Is Pendimethalin safe for babies and kids?
Elevated risk for kids(Babies-specific data is limited; this page draws from human pregnant context.) Prenatal exposure to Pendimethalin is a concern due to potential endocrine disruption and developmental toxicity. Agricultural communities show higher gestational exposure through drinking water.
What is pendimethalin?
The IUPAC name is 3,4-dimethyl-2,6-dinitro-N-pentan-3-ylaniline.
Also known as: 3,4-dimethyl-2,6-dinitro-N-pentan-3-ylaniline, Pendimethaline, Penoxaline, Prowl.
- IUPAC name
- 3,4-dimethyl-2,6-dinitro-N-pentan-3-ylaniline
- CAS number
- 40487-42-1
- Molecular formula
- C13H19N3O4
- Molecular weight
- 281.31 g/mol
- SMILES
- CCC(CC)NC1=C(C=C(C(=C1[N+](=O)[O-])C)C)[N+](=O)[O-]
- PubChem CID
- 38479
Risk for babies
Elevated riskPrenatal exposure to Pendimethalin is a concern due to potential endocrine disruption and developmental toxicity. Agricultural communities show higher gestational exposure through drinking water.
Suspected reproductive toxicant (GHS H361) or suspected endocrine disruptor. Precautionary approach warranted. Animal studies or limited human data suggest developmental toxicity potential.
Risk for pregnant and nursing people
Elevated riskPrenatal exposure to Pendimethalin is a concern due to potential endocrine disruption and developmental toxicity. Agricultural communities show higher gestational exposure through drinking water.
Suspected reproductive toxicant (GHS H361) or suspected endocrine disruptor. Precautionary approach warranted. Animal studies or limited human data suggest developmental toxicity potential.
Regulatory consensus
5 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Pendimethalin. The classifications differ — that's the data.
| Agency | Year | Classification | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IARC | 1991 | Group 2B | IARC Group 2B for pendimethalin, evaluated in Monograph 53 (1991) on occupational exposures in insecticide application and some herbicides. The classification is based on limited evidence of carcinogenicity in humans (bladder cancer associations in some occupational cohort studies of herbicide applicators) and sufficient evidence in experimental animals (liver adenomas and carcinomas in mice, thyroid tumors in rats in some bioassays). Pendimethalin is a dinitroaniline herbicide that inhibits microtubule formation (tubulin polymerization inhibition). Its carcinogenicity mechanism in rodents may involve thyroid disruption (anti-thyroid activity) and peroxisome proliferation, which have uncertain relevance to human risk. EPA classifies pendimethalin as 'suggestive evidence of carcinogenicity, but not sufficient to assess human carcinogenic potential' under 2005 cancer guidelines. |
| EPA CTX / EPA OPP | — | Not Likely to Be Carcinogenic in Humans | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Skin Sens. 1 (score: high) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Not classified (score: low) | |
| EPA CTX / Skin-Eye | — | Skin Sensitization: Category 6.5B (Category 1) (score: moderate) |
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 pendimethalin
- 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 Pendimethalin:
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Physical/mechanical pest control (IPM)
Trade-offs: More labor-intensive. May not be sufficient for severe infestations.Relative cost: 1.2-2×
Frequently asked questions
What products contain pendimethalin?
Pendimethalin appears in: Manufacturing plants (Industrial facilities); Chemical storage areas (Industrial facilities); Factories (Occupational environments); Warehouses (Occupational environments).
Why do regulators disagree about pendimethalin?
Pendimethalin has been classified by 5 agencies including IARC, EPA CTX / EPA OPP, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, EPA CTX / Skin-Eye, 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 Pendimethalin in the baby app
Look up products containing pendimethalin, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.
Open in baby View raw API dataSources (2)
- IARC Monographs Volume 53: Occupational Exposures in Insecticide Application and Some Pesticides — Pendimethalin Group 2B Classification (1991) (1991) — regulatory
- US EPA: Pendimethalin Registration Review — Suggestive Carcinogenicity, Dietary and Occupational Risk Assessment, and Ecological Risk (2014–2019) (2019) — 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 →