PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 ETHION CAS#: 563-12-2 

Division of Toxicology September 2000 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

This Public Health Statement is the summary 

chapter from the Toxicological Profile for Ethion. It 

is one in a series of Public Health Statements about 

hazardous substances and their health effects. A 

shorter version, the ToxFAQsTM is also available. 

This information is important because this 

substance may harm you. The effects of exposure to 

any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the 

duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and 

habits, and whether other chemicals are present. For 

more information, call the ATSDR Information 

Center at 1-888-422-8737. 

_____________________________________ 

This public health statement tells you about ethion 

and the effects of exposure. 

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

identifies the most serious hazardous waste sites in 

the nation. These sites make up the National 

Priorities List (NPL) and are the sites targeted for 

long-term federal cleanup activities. Ethion has 

been found in at least 9 of the 1,577 current or 

former NPL sites. However, the total number of 

NPL sites evaluated for this substance is not known. 

As more sites are evaluated, the sites at which 

ethion is found may increase. This information is 

important because exposure to this substance may 

harm you and because these sites may be sources of 

exposure. 

When a substance is released from a large area, 

such as an industrial plant, or from a container, such 

as a drum or bottle, it enters the environment. This 

release does not always lead to exposure. You are 

exposed to a substance only when you come in 

contact with it. You may be exposed by breathing, 

eating, or drinking the substance, or by skin contact. 

If you are exposed to ethion, many factors 

determine whether you’ll be harmed. These factors 

include the dose (how much), the duration (how 

long), and how you come in contact with it. You 

must also consider the other chemicals you’re 

exposed to and your age, sex, diet, family traits, 

lifestyle, and state of health. 

 

1.1 WHAT IS ETHION? 

Ethion is a chemical used in agriculture as a 

pesticide. Ethion does not occur naturally in the 

environment but is manufactured by industry. Pure 

ethion is a clear-to-yellowish liquid with an 

unpleasant sulfur type of smell. Most of the ethion 

used in pest control is diluted with other liquids and 

used as a spray. It is also sometimes used as a liquid 

adsorbed on dust or granules. Ethion is sold under 

many trade names including Bladan®, Rodicide®, 

and Nialate®. The ethion present at hazardous 

waste sites will most likely be in a liquid solution or 

adsorbed on solid granules. 

Ethion is a member of a group of pesticides known 

as organophosphates. Diazinon and chlorpyrifos 

(Dursban®) are other members of this group. 

In 1989, about one million pounds of ethion were 

used in the United States. In 1992, about 868,218 

pounds of ethion were used in the United States in 

farming. The main use of ethion is for insect control 

on citrus trees. It is also used on cotton, fruit and 

nut trees, and a variety of vegetables. Ethion may 

also be used on lawns and turf grasses. Ethion is not 

used in the home for pest control. 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 ETHION CAS#: 563-12-2 

Division of Toxicology September 2000 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO ETHION WHEN IT 

ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Ethion enters the air, water, and soil during its 

manufacture and use. Wastes containing ethion that 

are generated during its manufacture and use are 

sometimes disposed of in landfills. Ethion can enter 

the environment from these landfills. Ethion also 

enters the environment from accidental spills during 

transport and leaks from storage containers. 

Ethion evaporates only slightly into the air. Ethion 

that does evaporate can react with oxygen in the air. 

Ethion in air is estimated to break down in a day or 

two. These breakdown products are not believed to 

be harmful. 

If ethion is spilled into a lake or river, a small 

portion will dissolve, but most of it will bind to 

particles in the water. Ethion can react with water 

and be broken down. In a test in an irrigation canal, 

one-half of the ethion broke down in 26 days. 

Laboratory experiments show that the less acidic 

the water is, the more rapidly ethion is broken 

down. 

Ethion binds tightly to soil. This means it will not 

move through soil. Bacteria and other 

microorganisms (microscopic plants and animals) in 

the soil break down ethion. The breakdown in soil is 

less rapid than in air or water. Depending on the 

temperature and type of soil, it can take anywhere 

from 1 month to 1 year for half of the ethion in soil 

to break down. 

Ethion does not seem to be stored or concentrated in 

the bodies of people or most animals. It is not 

known if ethion is stored or concentrated by plants 

or fish. 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO 

ETHION? 

The general population may be exposed to very 

small amounts of ethion by eating or drinking. 

Ethion has been found only rarely in drinking water 

in the United States. Ethion has been found on raw 

foods (fruits, vegetables) at very low 

concentrations. These concentrations are usually far 

below the maximum limits established by the EPA. 

People living near hazardous waste sites containing 

ethion or near its manufacturing, processing, or 

storage facilities could potentially be exposed. 

Because of the chemical properties of ethion, the 

most likely way a person would be exposed is by 

skin contact with soil contaminated by ethion. 

You are most likely to be exposed to ethion if you 

are involved in manufacturing or using it. Chemical 

plant workers, transport workers, and pesticide 

applicators are the major occupational groups that 

might be exposed to ethion. People in these groups 

are mainly exposed by skin contact, but some 

exposure can also occur by breathing in air 

containing ethion. 

1.4 HOW CAN ETHION ENTER AND LEAVE 

MY BODY? 

Ethion can enter your body through your lungs if it 

is in the air you breathe. It can also enter your body 

through your stomach if it is in your drinking water 

or food. It can also enter through your skin. How 

much ethion enters your body depends on how long 

you are exposed and the amount to which you are 

exposed. 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 ETHION CAS#: 563-12-2 

Division of Toxicology September 2000 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

Once ethion enters your body, it goes into your 

bloodstream and is carried to all the organs in your 

body. Ethion is converted by an enzyme in your 

liver to its active form, called ethion monoxon. 

There are other enzymes in your liver and blood 

that rapidly break down both ethion and ethion 

monoxon. These breakdown products are less 

harmful than ethion. Most of these breakdown 

products quickly leave your body in the urine. 

Ethion and its breakdown products are not stored in 

your body. 

1.5 HOW CAN ETHION AFFECT MY 

HEALTH? 

To protect the public from the harmful effects of 

toxic chemicals and to find ways to treat people 

who have been harmed, scientists use many tests. 

One way to see if a chemical will hurt people is to 

learn how the chemical is absorbed, used, and 

released by the body; for some chemicals, animal 

testing may be necessary. Animal testing may also 

be used to identify health effects such as cancer or 

birth defects. Without laboratory animals, scientists 

would lose a basic method to get information 

needed to make wise decisions to protect public 

health. Scientists have the responsibility to treat 

research animals with care and compassion. Laws 

today protect the welfare of research animals, and 

scientists must comply with strict animal care 

guidelines. 

Ethion is a member of a group of chemicals called 

organophosphates. Some of these chemicals can kill 

insects and are widely used as insecticides. At 

higher doses than those used to kill insects, these 

chemicals can also be harmful to people. Ethion can 

chemically react with an important enzyme in your 

brain and nerves called acetyl-cholinesterase and 

stop it from working properly. When this happens, 

signals sent between your nerve cells and to your 

muscles are disrupted. 

We do not know how much ethion is necessary to 

cause harmful effects in people. This is because few 

people have been exposed to enough ethion to cause 

symptoms of poisoning. If you have been poisoned 

by ethion, you will suddenly feel nauseated, 

anxious, and restless. You may also vomit, have 

tearing of the eyes, and heavy sweating. If this 

happens, you should seek medical attention 

immediately. Emergency rooms have drugs that 

stop the harmful effects of ethion. Further 

symptoms can include loss of bladder control, 

blurring or dimness of vision, muscle tremors, and 

labored breathing. Severe poisoning can result in 

coma, inability to breathe, and death. 

Poisoning cases have occurred in people who 

accidentally drank ethion or who got it on their skin. 

If you use ethion in your work, it is extremely 

important that you follow all directions printed on 

the container. 

People who have survived poisoning by ethion 

make a complete recovery, although this can 

sometimes take several months. Ethion poisoning 

does not appear to cause permanent damage to the 

nerves (a condition called "delayed neuropathy"). 

Volunteers who took capsules containing 0.15 

milligrams ethion per kilogram of body weight 

(0.15 mg/kg) daily for 21 days showed no harmful 

effects. In studies where animals (rats and mice) 

have been fed ethion, about half the animals died 

when given approximately 100 mg/kg. Before the 

animals died, they showed signs of harmful effects 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 ETHION CAS#: 563-12-2 

Division of Toxicology September 2000 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

to their nervous systems similar to those seen in 

human poisoning cases. 

It is not known if exposure to ethion can affect 

fertility in people. Results of experiments done in 

animals that were fed ethion did not show any effect 

on fertility. 

There is no evidence that exposure to ethion 

increases the risk of cancer in people. Rats and mice 

that were fed ethion for 2 years had the same rate of 

cancer as rats and mice that did not receive ethion. 

Ethion has not been classified for carcinogenicity 

by the Department of Health and Human Services 

(DHHS), the International Agency for Research on 

Cancer (IARC) or the EPA. 

1.6 HOW CAN ETHION AFFECT 

CHILDREN? 

This section discusses potential health effects from 

exposures during the period from conception to 

maturity at 18 years of age in humans. 

Children playing on or near hazardous waste sites 

may be exposed to ethion in soil by skin contact, 

accidentally putting soil into their mouths, through 

hand to mouth activity, or eating dirt on purpose. 

They can also be exposed through food and drink. 

Since children have more fruit and fruit drinks in 

their diets, their exposure to ethion may be higher 

than for adults when you adjust for the difference in 

weight. 

One case of ethion poisoning occurred in a 6-

month-old boy. He had symptoms of harmful 

effects on his nervous system (muscle twitching, 

lack of coordination, pinpoint pupils, difficulty 

breathing). These symptoms are the same as those 

seen in adults and can be treated with drugs. It is not 

known if there are health effects in adults who were 

exposed as children. There is not enough 

information to tell if ethion is more harmful to 

young animals than adult animals. 

We do not know whether children differ from adults 

in their susceptibility to health effects from ethion. 

Newborn babies of pregnant animals that were 

exposed to very high doses of ethion showed a 

delayed development of the skeleton. Animals that 

were fed ethion at doses that did not cause 

symptoms of poisoning did not show significant 

effects on the health or development of their 

newborn babies. It is not known if ethion exposure 

to parents can affect development of the fetus in the 

womb or the newborn child. 

Ethion and one of its metabolites (a substance 

created when something is changed in the body, 

soil, or water), ethion monoxon, can probably cross 

the placenta; however, no measurements have been 

made in people or animals. Ethion and ethion 

monoxon can appear in breast milk. Ethion 

appeared in goat milk after skin exposure in an 

animal experiment. 

 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THEIR 

RISK OF EXPOSURE TO ETHION? 

 

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to 

significant amounts of ethion, ask whether your 

children might also be exposed. Your doctor might 

need to ask your state health department to 

investigate. 

It may be possible to carry ethion from work on 

your clothing, skin, hair, tools, or other objects 

removed from the workplace. This might happen if 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 ETHION CAS#: 563-12-2 

Division of Toxicology September 2000 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

you work as a pesticide applicator in agriculture, 

but no actual incidents where this has happened 

have been observed before. You might contaminate 

your car, home, or other locations outside work 

where children might be exposed to ethion. You 

should know about this possibility if you work with 

ethion. 

Your occupational health and safety officer at work 

can and should tell you whether chemicals you 

work with are dangerous and likely to be carried 

home on your clothes, body, or tools, and whether 

you should be showering and changing clothes 

before you leave work, storing your street clothes in 

a separate area of the workplace, or laundering your 

work clothes at home separately from other clothes. 

Material safety data sheets (MSDS) should be found 

at your place of work for many of the chemicals 

used there, as required by the Occupational Safety 

and Health Administration (OSHA). MSDS 

information should include chemical names and 

hazardous ingredients, and important properties, 

such as fire and explosion information, potential 

health effects, how you get the chemical(s) in your 

body, how to handle the materials properly, and 

what to do in the case of emergencies. Your 

employer is legally responsible for providing a safe 

workplace and should freely answer your questions 

about hazardous chemicals. OSHA or your state 

OSHA-approved occupational safety and health 

program can answer any further questions and help 

your employer identify and correct problems with 

hazardous substances. Your state OSHA-approved 

occupational safety and health program or OSHA 

will listen to your formal complaints about 

workplace health hazards and inspect your 

workplace when necessary. Employees have a right 

to safety and health on the job without fear of 

punishment. 

If you buy over-the-counter pesticide products to 

apply yourself, be sure that the products are in 

unopened pesticide containers that are labeled and 

contain an EPA registration number. Carefully 

follow the instructions that are labeled on the 

pesticide container. In the case of ethion, it is not 

intended for indoor use except in greenhouses. The 

use of ethion is only permitted for use by proper 

personnel and it is illegal for the general public to 

use this compound at their residence. Pesticides and 

household chemicals should be stored out of reach 

of young children to prevent unintentional 

poisonings. Always store pesticides and household 

chemicals in their original labeled containers. Never 

store pesticides or household chemicals in 

containers children would find attractive to eat or 

drink from, such as old soda bottles. 

Your children may be exposed to ethion if 

unqualified people apply pesticides around your 

home. In some cases, the improper use of pesticides 

banned for use in homes has turned homes into 

hazardous waste sites. Make sure that any person 

you hire is licensed and, if appropriate, certified to 

apply pesticides. Your state licenses each person 

qualified to apply pesticides using EPA standards 

and further certifies each person qualified to apply 

“restricted use” pesticides. Ask to see the license 

and certification. Also ask for the brand name of the 

pesticide, an MSDS, the name of the product's 

active ingredient(s), and the EPA registration 

number. Ask whether EPA has designated the 

pesticide “for restricted use” and what the approved 

uses are. If you feel sick after the use of ethion, 

consult your doctor or local poison control center. 

Children can be exposed to pesticides by playing on 

a lawn too soon after a pesticide has been applied. 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 ETHION CAS#: 563-12-2 

Division of Toxicology September 2000 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

Carefully read and follow the directions on the 

pesticide label about how long to wait before reentering the treated area. 

 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO 

DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO ETHION? 

Two blood tests are available that can determine 

whether you have been exposed to significant 

amounts of ethion. These tests can be performed by 

any hospital or clinical laboratory. These tests 

measure the activity of two enzymes (called plasma 

cholinesterase and erythrocyte [red blood cell] 

acetyl-cholinesterase) that are affected by ethion. 

Ethion affects these enzymes at lower levels of 

exposure than are necessary to produce harmful 

effects. This means that if these enzymes have been 

affected, you will not necessarily have effects on 

your health. Many other insecticides also affect 

these enzymes. To determine whether you have 

been exposed specifically to ethion, a laboratory test 

must measure its breakdown products in your urine. 

Tests of this type are not routinely done in hospital 

laboratories, and your doctor will have to send a 

sample to a special laboratory. Both the blood and 

urine tests are most accurate if done within a few 

days of exposure. These tests cannot tell you if you 

have been exposed to ethion if the exposure took 

place more than 2–3 months before the test is done. 

1.9 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE 

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH? 

 

The federal government develops regulations and 

recommendations to protect public health. 

Regulations can be enforced by law. Federal 

agencies that develop regulations for toxic 

substances include the Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA), and the Food and Drug 

Administration (FDA). Recommendations provide 

valuable guidelines to protect public health but 

cannot be enforced by law. Federal organizations 

that develop recommendations for toxic substances 

include the Agency for Toxic Substances and 

Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the National 

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH). 

Regulations and recommendations can be expressed 

in not-to-exceed levels in air, water, soil, or food 

that are usually based on levels that affect animals; 

then they are adjusted to help protect people. 

Sometimes these not-to-exceed levels differ among 

federal organizations because of different exposure 

times (an 8-hour workday or a 24-hour day), the use 

of different animal studies, or other factors. 

Recommendations and regulations are also 

periodically updated as more information becomes 

available. For the most current information, check 

with the federal agency or organization that 

provides it. Some regulations and recommendations 

for ethion include the following: 

Regulations for maximum limits of ethion on food 

products, ranging from 0.1 to 14 parts per million 

(ppm), have been established by EPA. 

NIOSH recommends that ethion concentrations in 

workplace air not exceed 0.4 milligrams per cubic 

meter (mg/m3

) for a 10-hour time-weighted average 

(TWA). 

 
 PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

 ETHION CAS#: 563-12-2 

Division of Toxicology September 2000 

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DEPARTMENT of HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, Public Health Service

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

www.atsdr.cdc.gov/ Telephone: 1-888-422-8737 Fax: 770-488-4178 E-Mail: atsdric@cdc.gov 

1.10 WHERE CAN I GET MORE 

INFORMATION? 

If you have any more questions or concerns, 

please contact your community or state health or 

environmental quality department or: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology 

1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop F-32 

Atlanta, GA 30333 

Information line and technical assistance: 

Phone: 888-422-8737 

FAX: (770)-488-4178 

ATSDR can also tell you the location of 

occupational and environmental health clinics. 

These clinics specialize in recognizing, evaluating, 

and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to 

hazardous substances. 

To order toxicological profiles, contact: 

National Technical Information Service 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 800-553-6847 or 703-605-6000 

Reference 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

(ATSDR). 2000. Toxicological profile for ethion. 

Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and 

Human Services, Public Health Service.