What is aldicarb?

A carbamate pesticide, used mostly on non-organic cotton.

EXPOSURE

Many aldicarb hazards are associated with exposure due to spraying the compound, but aldicarb-treated cotton products are also present all over the average consumer’s household. Dermal and inhalation exposure from cotton household objects is the main concern for consumers. Cotton is used in:

  • Bedsheets
  • Clothing
  • Facial and bath tissue
  • Cotton balls and swabs
  • Menstrual products

Conventional menstrual products are not made with organic cotton, and therefore expose users to conventional pesticides, such as aldicarb. Pesticide exposure in menstrual products is especially concerning, as some products are directly inserted into the reproductive system and remain there for a number of hours each day for about a week, and aldicarb’s effects on the female system are largely unstudied.

OUTCOMES

Carbamates (which are a class of pesticide based on chemical structure) such as aldicarb have been shown to have negative effects on the reproductive systems of multiple species, in both males and females. They have been connected to endocrine- disrupting activity and possibly to reproductive disorders.[1] One study found more than 85% of male pesticide sprayers had carbamate compounds in their blood serums, often associated with reproductive issues, like low sperm count.[2] Another study found carbamate pesticide damage to cells and genetic information on the ovaries of female hamsters when exposed to carbamate pesticides.[3] This raises significant red flags about the safety of menstrual products, especially tampons, which are used within the reproductive system of the user.

OUTCOMES

Acute poisonings have also occurred following the ingestion of improperly treated produce.[4]Symptoms of acute poisonings include:[5]

  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Convulsions
  • Weakness
  • Slurred speech

UNCERTAINTIES

Aldicarb and other carbamate exposure due to menstrual products is understudied. No accessible study exists about whether a difference in personal body burden of carbamate pesticides between men and women exists. It is highly unlikely that the reproductive systems of females are simply less susceptible to the effects of toxic chemicals than that of males. However, more studies have been done on male human beings and the reproductive repercussions of carbamate exposure, than on female reproductive systems. Moreover, few studies have been done on household exposure at all, despite industry awareness of household exposures.[6]

CONFLICTSOF INTEREST

Many studies available to consumers have been conducted by rigorously peer reviewed journals on public health and safety, or by the EPA. However, the EPA’s initial approval of the pesticide and the levels in food is now considered irresponsible, after an outbreak of poisonings, and findings that young children werebeing exposed to aldicarb in food at unsafe levels.[7]

REGULATION

The use of Temik, a version of aldicarb, has ended as of 2017, after a legal battle in 2005 following a number of non-fatal poisonings across the United States. The phasing out of the substance took a number of years despite significant concerns from multiple organizations about the safety of aldicarb.[8] Moreover, its use is not banned worldwide, so imported cotton products may still contain the compound.

ALTERNATIVES

Ways to avoid aldicarb and other carbamate pesticides:

  • Buy organic cotton products as often as possible
  • Wash all washable cotton products at least once before use
  • Organic menstrual products are available in stores and online, and are not exposed to aldicarb or carbamate pesticides

[1]Mnif, Wissem et al. 2011. “Effect of Endocrine Disruptor Pesticides: A Review.”International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health8(12):2265–2303.

[2]Jamal, Farrukh, Quazi S. Haque, Sangram Singh, and Sk Rastogi. 2015. “The influence of organophosphate and carbamate on sperm chromatin and reproductive hormones among pesticide sprayers.”Toxicology and Industrial Health32(8):1527–36.

[3]Soloneski, Sonia, Maciej Kujawski, Anna Scuto, and Marcelo L. Larramendy. 2015. “Carbamates: A study on genotoxic, cytotoxic, and apoptotic effects induced in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO-K1) cells.”Toxicology in Vitro29(5):834–44.

[4]Cone, Marla. Environmental Health. 2010. “Toxic Pesticide Banned after Decades of Use.”Scientific American. Retrieved December 7, 2017 (

[5]Jefferey L.Burgess, MD; Jeffrey N.Bernstein, MD; Katherine Hurlbut, MD. n.d. “Aldicarb Poisoning: A Case Report With Prolonged Cholinesterase Inhibition and Improvement After Pralidoxime Therapy.”National Academies Press: OpenBook. Retrieved December 7, 2017 (

[6]Cone, Marla. “Toxic Pesticide Banned”

[7]Cone, Marla. “Toxic Pesticide Banned”

[8]Ibid.