E X T O X N E T
Extension Toxicology
Network
Pesticide Information Profiles
A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell
University, Oregon State University, the University of Idaho, and the University
of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan
State University. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension
Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program.
EXTOXNET primary files maintained and archived at Oregon State University
Revised June 1996
Bendiocarb
Trade and Other
Names: Trade names include Ficam, Dycarb, Garvox,
Multamat, Multimet, Niomil, Rotate, Seedox, Tattoo, and Turcam.
Regulatory
Status: Most formulations of
bendiocarb are classified as General Use Pesticides (GUP), with the exception of
Turcam and Turcam 2.5 G, which are classified as Restricted Use Pesticides
(RUP). Restricted use pesticides may be purchased and used only by certified
applicators. Bendiocarb is toxicity class II - moderately toxic. Products
containing bendiocarb bear the Signal Word WARNING.
Chemical Class: carbamate
Introduction:
Bendiocarb is a carbamate insecticide. It is effective against a wide range of
nuisance and disease vector insects. It is used to control mosquitoes, flies,
wasps, ants, fleas, cockroaches, silverfish, ticks, and other pests in homes,
industrial plants, and food storage sites. In agriculture, it is used against a
variety of insects, especially those in the soil. Bendiocarb is also used as a
seed treatment on sugar beets and maize and against snails and slugs. Pesticides
containing bendiocarb are formulated as dusts, granules, ultra-low volume
sprays, and as wettable powders.
Formulation: Pesticides containing
bendiocarb are formulated as dusts, granules, ultra-low volume sprays, and as
wettable powders.
Toxicological Effects:
- Acute toxicity: Bendiocarb is moderately toxic if it is
ingested or if it is absorbed through the skin [5]. Absorption through the
skin is the most likely route of exposure. It is a mild irritant to the skin
and eyes [5]. Like other carbamate insecticides, bendiocarb is a reversible
inhibitor of cholinesterase, an essential nervous system enzyme. Symptoms of
bendiocarb poisoning include weakness, blurred vision, headache, nausea,
abdominal cramps, chest discomfort, constriction of pupils, sweating, muscle
tremors, and decreased pulse. If there is severe poisoning, symptoms of
twitching, giddiness, confusion, muscle incoordination, slurred speech, low
blood pressure, heart irregularities, and loss of reflexes may also be
experienced. Death can result from discontinued breathing, paralysis of
muscles of the respiratory system, intense constriction of the openings of the
lung, or all three [5]. In one case of exposure while applying bendiocarb, the
victim experienced symptoms of severe headache, vomiting and excessive
salivation, and his cholinesterase level was depressed by 63%. He recovered
from these symptoms in less than 3 hours with no medical treatment and his
cholinesterase level returned to normal within 24 hours. In another case,
poisoning occurred when an applicator who was not wearing protective equipment
attempted to clean contaminated equipment. The victim experienced nausea,
vomiting, incoordination, pain in his arms, hands and legs, muscle spasms, and
breathing difficulty. These symptoms abated within 2 hours after
decontamination and treatment with atropine. The victim fully recovered by the
following day (5). The oral LD50 for bendiocarb is 34 to 156 mg/kg in rats, 35
to 40 mg/kg in rabbits, and 35 mg/kg in guinea pigs. The dermal LD50 is 566
mg/kg in rats (5). The acute inhalation LC50 (4-hour) is 0.55 mg/L air in rats
(10).
- Chronic toxicity: A two-year study with rats fed high
doses of 10 mg/kg/day showed a wide range of changes in organ weights, blood,
and urine characteristics, as well as an increased incidence of stomach and
eye lesions [5].
- Reproductive effects: In a three-generation study with
rats, fertility and reproduction were not affected by bendiocarb at dietary
doses of up to 12.5 mg/kg/day. Very high prenatal and postnatal doses of 40
mg/kg/day were toxic to rat dams and reduced pup weight and survival rates. No
effects were seen at 20 mg/kg/day [5]. Thus, no reproductive effects are
likely in humans at expected exposure levels.
- Teratogenic effects: No teratogenic effects were seen in
the offspring of rats given 4 mg/kg/day or in rabbits given 5 mg/kg/day of
bendiocarb during gestation [5].
- Mutagenic effects: Numerous studies show that bendiocarb
is not mutagenic [5].
- Carcinogenic effects: Bendiocarb was not carcinogenic in
2-year studies of rats and mice [5].
- Organ toxicity: No changes in organ weight or harmful
effects in tissues were observed in a 2-year dietary study of dogs fed doses
of up to 12.5 mg/kg/day despite elevated serum cholesterol and decreased
levels of calcium in the bloodstream [5].
- Fate in humans and animals: Bendiocarb is absorbed
through all the normal routes of exposure, but dermal absorption is especially
rapid. Carbamates generally are excreted rapidly and do not accumulate in
mammalian tissue. If exposure does not continue, cholinesterase inhibition and
its symptoms reverse rapidly. In nonfatal cases, the illness generally lasts
less than 24 hours [21]. Within two days after feeding doses of up to 10 mg/kg
of bendiocarb to rats, 89 to 90% of the dose was eliminated in the urine, 2 to
6% was exhaled, and another 2 to 6% was eliminated in the feces. This same
pattern of elimination was observed in a human subject given an oral dose of
bendiocarb [5].
Ecological Effects:
- Effects on birds: Bendiocarb is moderately toxic to
birds. The LD50 in mallard ducks is 3.1 mg/kg, and in quail is 19 mg/kg [22].
- Effects on aquatic organisms: Bendiocarb is moderately to
highly toxic to fish. The LC50 (96-hour) for bendiocarb in rainbow trout is
1.55 mg/L [10].
- Effects on other organisms: Earthworm populations under
turf are severely affected by bendiocarb [21]. It is toxic to bees. The LD50
is 0.0001 mg per bee.
Environmental Fate:
- Breakdown in soil and groundwater: The half-life of
bendiocarb varies with soil type from less than 1 week to up to 4 weeks
[10,23]. It has a low soil persistence.
- Breakdown in water: Bendiocarb is degraded in solution by
the chemical action of water (hydrolysis). It does not accumulate in water.
- Breakdown in vegetation: Bendiocarb is not toxic to
plants when used as directed [10].
Physical Properties:
- Appearance: Bendiocarb is an odorless, white crystalline
solid. It is stable under normal temperatures and pressures, but should not be
mixed with alkaline preparations. Thermal decomposition products may include
toxic oxides of nitrogen. It is noncorrosive.
- Chemical Name: 2,3-isopropylidenedioxyphenyl
methylcarbamate [10]
- CAS Number: 22781-23-3
- Molecular Weight: 223.23
- Water Solubility: 40 mg/L @ 20 C [10]
- Solubility in Other Solvents: acetone v.s.; benzene s.;
chloroform s.; dioxane v.s.; ethanol s.; hexane v.s. [10]
- Melting Point: 129-130 C [10]
- Vapor Pressure: 0.66 mPa @ 25 C [10]
- Partition Coefficient: 1.6990 [10]
- Adsorption Coefficient: 570 [13]
Exposure Guidelines:
- ADI: 0.004 mg/kg/day [10]
- MCL: Not Available
- RfD: 0.0013 mg/kg/day [20]
- PEL: Not Available
- HA: Not Available
- TLV: Not Available
Basic Manufacturer:
Roussel Uclaf Corp.
95 Chestnut Ridge Road
Martvale, NJ 07645
- Phone: 201-307-9700
- Emergency: Not Available
References:
References for the information in this PIP can be found in Reference List Number 3
DISCLAIMER: The information in
this profile does not in any way replace or supersede the information on the
pesticide product labeling or other regulatory requirements. Please refer to the
pesticide product labeling.
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