Dicrotophos

dee-kro-toe-fos

Primarily used on cotton. Registered as a U.S. pesticide in 1984. Reregistered in 2006. Currently under registration review.

Overview

Dicrotophos is used in 15 states.

Map of where the organophosphate pesticide dicrotophos is used in the 48 contiguous United States.

Dicrotophos is used in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Data is not available for Alaska, D.C., Hawaiʻi, and U.S. Territories. Data represents the most recent year available from USGS. Details.

See detailed maps of dicrotophos usage by state and county.

Human Health Effects

Even at low levels of exposure, dicrotophos can lead to serious negative health effects.

Cancer

Immunotoxicity

Neurodevelopmental Harm

Reproductive Toxicity

High Risk Exposure Routes

People are exposed to dicrotophos through food and drinking water, even if they don’t live near areas where pesticides are sprayed. Details.

Food and/or Drinking Water

FarmworkersPeople performing post-application activities in previously treated fields, but do not directly apply pesticides themselves. Details.

Pesticide HandlersPeople involved in pesticide application process. Details.

Residential BystanderPeople who live near areas where pesticides are applied. Details.

Spray Drift

High Residue Foods

Where residue levels of dicrotophos exceeded allowable limits or were not legally allowed to have residues. Details.

[No high residue foods were specifically identified from the USDA’s PDP database.]

No detection does not necessarily mean there are no residues of concern. A relatively small sample of food products is tested and not all organophosphate pesticides are tested for.

Moreover, current U.S. pesticide tolerance levels are not protective against neurodevelopmental harm in children, so detections at or below tolerance levels do not indicate no harm.

Registered Uses

Where EPA allows dicrotophos to be used.

Cotton

Ornamental/Non-Food Producing Trees

Additional Information

Estimated Use of Dicrotophos on Crops

Most recent agricultural crop usage data as provided by the U.S. Geographical Survey’s Pesticide National Synthesis Project. Does not reflect universal usage of dicrotophos. (How do EPest-low and EPest-high differ?)

EPest-low

EPest-low: Estimated use in millions of pounds of dicrotophos by year and crop.
USGS

EPest-high

EPest-high: Estimated use in millions of pounds of dicrotophos by year and crop.
USGS

U.S. Tolerances Categories & Commodities for Dicrotophos

The U.S. EPA sets maximum residue limits — known as “tolerances” — on the amount of dicrotophos that may remain in and on foods. The tolerance is the residue level that triggers enforcement actions.

Tolerances have been set for dicrotophos for: Agricultural Commodities. Maximum residue limits have been set for dicrotophos by the U.S. EPA for the following commodities: cotton.

U.S. EPA Human Health Risk Assessments for Dicrotophos

Human Health Risk Assessments are conducted by the U.S. EPA to estimate the nature and probability of harmful health effects in people who may be exposed to pesticide. They are used to make informed decisions about approving new pesticides and new uses of registered pesticides, and during our regular review of existing pesticides. Read the assessment for dicrotophos.