in collars and dusts to control fleas and ticks on pets, livestock and poultry.
Children may be exposed to carbaryl during and after pesticide applications on lawns and gardens. Children are likely to inhale, touch or ingest carbaryl in flea dusts and other anti-flea products when they play and touch treated pets. Carbaryl has been phased out of all pet products except flea collars, so check the ingredients if your product is old to ensure it was not made before the phase-out. On March 10, 2005, the EPA cancelled registration of carbaryl in the liquid broadcast spray form for use on residential turf because of concerns for the risks to toddlers. In March 2005, the EPA required more study information from companies who wanted to register uses of carbaryl. Approximately 80% of end use products were voluntarily cancelled when companies chose to remove the products in response. All liquid, aerosol, hand, spoon, shaker can and front and back mounted spreaders are not allowed.
Health Effects
Immediate Health Effects
If SWALLOWED, carbaryl is Highly Toxic
If ABSORBED THROUGH SKIN, carbaryl is Very Highly Toxic
If INHALED (SNIFFED OR BREATHED IN), carbaryl is Slightly Toxic
Longterm or Delayed Health Effects
Neurotoxin = Can harm brain and central nervous system
Suspected Endocrine Disruptor = May interfere with, mimic or block hormones
Development Toxicant = Can interfere with normal development of a fetus or child
Other
Contact may cause skin, eye, and respiratory tract irritation. Skin contact may cause a rash or burning sensation. It is readily absorbed through the skin.
If inhaled, can affect the central nervous system, causing blurred vision, sweating, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains, incoordination, muscle twitching, excessive salivation, slurred speech and difficulty breathing. In severe cases, this can cause convulsions, coma and respiratory failure. Unlike some other nerve-damaging pesticides, nervous system effects from carbaryl exposure are usually reversible.
Repeated or long-term exposure can cause headaches, memory loss, muscle weakness and cramps, anorexia, kidney damage, and weakened immune system. Test animals repeatedly fed doses of carbaryl also experienced liver damage. Carbaryl poses a slight risk for causing genetic mutations.
Test animals fed carbaryl have experienced sperm damage and reduced fertility, and carbaryl has caused birth defects, reduced litter size, and increased mortality in offspring. Studies on farm families have shown that those who use carbaryl on the farm have an increased risk of miscarriage. Fetal exposure in breastmilk can resuly in reduced brain size.
Carbaryl is suspected of interfering with the body’s normal hormone functions.
Some studies have found a possible link between carbaryl use and an increased risk of certain cancers, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and childhood brain cancer. Additionally, when carbaryl enters the stomach, it can be transformed into N-nitrosocarbaryl, a chemical in the nitrosamine class that has caused cancer and genetic damage in test animals.
Children are more likely than adults to experience effects in the brain.
How Exposures Occur
In Food
Children may ingest traces of carbaryl in foods that have been treated with it. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found carbaryl residues on samples of apples, apple juice, bell peppers, green beans, peaches, grapes, pears, oranges, peas, and sweet potatoes. Carbaryl has also been detected in some baby food samples.
Pesticide Application and Drift
Children can inhale carbaryl when it is being applied inside the home, on home lawns and gardens or when spray drifts from neighboring lawns, farms, orchards or treated forests.
Flea and Tick Control Products
Children may be exposed to carbaryl if pets have been treated with carbaryl dust or wear carbaryl-treated collars to control fleas and ticks. Children may be exposed to these products by inhalation, by skin contact if they pet the treated animal, or by ingestion if they subsequently place their hands in their mouth.
In Water
Children could be exposed to low levels of carbaryl in drinking water. Traces of carbaryl have been detected in some surface and ground water samples from across the country, usually at higher levels near urban areas. Carbaryl is not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
Contact with Treated Areas
After carbaryl has been applied to lawns or gardens, children may be exposed by inhalation or by putting their hands in their mouths after touching something in treated areas.
Significant Statistics
About 2 million pounds of carbaryl are used in agriculture every year. About 2 to 4 million pounds of carbaryl are used on lawns and gardens every year.
All flea collars will be carbaryl-free by September 2010, eliminating the last pet product containing the chemical.
Flea Collars will be Carbaryl-free by September 2010. PAN North America. October 22, 2009. http://www.panna.org/resources/panups/panup_20091022#4.
Solutions
How to detect carbaryl
Read labels to determine if carbaryl is in products in your home or check Pesticide Action Network’s Pesticides Database for a list of brands and products containing this pesticide. If you hire a professional exterminator, ask for safety information, such as a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), for the products used.
Food: There is no way for parents to determine exactly how much carbaryl may be in their children’s food. You can get a rough idea of the fruits and vegetables that may contain carbaryl from:
Avoid the use of carbaryl, if possible, especially on pets. Don’t buy flea collars containing carbaryl for your cat or dog. If you have any products containing carbaryl, contact your local sanitation department or hazardous waste disposal program to find out how to dispose of them properly. Earth 911 lists hazardous waste disposal sites by zip code.
To avoid tracking pesticides into the house, where they can become embedded in carpets, always remove shoes at the door or wipe shoes on door mats before entering your home.
Wash non-organic fruits and vegetables well and peel them when possible. Choose organic foods, if possible. A good place to start is with 10 Fruits and Vegetables to Buy Organic.
Alternatives
Rid your pet of fleas naturally. For further details and instructions, see The Green Pet.
Choose least-toxic pest control methods, such as Integrated Pest Management, for your home garden, lawn and shrubs. See Pest Control Without Pesticides
