Malathion

CAS Number: 121-75-5

SERIOUS
health hazard

MODERATE
health hazard

FEW OR NO
health hazards

0 79

80 89

90 100

Sources of exposure:

Food

Environmental pollution (water and air), occupational exposure

Description:

Malathion is an organophosphate pesticide used in agriculture and home gardens to control insects such as aphids and fruit flies. It is an active ingredient in thousands of registered insecticide products and is sometimes applied aerially for mosquito control. Although still widely used in many countries, malathion is subject to bans and use restrictions in certain regions and localities.

Health concerns:

Cancer

Known or suspected to increase cancer risk in humans.

Developmental Toxicity

May impact fetal development and birth outcomes.

Neurotoxicity

May impact brain function or development.

References

HOW MILLION MARKER SCORES CHEMICALS

Million Marker's Ingredient Hazard Scoring uses multiple chemical databases and a science-backed scoring system to compute hazard scores for thousands of chemicals found in consumer products and listed on ingredient labels.

We identified key chemicals based on a database compiling dozens of authoritative sources, screening tools, and QSAR models.

Hazard scores within 11 different health categories (carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, reproductive toxicants, developmental toxicants, genotoxicity, neurotoxicity, organ system toxicity, immunotoxicity, respiratory toxicity, skin/eye/respiratory irritants, and ecotoxicity).

They are weighted based on several factors, including strength of evidence for adverse impacts in humans, severity, and potential contamination.