Goodbye Carbofuran

WASHINGTON (CN) – Environmental Protection Agency has revoked all tolerances for the systemic and neurotoxic insecticide carbofuran, since the agency determined that aggregate exposure to residues from its tolerances do not meet EPA safety standards.     Carbofuran has one of the highest acute toxicities to humans of any insecticide used on field crops. A quarter teaspoon may be fatal. The pesticide is absorbed by plants through the roots, and then it is distributed to a plant’s vessels, stems and leaves concentrating it.     Carbofuran is one of the only insecticides effective against soybean aphids, which was one of the remaining approved uses for it. Its former manufacturer, FMC Corporation, also had requested that the tolerance be cancelled.