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General Fact Sheet: What Is Deltamethrin

Deltamethrin is an insecticide belonging to the pyrethroid family. It is used both outdoors and indoors to kill a variety of insects. Deltamethrin works by disrupting the nervous system of insects. Exposure can occur through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation. Brief exposures may cause skin or eye irritation while larger exposures could cause nausea or vomiting. Deltamethrin binds strongly to soil and breaks down through microbial action and water. It has low toxicity for mammals but can be highly toxic to fish and bees.

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51 views3 pages

General Fact Sheet: What Is Deltamethrin

Deltamethrin is an insecticide belonging to the pyrethroid family. It is used both outdoors and indoors to kill a variety of insects. Deltamethrin works by disrupting the nervous system of insects. Exposure can occur through skin contact, ingestion, or inhalation. Brief exposures may cause skin or eye irritation while larger exposures could cause nausea or vomiting. Deltamethrin binds strongly to soil and breaks down through microbial action and water. It has low toxicity for mammals but can be highly toxic to fish and bees.

Uploaded by

michelle
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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DELTAMETHRIN

GENERAL FACT SHEET

What is deltamethrin
Deltamethrin is an insecticide belonging to the pyrethroid family. Py-
rethroids are the man-made versions of pyrethrins, natural insecticides
from chrysanthemum flowers. Deltamethrin is used outdoors on lawns,
ornamental gardens, golf courses, and indoors as a spot or crack and
crevice treatment. In its purest form, deltamethrin is colorless or white
to light beige crystals that have no odor.

Deltamethrin was first described in 1974 and entered the marketplace


in 1978.

What are some products that contain deltamethrin


Deltamethrin is in a variety of products used to kill a wide range of insects. Deltamethrin can be formulated in insec-
ticide products as aerosols, sprays, dusts, granules and wettable powders. The illegal, unregistered product known
as “Chinese Chalk” or “Miraculous Chalk” often contains deltamethrin as the active ingredient. “Chinese Chalk”, “Mi-
raculous Chalk”, and products like them are not registered for use in the United States and illegal products such as
these should be avoided at all times.

Always follow label instructions and take steps to avoid exposure. If any exposures occur, be sure to follow the First
Aid instructions on the product label carefully. For additional treatment advice, contact the Poison Control Center at
1-800-222-1222. If you wish to discuss a pesticide problem, please call 1-800-858-7378.

How does deltamethrin work


Deltamethrin can kill insects by direct contact or if they eat it. It
disrupts their normal nervous system function. It is less toxic to
mammals due to their higher body temperature, larger body size,
and decreased sensitivity to the chemical.

How might I be exposed to deltamethrin


You can be exposed to deltamethrin if you touch, eat, or breathe
it in. As an example, it could be breathed in if a fine mist or dust
containing deltamethrin gets in the air you breathe. Exposure to
deltamethrin can be limited by reading and following label direc-
tions.

NPIC General Fact Sheets are designed to provide scientific information to the general public. This document is intended to
promote informed decision-making. Please refer to the Technical Fact Sheet for more information.

National Pesticide Information Center 1.800.858.7378 1


DELTAMETHRIN
GENERAL FACT SHEET

What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to


deltamethrin
When deltamethrin gets on the skin, it can cause skin sensations like tingling,
itching, burning, or numbness at that spot. These sensations usually go away
within 48 hours. Deltamethrin can be mildly irritating if it gets in the eye. If
enough deltamethrin is breathed in, it can cause headaches and dizziness.
Although not common, individuals who have ingested large amounts of del-
tamethrin have experienced nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and muscle
twitches. Deltamethrin is low in toxicity when it is touched or breathed in and
is low to moderately toxic if eaten.

Deltamethrin can affect dogs and cats if they eat, breathe, or touch it. It can
cause vomiting, drooling, in-coordination, and muscle tremors if they eat
enough of it. If deltamethrin gets on their skin, it can sometimes cause skin
sensations that result in biting, scratching, or licking of the exposed area.

What happens to deltamethrin when it enters the body


In animal studies, deltamethrin was readily absorbed when it was eaten. Some of the chemical was broken down into
other chemicals before they were excreted within 2 days. In a rat study, deltamethrin was poorly absorbed through
the skin. The small amount that was absorbed through the skin left the body within 24 hours.

Is deltamethrin likely to contribute to the development of cancer


The evidence from animal studies indicates that deltamethrin does not cause cancer. The U.S. EPA classifies deltame-
thrin as Not Likely to Be a Human Carcinogen by all routes of exposure.

Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to deltamethrin


Yes, studies have been done using laboratory animals. In multiple studies with mice and dogs, no effects were ob-
served at the highest doses tested, over a 2 year period. Deltamethrin did not cause birth defects in laboratory ani-
mals that ate deltamethrin during their pregnancy.

Are children more sensitive to deltamethrin than adults


While children may be especially sensitive to pesticides compared to adults, it is currently unknown whether children
have increased sensitivity specifically to deltamethrin. However, studies in rats showed that young rats were more
sensitive than older rats when they were both fed deltamethrin.

National Pesticide Information Center 1.800.858.7378 2


DELTAMETHRIN
GENERAL FACT SHEET

What happens to deltamethrin in the environment


When deltamethrin gets in the soil, it has a tendency to bind tightly to soil particles. It has a half-life ranging from
5.7-209 days. Half-life is the measure of time it takes for half of the applied amount to break down. The half-life can
change based on soil chemistry, temperature, water content and the amount of organic matter in the soil. Deltame-
thrin does not break down as quickly in soil with a high clay or organic matter content. Deltamethrin is broken down
by microbes, light, and water. Its two major breakdown products move more easily in the soil than deltamethrin itself.

Deltamethrin is not likely to evaporate into the air or dissolve easily into water.

Deltamethrin has a half-life of 5.9-17 days on plant surfaces. It is unlikely to be taken up by plants, since it binds to soil
particles so tightly.

Can deltamethrin affect birds, fish, or other wildlife


Deltamethrin is moderately to highly toxic to fish under laboratory
conditions. However, when products are used according to the label,
deltamethrin is less likely to affect fish. This is because it is more likely
to be bound to the sediment.

Deltamethrin is practically non-toxic to birds when they eat it.

Deltamethrin is highly toxic to honeybees under laboratory condi-


tions. It did not harm bees in field studies, and formulated products
actually had a repellant effect that lasted for 2-3 hours.

Earthworms were not affected when soil was treated with deltame-
thrin.

Where can I get more information


For more detailed information call the National Pesticide Information Center, Monday - Friday, between 8:00 AM and
12:00 PM Pacific Time (11:00 AM to 3:00 PM Eastern Time) at 1-800-858-7378 or visit us on the web at http://npic.orst.
edu. NPIC provides objective, science-based answers to questions about pesticides.

Date Reviewed: February 2010

NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (U.S. EPA, cooperative agreement # X8-83458501). The information in this publication does not in any
way replace or supercede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label
or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. EPA.

National Pesticide Information Center 1.800.858.7378 3

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