Dichlorvos
di-klawr-vos
Registered as a U.S. pesticide in 1987. Reregistered in 2006. Currently under registration review.
Overview
Dichlorvos is used in the United States.
Geographic usage data for dichlorvos is not available.
See detailed maps of usage by state and county for other organophosphate pesticides.
Human Health Effects
Even at low levels of exposure, dichlorvos can lead to serious negative health effects.

Cancer

Neurodevelopmental Harm
High Risk Exposure Routes
People are exposed to dichlorvos through food and drinking water, even if they don’t live near areas where pesticides are sprayed. Details.

Food and/or Drinking Water

Occupational HandlersPeople involved in pesticide application process. Details.

Residential
Naled and trichlorfon (also an organophosphate pesticide) are rapidly metabolized or degraded to dichlorvos (DDVP) in food, drinking water, and the environment. (See figure.)
Additional sources of DDVP from the presence of naled (DDVP + naled), include: Food and/or Drinking Water, Occupational Field Workers, Residential Bystander, Spray Drift, and Wide Area Public Pest Control.
Additional sources of DDVP from the presence of trichlorfon (DDVP + trichlorfon), include: Food and/or Drinking Water, Occupational Field Workers, Residential, Residential Bystander, and Spray Drift.
Percentage of Crops Treated
Dichlorvos is applied on food widely grown and consumed in the United States.
Safflower (75%)
Strawberries (45%)
Registered Uses
Where EPA allows dichlorvos to be used.
Agricultural Sites
Animal Premises
Commercial, Institutional, and Industrial Sites
Food Manufacturing/Processing Plants
Non-Food Areas of Food Handling Establishments
Indoor Residential Use
Livestock
Mushroom Houses
Outdoor Residential Use
Storage Areas for Bulk / Packaged / Bagged Raw and Processed Agricultural Commodities
Additional Information
DDVP, Trichlorfon, and Naled

The organophosphate pesticides trichlorfon and naled are rapidly metabolized or degraded to dichlorvos (DDVP) in food, drinking water, and the environment.
Therefore, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency accounted for additional sources of DDVP from the presence of trichlorfon and naled in food and drinking water in its risk evaluation of DDVP.
In this database, we represent these additional sources of DDVP as “DDVP + trichlorfon” and “DDVP + naled.”
EPA did not expect occupational or residential exposures to DDVP from the use of trichlorfon or naled, and excluded these exposure pathways from the DDVP risk evaluation.
U.S. Tolerances Categories & Commodities for Dichlorvos
The U.S. EPA sets maximum residue limits — known as “tolerances” — on the amount of dichlorvos that may remain in and on foods. The tolerance is the residue level that triggers enforcement actions.
Tolerances have been set for dichlorvos for: Agricultural Commodities and Milk Eggs Meat and/or Poultry. Maximum residue limits have been set for dichlorvos by the U.S. EPA for the following commodities:
Eggs
Horse
Mushroom
Sheep
U.S. EPA Human Health Risk Assessments for Dichlorvos
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 dichlorvos.