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Acephate - Identification, toxicity, use, water pollution potential, ecological toxicity and regulatory information

Note: See Working with the Information on this Page section below for important notes about this data.

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Chemical ID
 Identifying information, including synonyms, ID numbers, use type, chemical classification, a link to a list of all products containing this chemical and a list of the top crops this pesticide is used on in California.
Poisoning Symptoms
 Signs and symptoms of poisoning, first aid, and links to treatment information for this chemical.
Toxicity
 Link to information on toxicity to humans, including carcinogenicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, neurotoxicity, and acute toxicity.
Regulatory
 Links to world-wide registration status as well as regulatory information for the U.S. and California.
Water
 Water quality standards and physical properties affecting water contamination potential.
Ecotoxicity
 Toxicity to aquatic organisms.
Related Chems
 List of chemicals in the same family, including breakdown products, salts, esters, isomers, and other derivatives.
 

Chemical Identification and Use for Acephate
Basic Identification Information About This Chemical
Chemical Name: Acephate
CAS Number: 30560-19-1
U.S. EPA PC Code: 103301
CA DPR Chem Code: 1685
Molecular Weight: 183.17
Molecular Structure:
Use Type: Insecticide
Chem Class: Organophosphorus
View Related Chemicals
 
Additional Resources About This Chemical Class and Use Type

See the Global Pesticide Resources page for many additional links.
Historical Use of this Chemical
Top five crops and sites for this pesticide in California
Head Lettuce   Cotton   Structural Pest Control   Celery   Outdoor Container Nursery  
View All Crops and Sites
 
Other Names for this Chemical
About Chemical Synonyms
01685 (CA DPR Chem Code Text) , 01685 (CA DPR Chem Code) , 103301 (US EPA PC Code Text) , 103301 (US EPA PC Code) , 1685 (CA DPR Chem Code) , 1685 (CA DPR Chem Code) , 204 (PDP Code) , 30560-19-1 (CAS number) , 30560191 , 30560191 (CAS number without hyphens) , Acefaat , Acefato , Acef?t , Acephate , Acephate , Acephate (ANSI) , ACEPHATE (ORTHENE) , Acetylphosphoramidothioic acid, O,S-dimethyl ester , Asataf , ENT-27822 , Kitron , O,S-Dimethyl acetylphosphoramidothioate , Orthane , Orthene , Orthene-755 , Ortho 12420 , Ortran , Phosphoramidothioic acid, N-acetyl-, O,S-dimethyl ester , RE 12420
 
Products Containing This Chemical
Current and historic U.S. registered products
View U.S. Products All Products Currently Registered Products
 

Signs and Symptoms of Acephate Poisoning

NOTE! There may be other diseases and chemicals that have similar symptoms.

If you have a poisoning emergency in the United States call 1-800-222-1222.
If the victim has collapsed or is unconscious, call 911.

Acephate is a Organophosphorus compound.

Report a Poisoning
Symptoms of Poisoning with Organophosphorus Compounds
Find Products Containing this Chemical

- Excessive salivation, sweating, rhinorrhea and tearing.
- Muscle twitching, weakness, tremor, incoordination.
- Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea.
- Respiratory depression, tightness in chest, wheezing, productive cough, fluid in lungs.
- Pin-point pupils, sometimes with blurred or dark vision.
- Severe cases: seizures, incontinence, respiratory depression, loss of consciousness.
- Cholinesterase inhibition.

Source for Group Symptoms: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 4.
Treatment for Organophosphorus Poisoning

See: Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisoning, 5th edition, U.S. EPA, Chapter 4, page 40.

 
Symptoms of Acephate Exposure from the International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC)

Report a Poisoning
View full ICSC Cards: English   Español   Française   Chinese   Dutch   Finnish   German   Hungarian   Japanese   Swahili   Thai   Urdu  
NOTE! PREVENT DISPERSION OF DUST! AVOID EXPOSURE OF ADOLESCENTS AND CHILDREN!

Route of Exposure

Symptoms

First Aid
Inhalation Convulsions. Dizziness. Sweating. Laboured breathing. Nausea. Pupillary constriction muscle cramp excessive salivation. Fresh air rest. Half-upright position. Refer for medical attention.
Skin Rinse skin with plenty of water or shower.
Eyes First rinse with plenty of water for several minutes (remove contact lenses if easily possible) then take to a doctor.
Ingestion Abdominal cramps. Diarrhoea. Vomiting. (See Inhalation). Rinse mouth. Rest. Refer for medical attention.
Notes for ICSC Information
Depending on the degree of exposure periodic medical examination is suggested. Specific treatment is necessary in case of poisoning with this substance; the appropriate means with instructions must be available. If the substance is formulated with solvents also consult the ICSCs of these materials. Carrier solvents used in commercial formulations may change physical and toxicological properties.
 

Toxicity Information for Acephate

  Note: Information for many chemicals is incomplete and may not be fully representative of effects on humans. Why?

Summary Toxicity Information

PAN Bad Actor
Chemical 1 		Acute
Toxicity 2 		Carcinogen Cholinesterase
Inhibitor 		Ground
Water Contaminant 		Developmental or
Reproductive Toxin 		Endocrine
Disruptor
 Slight Possible
Potential
Suspected
 
Indicates high toxicity in the given toxicological category. Indicates no available weight-of-the-evidence summary assessment. For additional information on toxicity from scientific journals or registration documents, see the "Additional Resources for Toxicity " section of the chemical detail page.
1. PAN Bad Actors are chemicals that are one or more of the following: highly acutely toxic, cholinesterase inhibitor, known/probable carcinogen, known groundwater pollutant or known reproductive or developmental toxicant. NOTE! Because there are no authoritative lists of Endocrine Disrupting (ED) chemicals, EDs are not yet considered PAN Bad Actor chemicals.
2. The acute toxicity reported on this page is of the pure chemical ingredient only and may not reflect the acute toxicity of individual pesticide products. To view acute toxicity of individual products, click on 'View Products' link in the 'Chemical Identification' section above.

Additional Resources about the Toxicity of this Chemical

See the Global Pesticide Resources page for many additional links.

Detailed Toxicity Information
Acute Toxicity 2
 Acephate
WHO Acute Hazard
TRI Acute Hazard
Material Safety Data Sheets
Acute rating from U.S. EPA product label
U.S. NTP Acute Toxicity Studies
      View Studies
Cholinesterase Inhibitor		 III, Slightly Hazardous
Not Listed
Not Available
Slightly Toxic
No NTP Studies

Yes
2. The acute toxicity reported on this page is of the pure chemical ingredient only and may not reflect the acute toxicity of individual pesticide products. To view acute toxicity of individual products, click on 'View Products' link in the 'Chemical Identification' section above.
 
Cancer Information
 Acephate
IARC Carcinogens
U.S. NTP Carcinogens
California Prop 65 Known Carcinogens
U.S. EPA Carcinogens
TRI Carcinogen		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
C, Possible
Not Listed
 
Endocrine Disruption
 Acephate
Illinois EPA list
Keith list
Colborn list
Benbrook list
Danish Inert list
EU list		 Not listed
Not listed
Not listed
Not listed
Not listed
Yes
 
Reproductive and Developmental Toxicity
 Acephate
CA Prop 65 Developmental Toxin
U.S. TRI Developmental Toxin
CA Prop 65 Female Reproductive Toxin
CA Prop 65 Male Reproductive Toxin
U.S. TRI Reproductive Toxin 		Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
 
Chemicals of Special Concern
 Acephate
PAN Bad Actors
PAN Dirty Dozen list		 Yes
Not Listed
 

Water Pollution Potential and Criteria for Acephate

Water Pollution Potential

PAN Ground Water Contaminant Rating Potential
 
Physical Property Data Related to Water Contamination Potential
Water Solubility (Avg, mg/L)
Adsorption Coefficient (Koc)
Hydrolysis Half-life (Avg, Days)
Aerobic Soil Half-life (Avg, Days)
Anaerobic Soil Half-life (Avg, Days) 		818,000
3.00
169.0
3.00
6.00 		 
 

Sorry, no water quality standards or criteria have been established for this chemical by the U.S. or Canadian governments; however, there may be criteria established for related chemicals.
 

Regulatory Information for Acephate

International Regulatory Status
Registration in Selected Countries Registration in Selected Countries:
Acephate
 
UNEP Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP)
UNEP Prior Informed Consent Chemical (PIC)
WHO Obsolete Pesticide		 Not Listed
Not Listed
Not Listed
 

U.S. and California Regulatory Status
U.S. EPA Registered
U.S. EPA Hazardous Air Pollutant
U.S. EPA Minimum Risk Pesticide (25b list)

CA Registered
CA Groundwater Contaminant
CA Toxic Air Contaminant 		Yes
Not Listed
No

Yes
Potential
In Evaluation
 

Maximum Tolerance and Residue Levels
Codex Alimentarius
   (UN FAO Maximum Residue Limits)
U.S. Maximum Tolerance Levels
European Union Maximum Residue Levels 		Go to web site

Go to web site
Go to web site
 

Ecotoxicity for Acephate

Note! Information for many chemicals is incomplete and may not be fully representative of effects on the environment. Why? Click on underlined terms for definitions and additional information.

Aquatic Ecotoxicity
All Toxic Effects for Organism Group
Organism Group Effects Noted
Amphibians Behavior, Growth, Mortality
Crustaceans Enzyme(s), Mortality
Fish Accumulation, Biochemistry, Enzyme(s), Feeding Behavior, Growth, Mortality, No Effect Coded, Physiology
Insects Accumulation, Growth, Intoxication, Mortality, Population
Molluscs Development, Enzyme(s), Intoxication, Mortality
NematodesandFlatworms Mortality
Phytoplankton Growth
Zooplankton Behavior, Development, Enzyme(s), Growth, Intoxication, Mortality, Population, Reproduction
View All Aquatic Ecotoxicity Studies and References
 
Summary of Acute Toxicity for Organism Group
Organism Group Average Acute Toxicity Acute Toxicity Range
Amphibians Not Acutely Toxic Not Acutely Toxic to Slightly Toxic
Crustaceans Not Acutely Toxic Not Acutely Toxic to High Toxicity
Fish Not Acutely Toxic Not Acutely Toxic to Very High Toxicity
Insects Slightly Toxic Not Acutely Toxic to Moderate Toxicity
Zooplankton Not Acutely Toxic Not Acutely Toxic to Moderate Toxicity
View All Acute Summaries
 

Terrestrial Ecotoxicity

We are seeking funding to incorporate terrestrial ecotoxicity data analogous to the aquatic ecotoxicity data in the space above. Watch this space!

Related Chemicals for Acephate
CAS Number Relation Reason Chemical Name Chem Detail Registration Symptoms California Use Chem Use Type U.S. EPA Reg PAN Bad Actor
30560-19-1 Parent P Acephate View View View View Insecticide Yes Yes
10265-92-6 Related 5a Methamidophos View View View View Insecticide, Breakdown product Yes Yes
 
Working with the Information on this Page

Click on underlined terms for definitions or go to the Pesticide Tutorial overview page.

Any underlined term with a book icon has additional information.

* Data marked with an asterisk indicates that this chemical is not explicitly listed on the corresponding list. Instead, it belongs to a group of chemicals that IS designated on the list. For example, if an agency assigns a classification of reproductive toxicant to "mercury compounds", that classification is applied to all mercury compounds in the PAN Pesticide database, which are then marked with an asterisk.

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Citation: Kegley, S.E., Hill, B.R., Orme S., Choi A.H., PAN Pesticide Database, Pesticide Action Network, North America (San Francisco, CA, 2010), http:www.pesticideinfo.org.
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