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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.