Baby Safety / Compounds / Metofluthrin

Is Metofluthrin safe for babies and kids?

Elevated risk for kids

(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Pregnancy alters the metabolism and distribution of Metofluthrin, 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 metofluthrin?

The IUPAC name is [2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-(methoxymethyl)phenyl]methyl 2,2-dimethyl-3-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]cyclopropane-1-carboxylate.

Also known as: [2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-(methoxymethyl)phenyl]methyl 2,2-dimethyl-3-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]cyclopropane-1-carboxylate, WZX356S299, RefChem:158380, DTXCID70810471.

IUPAC name
[2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-4-(methoxymethyl)phenyl]methyl 2,2-dimethyl-3-[(E)-prop-1-enyl]cyclopropane-1-carboxylate
CAS number
240494-70-6
Molecular formula
C18H20F4O3
Molecular weight
360.3 g/mol
SMILES
CC=CC1C(C1(C)C)C(=O)OCC2=C(C(=C(C(=C2F)F)COC)F)F
PubChem CID
5282227

Risk for babies

Elevated risk

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

Suspected reproductive toxicant (GHS H361) or suspected endocrine disruptor. Precautionary approach warranted. Animal studies or limited human data suggest developmental toxicity potential.

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

Elevated risk

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

Suspected reproductive toxicant (GHS H361) or suspected endocrine disruptor. Precautionary approach warranted. Animal studies or limited human data suggest developmental toxicity potential.

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

Regulatory consensus

1 regulatory bodyhas classified Metofluthrin.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
US EPA—Toxicity Category III

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 metofluthrin

  • 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 Metofluthrin:

  • Safer process chemistry; Green chemistry alternatives; Exposure controls
    Trade-offs: Requires R&D investment to redesign synthesis routes; may reduce yield or throughput initially; long-term benefits include reduced waste treatment costs, regulatory compliance, and worker safety; 12 Principles of Green Chemistry framework available.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain metofluthrin?

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

See Metofluthrin in the baby app

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

Open in baby View raw API data

Sources (3)
  1. US EPA Pyrethroid Reregistration Eligibility Decision — cypermethrin/deltamethrin/lambda-cyhalothrin/bifenthrin/cyfluthrin/fenvalerate/tau-fluvalinate/fenpropathrin; type I/II classification; aquatic toxicity; cat sensitivity; sodium channel mechanism; human paresthesia; buffer zones (2011) (2011) — regulatory
  2. ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: Pyrethroid Toxicosis in Cats and Dogs — type I vs type II CS/T syndromes; extreme cat sensitivity (sodium channel/UGT deficiency); bathing decontamination; methocarbamol tremor control; cyproheptadine; lipid emulsion severe cases (2023) (2023) — veterinary
  3. WHO: Mosquito Coil Emissions and Health Implications — pyrethroid composition; inhalation exposure estimates; allethrin, transfluthrin, metofluthrin; ventilation recommendations; human health risk assessment; bystander exposure in endemic regions (2011) (2011) — 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 →