Baby Safety / Compounds / Methyl bromide

Is Methyl bromide safe for babies and kids?

Context-dependent for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Methyl bromide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

What is methyl bromide?

The IUPAC name is bromomethane.

Also known as: bromomethane, Monobromomethane, Embafume, Terabol.

IUPAC name
bromomethane
CAS number
74-83-9
Molecular formula
CH3Br
Molecular weight
94.94 g/mol
SMILES
CBr
PubChem CID
6323

Risk for babies

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Methyl bromide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Risk for pregnant and nursing people

Context-dependent

Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Methyl bromide, potentially increasing fetal exposure. The developing embryo/fetus is vulnerable during organogenesis (weeks 3-8) and neurological development. Placental transfer should be assumed.

No specific reproductive toxicity data identified, but pregnancy-specific safety data is limited for most chemicals. Precautionary minimization of exposure is recommended.

What to do: Minimize exposure during pregnancy and lactation. Consult healthcare provider regarding specific risks. Consider alternative products with lower hazard profiles.

Regulatory consensus

16 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Methyl bromide. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
OSHA—Occupational exposure limit
EPA CTX / NIOSH—potential occupational carcinogen
EPA CTX / IRIS—D (Not classifiable as to human carcinogenicity)
EPA CTX / IARC—Group 3 - Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans
EPA CTX / EPA OPP—Not Likely to Be Carcinogenic in Humans
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 6 positive / 0 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Genetox—Genotoxicity: positive (Ames: positive, 6 positive / 0 negative reports)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Eye Irrit. 2 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Irritation: Skin Irrit. 2 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Irritation: Skin corrosion/irritation - Category 1 (score: very high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Category 2B (score: moderate)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Irritation: Category 2 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Eye Irrit. 2 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Irritation: Skin Irrit. 2 (score: high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Eye Irritation: Category 8.3A (Category 1) (score: very high)
EPA CTX / Skin-Eye—Skin Irritation: Category 8.2C (Category 1C) (score: very high)

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where kids encounter methyl bromide

  • Industrial Facilities — Manufacturing plants, Chemical storage areas, Waste treatment sites
  • Occupational Environments — Factories, Warehouses, Transportation vehicles

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Methyl bromide:

  • Process redesign to avoid hazardous intermediates
    Trade-offs: May require significant R&D investment. Not always feasible.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain methyl bromide?

Methyl bromide appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).

Why do regulators disagree about methyl bromide?

Methyl bromide has been classified by 16 agencies including OSHA, EPA CTX / NIOSH, EPA CTX / IRIS, EPA CTX / IARC, EPA CTX / EPA OPP, with differing conclusions. Regulators apply different standards of evidence (animal data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds), which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. See the regulatory consensus table on this page for the full picture.

See Methyl bromide in the baby app

Look up products containing methyl bromide, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. ATSDR: Toxicological Profile for Methyl Bromide — Inhalation Toxicity, Neurological Effects, and Occupational Poisoning Cases (2015) (2015) — regulatory
  2. US EPA: Methyl Bromide — Montreal Protocol Phase-Out, Critical Use Exemptions (CUE), Group D Carcinogenicity, and Occupational Risk Assessment (2005–2018) (2018) — regulatory

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →