RELATIVE TOXICITIES OF NEMATICIDES TO VERTEBRATES AND TYPICAL AGRICULTURAL APPLICATION RATES:

  Acute LD50 Acute LD50 Vapor Application
  (technical mg/kg) (technical mg/kg) Toxicity Rates
  Oral Dermal (ppm) Kg ai/ha
FUMIGANTS        
--HALOGENATED HYDROCARBONS        
Methyl Bromide - - 200 100-900
Telone II 200-500 - 500 50-1800
Chloropicrin 250 -   50-1000
Carbon Disulfide - - 200 2800-5000
--METHYL ISOTHIOCYANATE LIBERATORS        
Vapam 1700 - - 125-400
Vorlex 538 470-961   -
NONFUMIGANTS        
--CARBAMATES        
Temik 0.9 5-12.5   0.5-12
Vydate 5.4 2960 (F)   -
Carbofuran 11 10,200   0.5-12
--ORGANOPHOSPHATES        
Dasanit 2-10 3-30   1-23
Mocap 61.5 2.4   1.2-42
Nemacur 8.1-9.6 178-225   3.5-7

This table summarizes information on the relative acute toxicity of nematicides and use rates which is available in the literature.

Typically larger amounts of fumigants are needed relative to organophosphates and carbamates.

Relative acute toxicity is measured in terms of LD50 for the Lethal Dosage required to kill 50 percent of a test organism.

For example, consider the LD50 of the following nematicides:
Nematicide A LD50 = 2 mg/kg
Nematicide B LD50 = 20 mg/kg
Nematicide C LD50 = 200 mg/kg

The higher the LD50, the less acutely toxic is the product. Nematicide A would be more acutely toxic than Nematicide C. Note that the oral LD50 of the fumigants is generally higher than for the organophosphates and carbamates, and therefore, the acute toxicity is generally less. Also, note that LD50 provides no information on other factors of importance in comparing the relative safety of nematicides or other pesticides such as chronic toxicity, mutagenicity, or carcinogenicity.

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