TOXICOLOGICAL PROFILE FOR 

MALATHION 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

Public Health Service 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

September 2003 
MALATHION ii 

DISCLAIMER 

The use of company or product name(s) is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. 
MALATHION iii 

UPDATE STATEMENT 

A Toxicological Profile for malathion, Draft for Public Comment was released in September, 2001. This 

edition supersedes any previously released draft or final profile. 

Toxicological profiles are revised and republished as necessary. For information regarding the update 

status of previously released profiles, contact ATSDR at: 

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

Division of Toxicology/Toxicology Information Branch 

1600 Clifton Road NE, 

Mailstop E-29 

Atlanta, Georgia 30333 



MALATHION vii 

QUICK REFERENCE FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS 

Toxicological Profiles are a unique compilation of toxicological information on a given hazardous 

substance. Each profile reflects a comprehensive and extensive evaluation, summary, and interpretation of 

available toxicologic and epidemiologic information on a substance. Health care providers treating 

patients potentially exposed to hazardous substances will find the following information helpful for fast 

answers to often-asked questions. 

Primary Chapters/Sections of Interest 

Chapter 1: Public Health Statement: The Public Health Statement can be a useful tool for educating 

patients about possible exposure to a hazardous substance. It explains a substance’s relevant 

toxicologic properties in a nontechnical, question-and-answer format, and it includes a review of 

the general health effects observed following exposure. 

Chapter 2: Relevance to Public Health: The Relevance to Public Health Section evaluates, interprets, 

and assesses the significance of toxicity data to human health. 

Chapter 3: Health Effects: Specific health effects of a given hazardous compound are reported by type 

of health effect (death, systemic, immunologic, reproductive), by route of exposure, and by length 

of exposure (acute, intermediate, and chronic). In addition, both human and animal studies are 

reported in this section. 

 NOTE: Not all health effects reported in this section are necessarily observed in the clinical 

setting. Please refer to the Public Health Statement to identify general health effects observed 

following exposure. 

Pediatrics: Four new sections have been added to each Toxicological Profile to address child health 

issues: 

 Section 1.6 How Can (Chemical X) Affect Children? 

 Section 1.7 How Can Families Reduce the Risk of Exposure to (Chemical X)? 

 Section 3.7 Children’s Susceptibility 

 Section 6.6 Exposures of Children 

Other Sections of Interest: 

Section 3.8 Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect 

Section 3.11 Methods for Reducing Toxic Effects 

ATSDR Information Center 

 Phone: 1-888-42-ATSDR or (404) 498-0110 Fax: (404) 498-0093 

 E-mail: atsdric@cdc.gov Internet: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov 

The following additional material can be ordered through the ATSDR Information Center: 

Case Studies in Environmental Medicine: Taking an Exposure History—The importance of taking an 

exposure history and how to conduct one are described, and an example of a thorough exposure 

history is provided. Other case studies of interest include Reproductive and Developmental 

Hazards; Skin Lesions and Environmental Exposures; Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Pesticide 

Toxicity; and numerous chemical-specific case studies. 
MALATHION viii 

Managing Hazardous Materials Incidents is a three-volume set of recommendations for on-scene 

(prehospital) and hospital medical management of patients exposed during a hazardous materials 

incident. Volumes I and II are planning guides to assist first responders and hospital emergency 

department personnel in planning for incidents that involve hazardous materials. Volume III—

Medical Management Guidelines for Acute Chemical Exposures—is a guide for health care 

professionals treating patients exposed to hazardous materials. 

Fact Sheets (ToxFAQs) provide answers to frequently asked questions about toxic substances. 

Other Agencies and Organizations 

The National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH) focuses on preventing or controlling disease, 

injury, and disability related to the interactions between people and their environment outside the 

workplace. Contact: NCEH, Mailstop F-29, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724 

• Phone: 770-488-7000 • FAX: 770-488-7015. 

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) conducts research on occupational 

diseases and injuries, responds to requests for assistance by investigating problems of health and 

safety in the workplace, recommends standards to the Occupational Safety and Health 

Administration (OSHA) and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and trains 

professionals in occupational safety and health. Contact: NIOSH, 200 Independence Avenue, 

SW, Washington, DC 20201 • Phone: 800-356-4674 or NIOSH Technical Information Branch, 

Robert A. Taft Laboratory, Mailstop C-19, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998 

• Phone: 800-35-NIOSH. 

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is the principal federal agency for 

biomedical research on the effects of chemical, physical, and biologic environmental agents on 

human health and well-being. Contact: NIEHS, PO Box 12233, 104 T.W. Alexander Drive, 

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709 • Phone: 919-541-3212. 

Referrals 

The Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) has developed a network of clinics 

in the United States to provide expertise in occupational and environmental issues. Contact: 

AOEC, 1010 Vermont Avenue, NW, #513, Washington, DC 20005 • Phone: 202-347-4976 • 

FAX: 202-347-4950 • e-mail: AOEC@AOEC.ORG • Web Page: http://www.aoec.org/. 

 

The American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) is an association of 

physicians and other health care providers specializing in the field of occupational and 

environmental medicine. Contact: ACOEM, 55 West Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, IL 

60005 • Phone: 847-818-1800 • FAX: 847-818-9266. 
MALATHION ix 

CONTRIBUTORS 

CHEMICAL MANAGER(S)/AUTHOR(S): 

Jewell D. Wilson, Ph.D. 

ATSDR, Division of Toxicology, Atlanta, GA 

Fernando T. Llados, Ph.D. 

Syracuse Research Corporation, North Syracuse, NY 

Mona Singh, Ph.D 

Syracuse Research Corporation, Arlington, VA 

Cheryl A. Sutton, Ph.D. 

Syracuse Research Corporation, Arlington, VA 

William R. Sutton, Ph.D. 

Syracuse Research Corporation, Arlington, VA 

Tsutomu Nakatsugawa, Ph.D. 

SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 

Amy Benson, M.S. 

Syracuse Research Corporation, Arlington, VA 

THE PROFILE HAS UNDERGONE THE FOLLOWING ATSDR INTERNAL REVIEWS: 

1. Health Effects Review. The Health Effects Review Committee examines the health effects 

chapter of each profile for consistency and accuracy in interpreting health effects and classifying 

end points. 

2. Minimal Risk Level Review. The Minimal Risk Level Workgroup considers issues relevant to 

substance-specific minimal risk levels (MRLs), reviews the health effects database of each 

profile, and makes recommendations for derivation of MRLs. 

3. Data Needs Review. The Research Implementation Branch reviews data needs sections to assure 

consistency across profiles and adherence to instructions in the Guidance. 

MALATHION xi 

PEER REVIEW 

A peer review panel was assembled for malathion. The panel consisted of the following members: 

1. Dr. Lucio Costa, Department of Environmental Health, University of Washington, Seattle, 

Washington 98105-6099. 

2. Dr. Loren D. Koller, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 

97331-4801. 

3. Dr. Joseph Seifert, Department of Plant and Environmental Protection Sciences, University of 

Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. 

These experts collectively have knowledge of malathion's physical and chemical properties, 

toxicokinetics, key health end points, mechanisms of action, human and animal exposure, and 

quantification of risk to humans. All reviewers were selected in conformity with the conditions for peer 

review specified in Section 104(I)(13) of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, 

and Liability Act, as amended. 

Scientists from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) have reviewed the peer 

reviewers' comments and determined which comments will be included in the profile. A listing of the 

peer reviewers' comments not incorporated in the profile, with a brief explanation of the rationale for their 

exclusion, exists as part of the administrative record for this compound. A list of databases reviewed and 

a list of unpublished documents cited are also included in the administrative record. 

The citation of the peer review panel should not be understood to imply its approval of the profile's final 

content. The responsibility for the content of this profile lies with the ATSDR. 

MALATHION xiii 

CONTENTS 

UPDATE STATEMENT .............................................................................................................................iii

FOREWORD ................................................................................................................................................v

QUICK REFERENCE FOR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS....................................................................vii

CONTRIBUTORS.......................................................................................................................................ix

PEER REVIEW ...........................................................................................................................................xi

CONTENTS...............................................................................................................................................xiii

LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................................xvii

LIST OF TABLES.....................................................................................................................................xix

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT..........................................................................................................1

1.1 WHAT IS MALATHION?..........................................................................................................1 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO MALATHION WHEN IT ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? ............2 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO MALATHION?.................................................................3 

1.4 HOW CAN MALATHION ENTER AND LEAVE MY BODY?..............................................4 

1.5 HOW CAN MALATHION AFFECT MY HEALTH?...............................................................4 

1.6 HOW CAN MALATHION AFFECT CHILDREN? ..................................................................6 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO MALATHION? ..............7 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN EXPOSED 

 TO MALATHION?.....................................................................................................................9 

1.9 WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS HAS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MADE TO 

 PROTECT HUMAN HEALTH?.................................................................................................9 

1.10 WHERE CAN I GET MORE INFORMATION? .....................................................................10 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH .................................................................................................13

2.1 BACKGROUND AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES TO MALATHION IN THE 

 UNITED STATES.....................................................................................................................13 

2.2 SUMMARY OF HEALTH EFFECTS......................................................................................15 

2.3 MINIMAL RISK LEVELS (MRLs) .........................................................................................19 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS..............................................................................................................................23

3.1 INTRODUCTION.....................................................................................................................23 

3.2 DISCUSSION OF HEALTH EFFECTS BY ROUTE OF EXPOSURE ..................................23 

3.2.1 Inhalation Exposure ..........................................................................................................25 

3.2.1.1 Death ............................................................................................................................25 

3.2.1.2 Systemic Effects ...........................................................................................................26 

3.2.1.3 Immunological and Lymphoreticular Effects...............................................................32 

3.2.1.4 Neurological Effects.....................................................................................................33 

3.2.1.5 Reproductive Effects ....................................................................................................35 

3.2.1.6 Developmental Effects .................................................................................................36 

3.2.1.7 Cancer...........................................................................................................................37 

3.2.2 Oral Exposure ...................................................................................................................39 

3.2.2.1 Death ............................................................................................................................39 

3.2.2.2 Systemic Effects ...........................................................................................................64 

3.2.2.3 Immunological and Lymphoreticular Effects...............................................................74 

3.2.2.4 Neurological Effects.....................................................................................................78 

3.2.2.5 Reproductive Effects ....................................................................................................83 

3.2.2.6 Developmental Effects .................................................................................................85 

3.2.2.7 Cancer...........................................................................................................................87 

3.2.3 Dermal Exposure ..............................................................................................................89 

3.2.3.1 Death ............................................................................................................................90 
MALATHION xiv 

3.2.3.2 Systemic Effects ...........................................................................................................90 

3.2.3.3 Immunological and Lymphoreticular Effects...............................................................96 

3.2.3.4 Neurological Effects.....................................................................................................97 

3.2.3.5 Reproductive Effects ....................................................................................................98 

3.2.3.6 Developmental Effects .................................................................................................99 

3.2.3.7 Cancer...........................................................................................................................99 

3.3 GENOTOXICITY .....................................................................................................................99 

3.4 TOXICOKINETICS................................................................................................................104 

3.4.1 Absorption ......................................................................................................................105 

3.4.1.1 Inhalation Exposure....................................................................................................106 

3.4.1.2 Oral Exposure.............................................................................................................106 

3.4.1.3 Dermal Exposure........................................................................................................106 

3.4.2 Distribution .....................................................................................................................110 

3.4.2.1 Inhalation Exposure....................................................................................................110 

3.4.2.2 Oral Exposure.............................................................................................................110 

3.4.2.3 Dermal Exposure........................................................................................................112 

3.4.2.4 Other Routes of Exposure ..........................................................................................112 

3.4.3 Metabolism .....................................................................................................................112 

3.4.4 Elimination and Excretion ..............................................................................................117 

3.4.4.1 Inhalation Exposure....................................................................................................118 

3.4.4.2 Oral Exposure.............................................................................................................118 

3.4.4.3 Dermal Exposure........................................................................................................119 

3.4.4.4 Other Routes of Exposure ..........................................................................................120 

3.4.5 Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK)/Pharmacodynamic (PD) Models.......120 

3.5 MECHANISMS OF ACTION ................................................................................................125 

3.5.1 Pharmacokinetic Mechanisms ........................................................................................126 

3.5.2 Mechanisms of Toxicity .................................................................................................128 

3.5.3 Animal-to-Human Extrapolations...................................................................................130 

3.6 TOXICITIES MEDIATED THROUGH THE NEUROENDOCRINE AXIS ........................131 

3.7 CHILDREN’S SUSCEPTIBILITY.........................................................................................134 

3.8 BIOMARKERS OF EXPOSURE AND EFFECT ..................................................................138 

3.8.1 Biomarkers Used to Identify or Quantify Exposure to Malathion..................................139 

3.8.2 Biomarkers Used to Characterize Effects Caused by Malathion....................................140 

3.9 INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER CHEMICALS ..................................................................141 

3.10 POPULATIONS THAT ARE UNUSUALLY SUSCEPTIBLE............................................145 

3.11 METHODS FOR REDUCING TOXIC EFFECTS................................................................146 

3.11.1 Reducing Peak Absorption Following Exposure............................................................146 

3.11.2 Reducing Body Burden...................................................................................................147 

3.11.3 Interfering with the Mechanism of Action for Toxic Effects .........................................147 

3.12 ADEQUACY OF THE DATABASE.....................................................................................148 

3.12.1 Existing Information on Health Effects of Malathion ....................................................148 

3.12.2 Identification of Data Needs ...........................................................................................150 

3.12.3 Ongoing Studies..............................................................................................................165 

4. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL INFORMATION..............................................................................167

4.1 CHEMICAL IDENTITY.........................................................................................................167 

4.2 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES......................................................................167 

5. PRODUCTION, IMPORT/EXPORT, USE, AND DISPOSAL..........................................................171

5.1 PRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................171 

5.2 IMPORT/EXPORT .................................................................................................................171 

5.3 USE..........................................................................................................................................173 

5.4 DISPOSAL ..............................................................................................................................174 
MALATHION xv 

6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE .........................................................................................175

6.1 OVERVIEW............................................................................................................................175 

6.2 RELEASES TO THE ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................177 

6.2.1 Air ...................................................................................................................................177 

6.2.2 Water...............................................................................................................................179 

6.2.3 Soil..................................................................................................................................181 

6.3 ENVIRONMENTAL FATE....................................................................................................182 

6.3.1 Transport and Partitioning ..............................................................................................183 

6.3.2 Transformation and Degradation ....................................................................................186 

6.3.2.1 Air...............................................................................................................................187 

6.3.2.2 Water ..........................................................................................................................187 

6.3.2.3 Sediment and Soil.......................................................................................................190 

6.3.2.4 Other Media................................................................................................................192 

6.4 LEVELS MONITORED OR ESTIMATED IN THE ENVIRONMENT ...............................192 

6.4.1 Air ...................................................................................................................................192 

6.4.2 Water...............................................................................................................................194 

6.4.3 Sediment and Soil ...........................................................................................................195 

6.4.4 Other Environmental Media ...........................................................................................196 

6.5 GENERAL POPULATION AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE .....................................196 

6.6 EXPOSURES OF CHILDREN...............................................................................................202 

6.7 POPULATIONS WITH POTENTIALLY HIGH EXPOSURES ...........................................206 

6.8 ADEQUACY OF THE DATABASE......................................................................................207 

6.8.1 Identification of Data Needs ...........................................................................................208 

6.8.2 Ongoing Studies..............................................................................................................212 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS ...............................................................................................................215

7.1 BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES......................................................................................................215

7.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES............................................................................................219 

7.3 ADEQUACY OF THE DATABASE......................................................................................223 

7.3.1 Identification of Data Needs ...........................................................................................224 

7.3.2 Ongoing Studies..............................................................................................................224 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES ...............................................................................................225

9. REFERENCES ....................................................................................................................................237

10. GLOSSARY ......................................................................................................................................279

APPENDICES 

A. ATSDR MINIMAL RISK LEVELS AND WORKSHEETS .............................................................A-1

B. USER’S GUIDE.................................................................................................................................. B-1

C. ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SYMBOLS...................................................................... C-1

MALATHION xvii 

LIST OF FIGURES 

3-1. Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion – Inhalation .................................................................28

3-2. Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion – Oral ..........................................................................60

3-3. Metabolic Pathways for Malathion...................................................................................................113 

3-4. Conceptual Representation of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Model for a 

Hypothetical Chemical Substance ....................................................................................................122 

3-5. Existing Information on Health Effects of Malathion ......................................................................149 

6-1. Frequency of NPL Sites with Malathion Contamination..................................................................176 

MALATHION xix 

LIST OF TABLES 

3-1. Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion – Inhalation .................................................................27

3-2. Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion – Oral ..........................................................................42

3-3. Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion – Dermal .....................................................................91

3-4. Genotoxicity of Malathion In Vivo...................................................................................................101

3-5. Genotoxicity of Malathion In Vitro ..................................................................................................103

3-6. Kinetic and Physiological Parameters and Constants Used in PBPK Human Malathion 

Deposition Model..............................................................................................................................124

4-1. Chemical Identity of Malathion........................................................................................................168

4-2. Physical and Chemical Properties of Malathion...............................................................................169

5-1. Facilities that Produce, Process, or Use Malathion ..........................................................................172

6-1. Releases to the Environment from Facilities that Produce, Process, or Use Malathion...................180

7-1. Analytical Methods for Determining Malathion or Biomarkers of Exposure in Biological 

Samples.............................................................................................................................................217

7-2. Analytical Methods for Determining Malathion in Environmental Samples ...................................220

8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion ......................................................................226
MALATHION 1 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

This public health statement tells you about malathion 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. Malathion has been found in at least 21 of the 1,623 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 malathion 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 malathion, 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/them. 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 MALATHION? 

Malathion is a pesticide that is used to kill insects on agricultural crops, on stored products, on 

golf courses, in home gardens, and in outdoor sites where trees and shrubs are grown at home; it 

is also used to kill mosquitoes and Mediterranean fruit flies (medflies) in large outdoor areas. 

Additionally, malathion is used to kill fleas on pets and to treat head lice on humans. It is 

usually sprayed on crops or sprayed from an airplane over wide land areas, especially in the 

states of California and Florida. Malathion comes in two forms: a pure form of a colorless liquid 

and a technical-grade solution (brownish-yellow liquid), which contains malathion (greater than 
MALATHION 2 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

90%) and impurities in a solvent. The technical-grade malathion smells like garlic. Malathion is 

a manufactured chemical, so it is only found in the environment as a result of its manufacture or 

use. Malathion has been manufactured in the United States since 1950 and has been used to kill 

insects on many types of crops since this time. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and 

the EPA allow a maximum amount of 8 parts per million (ppm) of malathion to be present as a 

residue on specific crops used as foods. Because malathion can be dangerous to humans, the 

EPA requires that a certain amount of time must pass between the time of application of the 

insecticide and entry by a worker into a field where the chemical has been applied. Usually, at 

least 12 hours must pass between application and entry, but in some cases, such as when workers 

are entering a field to hand harvest or hand prune the crops, time periods as long as 6 days must 

pass between application and entry into the field. In this way, exposure to malathion can be 

controlled and accidental exposures can be prevented. 

1.2 WHAT HAPPENS TO MALATHION WHEN IT ENTERS THE ENVIRONMENT? 

Once malathion is introduced into the environment, usually from spraying on crops or in wide 

urban/residential areas, droplets of malathion in the air fall on soil, plants, water, or man-made 

surfaces. While most of the malathion will stay in the areas where it is applied, some can move 

to areas away from where it was applied by rain, fog, and wind. Malathion stays in the 

environment from a few days to several months, but is usually broken down within a few weeks. 

It is broken down to other chemical compounds by water, sunlight, and bacteria found in soil and 

water. Malathion does not tend to stick to the soil and is rapidly broken down by bacteria; thus, 

it is unlikely that malathion will reach groundwater in significant amounts. In water, malathion 

breaks down quickly by the action of the water and the bacteria in the water. In air, malathion is 

broken down by reacting with other chemicals formed naturally in the air by sunlight, to form a 

more toxic product called malaoxon. If malathion is present on dry soil or on man-made 

surfaces such as sidewalks, pavements, or playground equipment, it usually does not break down 

as fast as it would in moist soil. For more information, see Chapters 4, 5, and 6. 
MALATHION 3 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

1.3 HOW MIGHT I BE EXPOSED TO MALATHION? 

Most people are not exposed to malathion in the air that they breathe or on things that they touch, 

unless they live near areas being sprayed. The people who are at the greatest risk of being 

exposed to malathion are those who work with this chemical. These include farm workers, 

chemical sprayers, and people who work in factories that make malathion or other products that 

contain the chemical. They are exposed to malathion on things they touch where it can pass 

through their skin, or by breathing it after it has been sprayed. Other people who are at risk of 

being exposed to malathion are those who use it near their homes and in their gardens, and 

people living in areas where malathion is sprayed to control medflies or mosquitos. 

Overexposure to malathion may cause severe poisoning or death. Persons may be exposed to 

dangerous amounts if they go into fields too soon after spraying. The people most likely to be 

exposed to malathion can be protected by wearing special clothing and breathing equipment and 

by staying out of sprayed fields for the appropriate amount of time for the job that they are going 

to do in the field; this amount of time can be up to 6 days. 

Individuals can also be exposed to malathion if they live near landfills where malathion has been 

dumped or near water containing malathion that washes off nearby land or that is accidentally 

spilled. The greatest amounts of malathion are expected to be present near or on the farms where 

malathion is used. After spraying, some malathion can be transported by the wind or fog to areas 

away from where it is used, but the amounts present at these locations are not expected to be at 

dangerous levels. In a collection of data gathered by the EPA for the years 1971–1991, it was 

reported that malathion was only found in a total of 12 groundwater monitoring wells in three 

states. The most that was found in any of the wells was 6.17 parts of malathion per billion parts 

of water (ppb); this was found in a county in Virginia that is made up mainly of agricultural and 

forested land. More recent studies of water samples taken near where malathion was sprayed 

indicate that malathion is not usually found in groundwater. The risk of exposure to malathion 

from drinking groundwater appears to be low. For more information, see Chapter 6. 

Malathion is approved for use on crops, in homes and gardens, in urban/residential areas where 

mosquitos or medflies pose a problem, and at agricultural sites. The maximum amount of 

malathion residue allowed by the FDA and EPA on crops used as food is 8 ppm of malathion. 
MALATHION 4 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

The FDA has monitored the food supply for pesticides for a number of years. FDA purchases 

many kinds of foods through Total Diet Studies (also called Market Basket Surveys) and 

analyzes them for residue levels of pesticides. These FDA studies allow scientists to estimate the 

daily intake of pesticides. Generally, the FDA monitoring studies conclude that the U.S. food 

supply contains only very small amounts of pesticides that are not a concern. For more 

information, see Section 1.7 and Chapter 6. 

1.4 HOW CAN MALATHION ENTER AND LEAVE MY BODY? 

For the general population, the most likely way that malathion can enter the body is by eating or 

drinking contaminated food or water or through dermal contact with contaminated plants, soils, 

or surfaces such as playground equipment or pavements. It can also enter your body if you 

breathe air containing malathion during or after it has been sprayed for public health uses. By 

any means of exposure, malathion enters your body quickly and passes into the bloodstream. 

Once in your bloodstream, malathion can go to many organs and tissues. Most of the malathion 

is broken down in your liver into other substances, called metabolites. One of these metabolites 

is more harmful than malathion. Malathion and its metabolites do not tend to accumulate in the 

body, and leave mostly in your urine within a few days. 

See Chapter 3 for more information on how malathion enters and leaves the body. 

1.5 HOW CAN MALATHION AFFECT MY HEALTH? 

Malathion interferes with the normal function of the nervous system. Because the nervous 

system controls many other organs, malathion indirectly can affect many additional organs and 

functions. Exposure to high amounts of malathion in the air, water, or food may cause difficulty 

breathing, chest tightness, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, watery eyes, blurred vision, salivation, 

sweating, headaches, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and death. If persons who are exposed 

accidentally or intentionally to high amounts of malathion are rapidly given appropriate 

treatment, there may be no long-term harmful effects. If people are exposed to levels of 
MALATHION 5 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

malathion below those that affect the function of the nervous system, few or no health problems 

seem to occur. This has been shown in studies with volunteers who inhaled or swallowed small 

known amounts of malathion. There is no evidence that malathion affects the ability of humans 

to reproduce. There is also no conclusive proof that malathion causes cancer in humans, 

although some studies have found increased incidence of some cancers in people who are 

regularly exposed to pesticides, such as farmers and pesticide applicators. The International 

Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that malathion is unclassifiable as to 

carcinogenicity to humans. 

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. 

Studies in animals have observed the same effects that occur in humans after exposure to 

malathion. This is because malathion also affects the nervous system of animals. Some studies 

in animals suggest that malathion may produce subtle changes in the immune system, but there 

was no evidence indicating that those animals were more susceptible to infections than animals 

that were not given malathion. Some studies in male rats observed temporary alterations in the 

testes following short-term exposure to malathion, but there is no evidence that exposure to 

malathion affected the reproductive ability of these animals. A longer-term study that evaluated 

the ability of rats to reproduce did not detect any harmful effects. Most studies of cancer in 

animals have not shown evidence of carcinogenicity for malathion, or have shown evidence of 

cancer at doses considered excessive. Still, there is some disagreement among scientists on how 

to interpret the results. The EPA has determined that there is suggestive evidence of 
MALATHION 6 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

carcinogenicity for malathion in animals but it is not sufficient to assess potential carcinogenicity 

in humans. See Chapter 3 for more information on how malathion can affect your health. 

1.6 HOW CAN MALATHION 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 can be exposed to malathion from food and drinking water, but these risks are low and 

not of concern. Because malathion is a widely used pesticide, greater concern exists from 

exposure following application to recreational areas, parks, and playgrounds and from home and 

garden uses of malathion. Children can also be exposed when malathion is sprayed, for example, 

to control mosquitos. Because children spend more time outdoors than adults, they may be at a 

greater risk of exposure to malathion than adults. Because of their smaller weight, children’s 

intake of malathion per kilogram of body weight may be greater than that of adults. The EPA 

permits residues of pesticides to be present in crops used as food, and these amounts are 

considered to be safe. Children may be exposed also by dermal contact with contaminated 

surfaces or by placing contaminated objects in their mouths. 

The main target of malathion toxicity in children is the nervous system, the same as in adults. 

Children who have accidentally swallowed high amounts of malathion or who had skin contact 

with high amounts of malathion experienced difficulty breathing, chest tightness, vomiting, 

cramps, diarrhea, watery eyes, salivation, sweating, headaches, dizziness, and loss of 

consciousness, and some died. We do not know whether or not children are more susceptible 

than adults to malathion toxicity. However, studies in animals have shown that very young 

animals are more susceptible than older ones when exposed to high amounts of malathion. 

There is no evidence that exposure to malathion at levels found in the environment causes birth 

defects or other developmental effects in people. Malathion has caused adverse developmental 

effects in animals, but only when administered to the pregnant mothers in amounts high enough 

to affect the health of the mothers. A study of people in California found that the use of 
MALATHION 7 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

pesticides, malathion among them, at home during pregnancy did not increase the risk of brain 

tumors in children. 

Animal studies have shown that malathion and/or its breakdown products can be transferred 

from a pregnant mother to the developing fetus and that it can also be passed to newborn animals 

in the maternal milk. There is no information in humans regarding transfer of malathion to the 

fetus or to nursing infants. 

More information regarding children’s health and malathion can be found in Section 3.7. 

1.7 HOW CAN FAMILIES REDUCE THE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO MALATHION? 

If your doctor finds that you have been exposed to significant amounts of malathion, ask whether 

your children might also be exposed. Your doctor might need to ask your state health 

department to investigate. 

The general population is not likely to be exposed to large amounts of malathion. The 

populations living in the areas where malathion is used on crops or those who use the insecticide 

extensively in their gardens or near their homes, however, may be exposed to greater amounts of 

malathion. Malathion is often detected in foods and air samples collected where malathion is 

used. People who live close to areas of malathion use, such as where it is sprayed over 

urban/residential areas to control medflies or mosquitos, may also be exposed to larger amounts 

of malathion, because small amounts of the pesticide will move from the place where it is used to 

nearby areas. These exposures may take place during activities such as touching contaminated 

plants, soils, or man-made surfaces such as playground equipment, sidewalks, or pavements; 

breathing the mist formed from the sprayed chemical; drinking contaminated water; or eating 

recently sprayed fruits and vegetables. People who are most likely to receive the highest 

exposures are those who work in the factories that make malathion or make products that contain 

the insecticide, workers who spray it on crops, and farmers. Entry of malathion into the body 

after contact with the skin is expected to be the major exposure pathway for those working in 

these operations. Breathing the mist containing malathion may also occur. 
MALATHION 8 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

Families can reduce the risk of exposure to malathion in the soil, on plants, or in the air by 

staying away from fields that have been recently sprayed. If families wait at least a week before 

entering sprayed fields, then the amount of malathion present in the air or on plants is expected 

to be small. In areas where malathion is sprayed to control medflies or mosquitos, families may 

reduce the risk of exposure to the chemical by remaining inside during the spraying periods, and 

by washing their hands and clothes if they come into contact with sprayed surfaces within a few 

days of the spraying. For children who play in dry sand boxes, on sidewalks, or on playground 

equipment that is located in or near the treated areas, the amount of time that caution should be 

used (that is, the time during which they should make sure to wash thoroughly after contact with 

sprayed surfaces) may need to be longer. Families may also reduce the risk of exposure to 

malathion by wearing protective equipment, such as gloves, when applying the insecticide in 

their homes and gardens, and washing their hands and clothes after they have been in a backyard 

garden or yard that has been treated with the insecticide. Foods grown in a garden treated with 

malathion may contain some of the residues on their surface. To reduce the risk of exposure to 

malathion that may occur when contaminated vegetables or other produce grown in a backyard 

garden is eaten, it is important to wash the foods prior to eating them. 

Families should also be aware that sometimes malathion could be illegally sprayed inside the 

home to kill insects. Your children may be exposed to malathion if either you or another person 

applies pesticides containing it in your home. In some cases, the improper use of pesticides not 

intended for indoor 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 who is qualified to apply pesticides according to EPA standards and further 

certifies each person who is qualified to apply “restricted use” pesticides. Ask to see the license 

and certification. Also ask for the brand name of the pesticide, a Material Safety Data Sheet 

(MSDS), the name of the product’s active ingredient, and the EPA registration number. Ask 

whether EPA has designated the pesticide “for restricted use” and what the approved uses are. 

This information is important if you or your family react to the product. If you buy over-thecounter pesticides products to apply yourself, be sure the products are in unopened pesticide 

containers that are labeled and contain an EPA registration number. Carefully follow the 

instructions on the label. If you plan to spray inside, make sure the products are intended for 

indoor use and are in unopened pesticide containers that are labeled and contain an EPA 
MALATHION 9 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

registration number. Carefully follow the instructions on the label. If you feel sick after a 

pesticide has been used in your home, consult your doctor or local poison control center. 

1.8 IS THERE A MEDICAL TEST TO DETERMINE WHETHER I HAVE BEEN 

EXPOSED TO MALATHION? 

There are tests available to determine whether you have been exposed to malathion. Breakdown 

products of malathion can be measured in the urine, but the tests need to be conducted within 

days of the exposure since these products are eliminated fairly rapidly. These tests, however, do 

not predict whether or not the exposure to malathion will produce harmful health effects. 

Another type of test measures the levels of a substance called cholinesterase in your blood. This 

test is not specific for malathion, but can be used to determine exposure to many other 

substances that act in a way similar to malathion. If the levels of cholinesterase in you blood are 

less than half of what they should be, then you may get symptoms of poisoning. Smaller 

decreases in cholinesterase may only indicate that you have been exposed to malathion or similar 

substances, but you will not necessarily experience harmful effects. Cholinesterase levels in the 

blood can stay low for months after you have been exposed to malathion or similar chemicals. 

For more information, see Chapters 3 and 7. 

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). 
MALATHION 10 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

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 malathion include the following: 

OSHA has established an exposure limit for malathion in the workplace of 15 milligrams per 

cubic meter (mg/m3

), for an 8-hour workday, 40 hours per week. NIOSH recommends that 

workers not be exposed to more than 10 mg/m3

 of malathion for a 10-hour workday, 40 hours 

per workweek. NIOSH also recommends that a level of 250 mg/m3

 of malathion in the air be 

considered as immediately dangerous to life and health. 

According to EPA, the following levels of malathion in drinking water are not expected to cause 

effects that are harmful to health: 0.2 milligrams per liter (mg/L) for 1 day, 10 days, or longerterm exposure for children, and 0.1 mg/L for lifetime exposure of adults. 

EPA also has set maximum levels of malathion residues in meat and dairy products, vegetables, 

fruits, tree nuts, cereal grains, and grass forage, fodder, and hay. Individual values are listed in 

Table 8-1. 

EPA requires notification to the Agency of spills or accidental releases of 100 pounds or more of 

malathion to the environment. For more information on regulations and guidelines applicable to 

malathion, see Chapter 8. 

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 contact ATSDR at the address and phone number below. 
MALATHION 11 

1. PUBLIC HEALTH STATEMENT 

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. 

Toxicological profiles are also available on-line at www.atsdr.cdc.gov and on CD-ROM. You 

may request a copy of the ATSDR ToxProfiles CD-ROM by calling the information and 

technical assistance toll-free number at 1-888-42ATSDR (1-888-422-8737), by email at 

atsdric@cdc.gov, or by writing at: 

 Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

 Division of Toxicology 

 1600 Clifton Road NE 

 Mailstop E-29 

 Atlanta, GA 30333 

 Fax: 1-404-498-0093 

For-profit organizations may request a copy of final profiles from the following: 

National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 

5285 Port Royal Road 

Springfield, VA 22161 

Phone: 1-800-553-6847 or 1-703-605-6000 

Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/

MALATHION 13 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

2.1 BACKGROUND AND ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES TO MALATHION IN THE 

UNITED STATES 

Malathion is an insecticide used for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes and is released to the 

environment primarily through spraying on agricultural crops and at agricultural sites, spraying for home 

and garden use, and spraying for public health use in both urban/residential and nonresidential areas; the 

insecticide is also released to the environment using fogging equipment. Once malathion is introduced 

into the environment, it may be activated by atmospheric photooxidation, or degraded by hydrolysis, or 

biodegradation mediated by microorganisms found in most sediment, soils, and water. Malaoxon, the 

oxon generated from malathion, is more toxic than malathion and is formed by the oxidation of malathion 

and may also be present as an impurity in the parent compound. Malathion and malaoxon can be 

transported from the site of application by precipitation, fog, and wind to other areas. Malathion is 

moderately mobile to very highly mobile in soils, creating the potential for it to move through the soil 

profile and into groundwater. However, because degradation of malathion occurs rapidly in the 

environment, the potential for malathion movement into groundwater is generally not significant, and 

leaching of the chemical into groundwater is usually not observed. Volatilization of malathion from 

ground surfaces following aerial applications has been observed. Data from limited studies suggest that 

bioconcentration of malathion does not occur to a significant extent in most aquatic organisms tested, and 

that it is rapidly metabolized when it is accumulated in such. Malathion is not widely dispersed or 

persistent in the environment, but is detected frequently in minute quantities in foods. Residue amounts 

of malathion have been detected in air, water, soil, fish, and agricultural crops consumed as food. 

The general population is not likely to be exposed to large amounts of malathion. Some exposure to 

residues of malathion is possible, however, as many studies show that malathion has been detected in 

foods and atmosphere samples. Populations living within or very near areas of heavy malathion use 

would have an increased risk of exposure to relatively larger amounts of malathion through dermal 

contact with contaminated plants, soils, or nonnatural surfaces such as playground equipment and 

pavements; by inhalation of the mist formed from the applied insecticide; or by ingestion of water or 

food-borne residues. Also at increased risk of exposure are persons utilizing malathion for extensive 

home and garden use, particularly if they consume contaminated, unwashed backyard produce. Those 

likely to receive the highest levels of exposure are those who are involved in the production, formulation, 

handling, and application of malathion, as well as farm workers who enter treated fields prior to the 
MALATHION 14 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

passage of the appropriate restricted entry intervals. Dermal contact appears to be the major route of 

exposure for workers, while ingestion is also an important route of exposure for the general population 

not living in areas where malathion is extensively used. Inhalation has not been shown to be a significant 

route of exposure to malathion. 

Because malathion is one of the most frequently detected pesticides in the FDA’s Total Diet Studies there 

is a great potential for exposure of the general population to malathion by consumption of food containing 

residues of the chemical. In a 10-year study of ready-to-eat foods, malathion was found in 110 foods at 

an average concentration of 0.0111 ppm. In a study of domestic and imported apples and rice, malathion 

was found at average concentrations of 0.10–0.11 ppm in apples and at 0.005–0.013 ppm in rice. 

Detections of malathion in apples were infrequent (<1% of the samples); however, in domestic rice, 

malathion was detected in 41% of the samples, at a maximum concentration of 2.3 ppm. Additional 

studies have reported concentrations of malathion of up to 0.40 ppm in various foods. However, based on 

a risk assessment of malathion conducted by the EPA using, in part, the Dietary Exposure Evaluation 

Model (DEEM), neither acute nor chronic dietary exposure to malathion (plus malaoxon) is a concern for 

the majority (95th exposure percentile) of the U.S. population. Individuals who consume unwashed, 

contaminated backyard produce treated with malathion may be exposed to greater levels of the chemical 

than others in the general population. 

In areas of public health malathion usage, the potential for exposure to the compound has been reported to 

be greater via the dermal and ingestion routes than through inhalation. Malathion concentrations in 

indoor, outdoor, and personal air have been measured at two U.S. sites as part of an EPA nonoccupational exposure study. The maximum concentrations detected in the indoor, outdoor, and personal 

air at one site were 20.8, 0.3, and 16.8 ng/m3

, respectively; at the second site, respective maximums were 

5.0, 0.8, and 0.5 ng/m3

. At the first site, maximums of 32, 4, and 15% of the population was exposed to 

malathion in indoor, outdoor, and personal air, respectively. At the second site, however, the respective 

maximums were only 2, 5, and 4%. In a study of seven homes in New Jersey, from which air and dust 

samples were collected from two rooms per home, malathion was not detected in any of the samples. 

Malathion has been detected in the ambient outdoor air at up to 4.6 ng/m3

 and in the ambient air of offices 

and storage rooms of commercial pest control firms at up to 3.57 μg/m3

 (3,570 ng/m3). 

Dermal exposure to malathion is not likely to be a health concern for the general population, with the 

possible exception of individuals who live in or near areas where malathion is used extensively for public 

health purposes or for home and garden usage. Dermal exposure is, however, a major source of exposure 
MALATHION 15 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

for workers who are directly involved in the production, formulation, handling, and application of 

malathion-containing products, as well as for field workers. Occupational exposure has been reported for 

workers who are not directly involved with applications of malathion, but work in facilities, such as 

veterinary clinics, where the products are used. Exposure levels for workers are affected by the type of 

work activity being conducted at the time of exposure. Dermal exposure levels may also be affected by 

the type and material constituents of the protective gear utilized, as well as by the carrier solvents in the 

formulated product. 

Children are expected to be exposed to malathion by the same routes that affect adults. Small children are 

more likely to come into contact with malathion residues that may be present in soil and dust both outside 

and inside the home, due to increased hand-to-mouth activity and playing habits. Malathion has been 

detected in foods found in infant and toddler diets at concentrations of up to 0.40 ppm. Only one study 

was found that detected small amounts of malathion in breast milk; therefore, an adequate determination 

of the importance of this route of child exposure has not been made. 

Populations residing near hazardous waste disposal sites may be subject to higher levels of malathion in 

environmental media (i.e., air, water, soil) than those experienced by the general population. Malathion 

has been identified in at least 21 of the 1,623 hazardous waste disposal sites that have been proposed for 

inclusion on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL). However, the number of sites evaluated for 

malathion is not known. As more sites are evaluated, the number of sites where malathion has been 

detected may increase. 

See Chapter 6 for more detailed information regarding concentrations of malathion in environmental 

media. 

2.2 SUMMARY OF HEALTH EFFECTS 

Malathion is an organophosphate pesticide of relatively low acute toxicity compared to other 

organophosphates. Signs and symptoms of acute toxicity are typical of those induced by 

organophosphate insecticides as a group. Almost all of the systemic effects observed following exposure 

to malathion are due to the action of its active metabolite, malaoxon, on the nervous system, or are 

secondary to this primary action. Malaoxon inhibits the enzyme acetylcholinesterase at the various sites 

where the enzyme is present in the nervous system, (i.e., the central nervous system, the sympathetic and 

parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system, and the neuromuscular junction). Inhibition 
MALATHION 16 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

of acetylcholinesterase results in accumulation and continuous action of the neurotransmitter 

acetylcholine at postsynaptic sites. Information regarding effects of malathion in humans is derived 

mainly from cases of accidental or intentional ingestion of malathion, studies of the general population 

exposed during aerial application of the pesticide for pest control, studies of pesticide users exposed to 

multiple pesticides including malathion, a few controlled exposure studies with volunteers, and cases of 

dermal exposure to malathion. Oral ingestion of high amounts of malathion resulted in typical signs and 

symptoms of organophosphate intoxication including reduced plasma and red blood cell (RBC) 

cholinesterase activity, excessive bronchial secretions, respiratory distress, salivation, pinpoint pupils, 

bradycardia, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, tremor, fasciculation, and occasionally death. 

Epidemiological studies have found weak associations between exposure to malathion and developmental 

effects and certain types of cancer. Malathion has also been shown to be a contact sensitizer, and results 

from some studies have suggested that it may cause adverse genetic effects. No chronic effects have been 

documented in humans following exposure specifically to malathion. Studies in animals support the 

human data and confirm that the main target of malathion toxicity is the nervous system. Malathion was 

not a reproductive or developmental toxicant in animals at doses that did not induce maternal toxicity, but 

transient testicular effects were reported. Malathion induced liver carcinogenicity in female Fischer344 rats and in male and female B6C3F1 mice at doses that were considered excessive. Results from a 

series of studies in animals conducted in the last decade suggest that malathion can modulate (increase or 

decrease) some immunologic parameters at doses below those that induce neurotoxicity. Although the 

physiological significance of these effects is yet unclear, it has been suggested that enhancements of the 

immune response induced by malathion may be responsible for symptoms such as lacrimation, rashes, 

and irritation of mucous membranes seen occasionally after aerial spraying of the pesticide. The 

mechanism of action of malathion-induced immunologic alterations is not known. Neurotoxicity is the 

main effect of malathion in humans and animals, and the mechanism of neurotoxic action has been 

studied extensively and is well understood. Therefore, the section below will focus only on neurological 

effects. The reader is referred to Section 3.2, Discussion of Health Effects by Route of Exposure, for 

information on additional effects that may have been observed sporadically in animal studies and in 

human case reports, and are of unclear physiological significance. 

Neurological Effects. Clinical signs and symptoms of malathion intoxication are typical of 

organophosphate poisoning. Malathion and its metabolite, malaoxon, inhibit the enzyme 

acetylcholinesterase and thus, prevent the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the central 

and peripheral nervous systems. Continuous presence of acetylcholine at parasympathetic autonomic 
MALATHION 17 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

muscarinic receptors results in ocular effects (miosis, blurred vision), gastrointestinal effects (nausea, 

vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea), respiratory effects (excessive bronchial secretions, chest 

tightness, bronchoconstriction), cardiovascular effects (bradycardia, decreased blood pressure), effects on 

exocrine glands (increased salivation, lacrimation), and effects on the bladder (incontinence). At the level 

of parasympathetic and sympathetic autonomic nicotinic receptors, acetylcholine will induce tachycardia 

and increase blood pressure. At the neuromuscular junction, excess acetylcholine will induce muscle 

fasciculations, cramps, diminished tendon reflexes, muscle weakness in peripheral and respiratory 

muscles, ataxia, and paralysis. Finally, overstimulation of brain cholinergic receptors will lead to 

drowsiness, lethargy, fatigue, headache, generalized weakness, dyspnea, convulsions, and cyanosis. 

The signs and symptoms described above have been documented in almost all of the cases of accidental 

or intentional ingestion of high amounts of malathion and in cases of dermal intoxication. Lethal doses 

can be estimated from case reports to have been between 350 and 2,000 mg/kg. These dose levels usually 

inhibited plasma and RBC cholinesterase activities to levels ranging from undetectable to 10–30% of 

normal. Studies of workers exposed to a combination of pesticides, including malathion, have shown 

decreases between 10 and 50% in both plasma and RBC cholinesterase activities. In general, plasma 

cholinesterase activity can be inhibited by 20–25% without significant physiological consequences. 

Studies also have shown that the rate of decrease of RBC cholinesterase correlates better with appearance 

of symptoms than the absolute value reached after exposure. It was found that plasma cholinesterase 

activity in workers who exhibited cholinergic symptoms and signs was 17% lower than in workers 

without symptoms and signs. Similar findings were reported in another study (Ernest et al. 1995). No 

cholinergic signs were seen in a study in which the activities of RBC and plasma cholinesterase varied 

less than 10% between pre- and postexposure. A study in volunteers exposed to 85 mg/m3

 of a malathion 

aerosol for 2 hours/day over a 42-day period observed no clinical signs and no significant inhibition of 

plasma or RBC cholinesterase activity over the study period. In an additional study of volunteers orally 

administered 0.34 mg malathion/kg/day for 56 days, there was a maximum depression of 25% in plasma 

cholinesterase approximately 3 weeks after cessation of treatment. A similar depression in RBC 

cholinesterase was observed, but occurred later. Administration of 0.11 mg malathion/kg/day for 32 days 

or 0.23 mg/kg/day for 47 days did not produce any significant depression of plasma or RBC 

cholinesterase activity. No clinical signs were seen in the volunteers. As detailed in Section 3.2, 

numerous studies in animals exposed to malathion by any route have shown inhibition of plasma, RBC, 

and brain cholinesterase activities. 
MALATHION 18 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

There is also some evidence that exposure to malathion may result in alterations in some 

neurophysiological parameters. For example, electromyography testing demonstrated neuromuscular 

blockade in some cases of intoxication, but not in a case in which neither motor nor sensory peripheral 

nerve conduction velocities were significantly altered. Slightly reduced motor nerve conduction velocity 

was reported in a case in which the tests were conducted 10 days following the poisoning episode. Acute 

sensorimotor distal axonal polyneuropathy has been described. The alterations consisted of mild 

reductions of most compound muscle and sensory nerve action potentials amplitudes, slightly prolonged 

sensory distal latencies, and mildly slowed nerve conduction velocities. This was accompanied by 

morphological evidence of denervation and reinnervation of the gastrocnemius muscle and degenerating 

axons from the sural nerve. In these cases, isopropylmalathion was found in relatively large quantities in 

the formulation ingested. Some studies of exposure to multiple organophosphates also have reported 

signs of peripheral neuropathies, whereas others have reported negative findings. 

Another condition that has been reported in humans as a consequence of acute exposure to high amounts 

of malathion is the intermediate syndrome. The intermediate syndrome is termed as such because it 

occurs in the time interval (24–96 hours) between the end of the acute cholinergic crisis and the usual 

onset of delayed neuropathy, and it is thought to be due to persistent cholinesterase inhibition leading to 

combined pre- and post-synaptic impairment of neuromuscular transmission. Clinically, it was 

characterized by weakness in the territory of several motor cranial nerves, weakness of neck flexors and 

proximal limb muscles, and respiratory paralysis. 

A serious neurological effect of some organophosphate pesticides is delayed neurotoxicity. 

Organophosphorus-induced delayed polyneuropathy (OPIDP) is caused by inhibition of an enzyme 

known as neuropathy target esterase (NTE), which is widely distributed throughout both the central and 

peripheral nervous systems. The animal of choice for testing for OPIDP is the adult hen. OPIDP has 

been defined as a central-peripheral, distal, sensory-motor axonopathy and involves extensive 

morphological damage to the central and peripheral nervous system. Thus far, there is no evidence that 

malathion induces delayed neurotoxicity in humans or in animals. Neither malathion nor malaoxon 

inhibited NTE in a human neuroblastoma cell line. Furthermore, malathion did not induce OPIDP in the 

adult hen at oral doses of up to 300 mg/kg. These dose levels inhibited both NTE and brain 

acetylcholinesterase, but inhibited the latter to a greater extent, which is opposite to what is normally seen 

with OPIDP inducers. 
MALATHION 19 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

2.3 MINIMAL RISK LEVELS (MRLs) 

Inhalation MRLs 

C An MRL of 0.2 mg/m3

 has been derived for acute-duration inhalation exposure (14 days or less) 

to malathion. 

An acute-duration inhalation MRL of 0.2 mg/m3 was derived for malathion based on a no-observedadverse-effect-level (NOAEL) of 65 mg/m3

 for inhibition of RBC cholinesterase activity in rabbits 

exposed to a malathion aerosol (Weeks et al. 1977). Groups of male New Zealand rabbits (6/exposure 

level) were exposed for 6 hours to 0 (chamber air), 6, 34, 65, or 123 mg malathion/m3

 as an aerosol 

generated from a technical malathion formulation (95% pure). Blood was collected at 10 minutes, 

24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days postexposure for determination of cholinesterases activities. Tissues were 

also removed for histopathological examination. There were no signs of toxicity throughout the study. 

Exposure to the highest concentration of malathion inhibited plasma cholinesterase by 37% 24 hours 

postexposure and by 41% 72 hours postexposure. RBC cholinesterase was inhibited by 38, 48, and 48% 

by the high exposure concentration 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days postexposure, respectively. Exposure 

to malathion caused no histopathological alterations in the organs examined. One human study provided 

quantitative exposure information. In that study, 16 volunteers were exposed to malathion aerosols 

2 hours/day for 42 days (Golz 1959). The malathion aerosol concentrations were 0 (controls), 5.3, 21, 

and 85 mg/m3

. There were no signs of toxicity during the study with the exception of complaints of nasal 

and eye irritation within 5–10 minutes of exposure to 85 mg/m3

 of malathion aerosol; no effects were 

reported at 21 mg/m3

. Analyses of blood samples taken weekly showed no significant effect on plasma or 

RBC cholinesterase activity over the study period. The MRL was derived by dividing the NOAEL of 

65 mg/m3

 by an uncertainty factor of 100 (10 for extrapolation from animal to human and 10 to account 

for sensitive human subpopulations) (1959). A conversion factor was used to adjust from intermittent 

exposure to continuous exposure (6/24hours). 

C An MRL of 0.02 mg/m3

 has been derived for intermediate-duration inhalation exposure (15–

364 days) to malathion. 

An intermediate-duration inhalation MRL of 0.02 mg/m3

 was derived for malathion based on a lowestobserved-adverse-effect-level (LOAEL) of 100 mg/m3

 for upper respiratory tract effects in rats in a 

13-week study (Beattie 1994). Groups of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (15/sex/exposure level) 

were exposed whole body to malathion (96.4% pure) aerosols at concentrations of 0 (air control), 100, 

450, or 2,010 mg/m3

 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 13 weeks. Rats were monitored for clinical signs and 
MALATHION 20 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

body weight changes. At termination, gross necropsies were conducted and tissues were processed for 

microscopical evaluation. Cholinesterase activity was determined in plasma, RBCs, and brain. There 

were no malathion-related effects on survival, body weight, or food intake. Adverse clinical signs 

consisting of urogenital staining, excessive salivation, and ungroomed fur were seen mostly in the highexposure group, but also occurred sporadically in the other exposed groups. Histopathological treatmentrelated alterations were restricted to the respiratory epithelium. Exposure-concentration-related lesions in 

the nasal cavity and the larynx of both sexes were seen. The lesions in the nasal cavity consisted of slight 

to moderate degeneration and/or hyperplasia of the olfactory epithelium. The lesions in the larynx 

consisted of epithelial hyperplasia with squamous keratization seen in some rats. The effects on 

cholinesterase activities were concentration-related and effects on females seemed more pronounced than 

in males. Plasma cholinesterase activity was decreased 30 and 70% in the mid-exposure level and highexposure level females, respectively. RBC cholinesterase activity was decreased 22 and 27% in midexposure level males and females, respectively, and 43 and 44% in high-exposure level males and 

females, respectively. Brain cholinesterase activity was decreased 41% in high-exposure level females. 

In the study by Golz (1959) mentioned above, the subjects were exposed to malathion 2 hours /day for 

42 days, but given that malathion is rapidly eliminated from the body (see Section 3.4, Toxicokinetics), 

this exposure regime better reflects repeated single exposures than an intermediate-duration exposure 

study. The MRL was derived by dividing the LOAEL of 100 mg/m3

 by an uncertainty factor of 

1,000 (10 for animal to human extrapolation, 10 for using a LOAEL, and 10 to account for sensitive 

subpopulations). 

No chronic-duration inhalation MRL was derived for malathion because of lack of adequate data. 

Information on effects in humans is derived mostly from studies of workers in which both the inhalation 

and dermal routes of exposure play significant roles. No adequate data were available from these studies 

to construct dose-response relationships. No chronic inhalation studies in animals were located. 

Oral MRLs 

No acute oral MRL was derived for malathion. Acute oral data in humans come almost exclusively from 

case reports of accidental or intentional ingestion of high amounts of malathion formulations and do not 

provide information for establishing dose-response relationships (Choi et al. 1998; Crowley and Johns 

1966; Dive et al. 1994; Faragó 1967; Jušić and Milić 1978; Lee and Tai 2001; Monje Argiles et al. 1990; 

Morgade and Barquet 1982; Namba et al. 1970; Peedicayil et al. 1991; Stålberg et al. 1978; Tuthill 1958; 

Zivot et al. 1993). Almost all cases presented the typical signs and symptoms of cholinergic stimulation. 

Acute oral studies in animals provided information on systemic (Krause 1977; Krause et al. 1976; Lox 
MALATHION 21 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

1983; Ojha et al. 1992; Piramanayagam et al. 1996; Simionescu et al. 1977), immunological (Casale et al. 

1983; Rodgers and Xiong 1996, 1997b, 1997d; Rodgers et al. 1986), neurological (Casale et al. 1983; 

Ehrich et al. 1993; Mathews and Devi 1994; Vijayakumar and Selvarajan 1990; Weeks et al. 1977), 

reproductive (Krause et al. 1976; Lochry 1989; Ojha et al. 1992; Prabhakaran et al. 1993; Siglin 1985), 

and developmental effects (Khera et al. 1978; Lochry 1989; Machin and McBride 1989a, 1989b; 

Mathews and Devi 1994). Although there appears to be an extensive database from animal studies, the 

quality of many studies precludes their use for risk assessment. Some of the limitations include poor 

reporting of the results and/or only one dose level tested. Well-conducted studies by Rodgers and 

colleagues identified the lowest effects levels for immunological alterations in mice (degranulation of 

mast cells) administered 0.1 mg malathion/kg/day for 14 days (Rodgers and Xiong 1997d). An additional 

study from this series found increased serum histamine levels in rats and mice after a single dose of 

10 mg/kg (Rodgers and Xiong 1997b); the NOAEL was 1 mg/kg. The physiological significance of these 

immunological effects is unknown and should be addressed in further studies in which the animals are 

challenged with pathogens. Therefore, it seems inappropriate at this time to base an acute oral MRL on 

subtle immunological alterations of unknown physiological significance. A relatively low LOAEL of 

4.4 mg/kg (the only dose level tested) was identified for decreased hematocrit and platelet counts in rats 

administered malathion once by gavage in water. No other acute gavage or feeding study reported a 

similar effect at any dose level. Therefore, it would also be inappropriate to base an acute oral MRL on a 

free standing LOAEL of unknown toxicological significance. 

C An MRL of 0.02 mg/kg/day has been derived for intermediate-duration oral exposure (15–

364 days) to malathion. 

An intermediate-duration oral MRL of 0.02 mg/kg/day was derived for malathion based on inhibition of 

plasma and RBC cholinesterase activity in humans (Moeller and Rider 1962). The study was conducted 

in three phases. In the first phase, five male volunteers were administered daily capsules containing 

malathion (purity not reported) in corn oil that provided an approximate dose of 0.11 mg 

malathion/kg/day for 32 days. In the second phase, which started 3 weeks after the first phase had 

terminated, five male volunteers received daily capsules with malathion providing about 0.23 mg 

malathion/kg/day for 47 days. In the third phase, five new subjects received approximately 0.34 mg 

malathion/kg/day for 56 days. Plasma and RBC cholinesterase was determined twice weekly before, 

during, and after administration of malathion. Routine blood counts and urinalyses were conducted at the 

end of each study period. Administration of 0.11 mg malathion/kg/day for 32 days or 0.23 mg/kg/day for 

47 days did not produce any significant depression of plasma or RBC cholinesterase activity, nor did it 

alter blood counts or urinalyses, or induce clinical signs. In phase three, 0.34 mg malathion/kg/day for 
MALATHION 22 

2. RELEVANCE TO PUBLIC HEALTH 

56 days caused a maximum depression of 25% in plasma cholinesterase approximately 3 weeks after 

cessation of treatment. A similar depression in RBC cholinesterase was observed, but occurred later. No 

clinical signs were seen in the volunteers. The MRL was derived by dividing the NOAEL of 

0.23 mg/kg/day by an uncertainty factor of 10 (to account for sensitive subpopulations). 

C An MRL of 0.02 mg/kg/day has been derived for chronic-duration oral exposure (365 days or 

more) to malathion. 

A chronic-duration oral MRL of 0.02 mg/g/day was derived for malathion based on inhibition of plasma 

and RBC cholinesterase activity in rats fed malathion in the diet for 2 years (Daly 1996a). Groups of 

male and female Fischer-344 rats (90/sex/dose level) were administered malathion (97.1%) in the diet at 

levels of 0, 50, 500, 6,000, or 12,000 ppm for 2 years. This diet provided approximately 0, 2, 29, 359, or 

739 mg malathion/kg/day to males and 0, 3, 35, 415, or 868 mg/kg/day to females. Ten rats/sex/group 

were sacrificed at 3 and 6 months primarily for ocular tissue evaluation. Additional sacrifices were 

conducted at 12 months for more complete assessments. Administration of malathion significantly 

increased mortality in males at 6,000 ppm and in both sexes at 12,000 ppm. Body weight gain was 

reduced both in males and females at the two highest exposure levels, but food intake was not decreased. 

Hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean cell hemoglobin were in both sexes 

at the two highest dietary levels of malathion. Absolute and relative liver and kidney weights were 

increased in males and females from the 6,000 and 12,000 ppm groups. Relative absolute thyroid and 

parathyroid weights were increased in males at 6,000 ppm at 12 months and in females at 6,000 and 

12,000 ppm at termination. At 24 months, at the 500 ppm malathion dietary level (29 mg/kg/day for 

males, 35 mg/kg/day for females), plasma cholinesterase activity was reduced 29 and 18% in males and 

females, respectively, RBC cholinesterase was reduced 17 and 27%, respectively, and brain 

cholinesterase was reduced 3 and 1%, respectively. At the 6,000 ppm level, plasma cholinesterase in 

males and females was reduced 64 and 61%, respectively, and brain cholinesterase was reduced 21 and 

18%, respectively. No significant reduction in enzyme activities was observed at the lowest dietary level 

of malathion, 2 mg/kg/day for males and 3 mg/kg/day for females. The MRL was derived by dividing the 

NOAEL of 2 mg/kg/day by an uncertainty factor of 100 (10 for extrapolation from animal to human and 

10 to account for sensitive subpopulations). 
MALATHION 23 

 3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

3.1 INTRODUCTION 

The primary purpose of this chapter is to provide public health officials, physicians, toxicologists, and 

other interested individuals and groups with an overall perspective on the toxicology of malathion. It 

contains descriptions and evaluations of toxicological studies and epidemiological investigations and 

provides conclusions, where possible, on the relevance of toxicity and toxicokinetic data to public health. 

A glossary and list of acronyms, abbreviations, and symbols can be found at the end of this profile. 

Many of the systemic effects observed following exposure to malathion discussed below under inhalation, 

oral, and dermal exposure (Sections 3.2.1, 3.2.2, and 3.2.3) are due to the inhibition by malaoxon (the 

active metabolite of malathion) of acetylcholinesterase at nerve terminals from the central, peripheral 

somatic, and autonomic divisions of the nervous system. Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase at these 

various levels triggers signs and symptoms that involve mainly, but not exclusively, the respiratory, 

cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal systems, and also induce ocular effects (see Section 3.5.2). 

Therefore, although listed under specific systems, the reader should keep in mind that these effects are 

secondary to a neurological effect, inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Acetylcholinesterase 

inhibition is a biochemical feature common to all organophosphate pesticides. 

This document deals with health effects in humans and in animals that result from exposure to malathion. 

While studies in animals involve controlled exposures to malathion, people are rarely exposed to a single 

chemical in occupational settings or even in residential exposures. Many studies summarized in 

Section 3.2, particularly those under Inhalation Exposure and Dermal Exposure involved exposure to 

multiple chemicals, including malathion. These type of studies are also included in this document even 

though health effects cannot be ascribed to exposure to a particular chemical, but the study design may 

allow the study authors to at least narrow down the possibilities to a single class of chemicals. 

3.2 DISCUSSION OF HEALTH EFFECTS BY ROUTE OF EXPOSURE 

To help public health professionals and others address the needs of persons living or working near 

hazardous waste sites, the information in this section is organized first by route of exposure (inhalation, 
MALATHION 24 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

oral, and dermal) and then by health effect (death, systemic, immunological, neurological, reproductive, 

developmental, genotoxic, and carcinogenic effects). These data are discussed in terms of three exposure 

periods: acute (14 days or less), intermediate (15–364 days), and chronic (365 days or more). 

Levels of significant exposure for each route and duration are presented in tables and illustrated in 

figures. The points in the figures showing no-observed-adverse-effect levels (NOAELs) or lowestobserved-adverse-effect levels (LOAELs) reflect the actual doses (levels of exposure) used in the studies. 

LOAELs have been classified into "less serious" or "serious" effects. "Serious" effects are those that 

evoke failure in a biological system and can lead to morbidity or mortality (e.g., acute respiratory distress 

or death). "Less serious" effects are those that are not expected to cause significant dysfunction or death, 

or those whose significance to the organism is not entirely clear. ATSDR acknowledges that a 

considerable amount of judgment may be required in establishing whether an end point should be 

classified as a NOAEL, "less serious" LOAEL, or "serious" LOAEL, and that in some cases, there will be 

insufficient data to decide whether the effect is indicative of significant dysfunction. However, the 

Agency has established guidelines and policies that are used to classify these end points. ATSDR 

believes that there is sufficient merit in this approach to warrant an attempt at distinguishing between 

"less serious" and "serious" effects. The distinction between "less serious" effects and "serious" effects is 

considered to be important because it helps the users of the profiles to identify levels of exposure at which 

major health effects start to appear. LOAELs or NOAELs should also help in determining whether or not 

the effects vary with dose and/or duration, and place into perspective the possible significance of these 

effects to human health. 

The significance of the exposure levels shown in the Levels of Significant Exposure (LSE) tables and 

figures may differ depending on the user's perspective. Public health officials and others concerned with 

appropriate actions to take at hazardous waste sites may want information on levels of exposure 

associated with more subtle effects in humans or animals (LOAELs) or exposure levels below which no 

adverse effects (NOAELs) have been observed. Estimates of levels posing minimal risk to humans 

(Minimal Risk Levels or MRLs) may be of interest to health professionals and citizens alike. 

Levels of exposure associated with carcinogenic effects (Cancer Effect Levels, CELs) of malathion are 

indicated in Table 3-2 and Figure 3-2. 

Estimates of exposure levels posing minimal risk to humans (Minimal Risk Levels or MRLs) have been 

made for malathion. An MRL is defined as an estimate of daily human exposure to a substance that is 
MALATHION 25 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

likely to be without an appreciable risk of adverse effects (noncarcinogenic) over a specified duration of 

exposure. MRLs are derived when reliable and sufficient data exist to identify the target organ(s) of 

effect or the most sensitive health effect(s) for a specific duration within a given route of exposure. 

MRLs are based on noncancerous health effects only and do not consider carcinogenic effects. MRLs can 

be derived for acute, intermediate, and chronic duration exposures for inhalation and oral routes. 

Appropriate methodology does not exist to develop MRLs for dermal exposure. 

Although methods have been established to derive these levels (Barnes and Dourson 1988; EPA 1990), 

uncertainties are associated with these techniques. Furthermore, ATSDR acknowledges additional 

uncertainties inherent in the application of the procedures to derive less than lifetime MRLs. As an 

example, acute inhalation MRLs may not be protective for health effects that are delayed in development 

or are acquired following repeated acute insults, such as hypersensitivity reactions, asthma, or chronic 

bronchitis. As these kinds of health effects data become available and methods to assess levels of 

significant human exposure improve, these MRLs will be revised. 

A User's Guide has been provided at the end of this profile (see Appendix B). This guide should aid in 

the interpretation of the tables and figures for Levels of Significant Exposure and the MRLs. 

3.2.1 Inhalation Exposure 

Many of the studies described below are occupational studies in which exposure to malathion occurred 

primarily via the inhalation and dermal routes. However, the specific contribution of each route of 

exposure is not possible to determine, especially in cases in which it is not known whether or not the 

workers were using protective clothing and/or respirators. Studies in which no specific mention is made 

regarding which exposure route prevailed are summarized below in Section 3.2.1, Inhalation Exposure, 

leaving Section 3.2.3, Dermal Exposure, for studies that explicitly indicated that exposure occurred 

primarily through the dermal route. This decision is somewhat arbitrary and is in part dictated by the 

document format, but the reader should keep in mind that both inhalation and dermal routes combined 

contributed to the effects described. 

3.2.1.1 Death 

Two reports provide information regarding inhalation exposure to malathion, or to a group of pesticides 

that included malathion, and death in humans, but no apparent association was found in either report. In a 
MALATHION 26 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

single case of apparent acute inhalation exposure, a 12-year-old girl admitted to the hospital died from 

aplastic anemia 6 months after exposure to malathion (Reeves et al. 1981). Although aplastic anemia was 

diagnosed 2 weeks after a 1-hour exposure to malathion (unspecified formulation or purity), there is no 

evidence that anemia occurred as a consequence of exposure to malathion. This case was one of six cases 

of children exposed to pesticides described in this brief report and few details are presented. It is 

mentioned, however, that the parents of all six children recalled previously using the product in the home. 

The second report is a retrospective cohort study that investigated deaths among 32,600 employees of a 

lawn care company that used a variety of pesticides, malathion among them, as well as herbicides and 

fungicides (Zahm 1997). Among all employees (regardless of duration of employment or type of job 

activity), deaths due to bladder cancer were significantly higher than expected for the general population 

(standard mortality ratio [SMR]=7.10, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.43, 20.73), but two of the three 

observed deaths had no direct occupational contact with pesticides. Among male applicators employed 

for 3 or more years, deaths due to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) were elevated (SMR=7.11, 95% 

CI=1.78, 28.42), but malathion was not among the pesticides known to be in use at the branch when the 

subjects were employed as applicators (Zahm 1997). More details regarding the NHL cases are presented 

under Cancer in Section 3.2.1.7. No other cause of death was significantly elevated among lawn 

applicators as a group or among those employed for 3 or more years. This cohort had significantly lower 

than expected mortality for all causes of deaths combined, arterioesclerotic heart disease, symptoms and 

ill-defined conditions, and accidents. 

Very limited information was located regarding death in animals following inhalation exposure to 

malathion. Four out of six male New Zealand rabbits died within 24 hours of exposure to 128 mg/m3

malathion aerosol generated from a formulation containing 6% malathion and a fuel oil mixture (Weeks 

et al. 1977). However, no deaths or signs of toxicity were observed in a group of rabbits exposed to 

123 mg/m3

 of an aerosol generated from a 95% malathion formulation (Weeks et al. 1977). 

3.2.1.2 Systemic Effects 

The highest NOAEL and all reliable LOAEL values from each study for systemic effects in each species 

and duration category are recorded in Table 3-1 and plotted in Figure 3-1. No studies were located 

regarding cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, hepatic, or endocrine effects in humans or in animals 

following inhalation exposure to malathion. Dermal and ocular effects reported in studies in humans or 

animals that occurred by exposure to the chemical in the air, most likely due to direct contact with the 

skin or eyes, are summarized in Section 3.2.3, Dermal Exposure. 
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/m3) (mg/m3)

Serious a

System (mg/m3)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-1 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Inhalation

ACUTE EXPOSURESystemic

1

Resp 21 M

5-10 min 

85 (nasal irritation) M

Human

Neurological

2

65

b

M

(NewZealand)

6 hr 

123 (38% inhibition of RBC

cholinesterase)

M

Rabbit

INTERMEDIATE EXPOSURESystemic

3

Bd Wt 85 M

42 d2 hr/d

Human 

4

(SpragueDawley) Resp

13 wk5 d/wk6 hr/d

100

c

(hyperplasia of the olfactoryepithelium and of the larynxepithelium)

Rat

Bd Wt 2010

Neurological

5

85 M

42 d2 hr/d

Human 

6

100

(SpragueDawley)

a The number corresponds to entries in Figure 3-1.b Used to derive an acute-duration inhalation minimal risk level (MRL) of 0.2 mg/m3; the MRL was derived by dividing the duration-adjusted NOAEL by an unc

(10 for animal to human extrapolation; 10 for human variability).c Used to derive an intermediate-duration inhalation minimal risk level (MRL) of 0.02 mg/m3; the MRL was derived by dividing the duration-adjusted LOAEL by 1000 (10 for animal to human extrapolation; 10 for use of a LOAEL; 10 for human variability).Bd = body weight; d = day(s); F = Female; hr = hour(s); LOAEL = lowest-observed-adverse-effect level; M = male; mg/m3 = milligram/cubic meter; min = minuno-observed-adverse-effect level; RBC = red blood cell(s); Resp = respiratory; wk = week(s).

13 wk5 d/wk6 hr/d

450 (22% and 27% decrease in

RBC cholinesterase activity inmales and females,respectively)

2010 (70% decrease in plasma

cholinesterase activity)

F Rat










	





	





   	
   
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MALATHION 30 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Respiratory Effects. In a controlled-exposure study, 16 male volunteers (4/exposure level) were 

exposed to aerosol bombs that contained 0 (control), 5, or 20% malathion for 1 hour 2 times/day for 

42 days (Golz 1959). The actual exposure concentrations were 0, 5.3, 21, or 85 mg/m3

. By adjusting the 

application rate of the 20% formation, the highest exposure groups were formed.The malathion in the 

formulation was 95% pure. There were no signs of toxicity during the study, with the exception of 

complaints of nasal irritation in men exposed to the highest concentration during the first 5–10 minutes of 

each exposure. One study of 85 subjects who worked in the production of six organophosphate pesticides 

(malathion was one of them) for periods ranging from 0.1 to 29 years found a higher frequency of upper 

respiratory tract infections in workers than in 67 controls (Hermanowicz and Kossman 1984) (see also 

information under Immunological Effects). Also, those exposed for 11–29 years had more respiratory 

infections than individuals exposed for 0.1–2 years. Before and during the study, total air concentrations 

of organophosphates remained below admissible limits. Exposure to chlorinated solvents also occurred 

during pesticide production and may have contributed to the effects observed. The role of malathion, if 

any, cannot be ascertained. Additional information was found in a study of self-reported symptoms in 

22 seamen who may have been exposed to a single cloud of malathion that escaped from a nearby 

overheated tank (Markowitz et al. 1986). Compared with a group of controls, the seamen reported 

significantly more problems with sore throat, stuffy nose, and laryngitis when contacted 12 days 

following the incident. It should be noted, however, that there was no evidence of actual exposure to the 

chemical. 

Following aerial application of malathion in Santa Clara County, California, in 1981, a survey was 

conducted to assess the acute health effects of the application (Kahn et al. 1992). The study included 

three indirect assessments that focused on the utilization of acute care services and two surveys to assess 

self-reported symptoms. The results showed no significant increase in the number of visits for the broad 

category, respiratory, to hospital emergency departments during the application period compared with the 

prespray period or the corresponding period the previous year. Furthermore, there was no significant 

increase in the number of asthma-related visits to a university medical school in the area, although the 

numbers in the study may have been too small to provide definite conclusions. The results of the surveys 

to assess self-reported symptoms revealed no detectable increase in acute morbidity or in 

organophosphate-compatible symptomatology, but again, the sample size may have been too small for 

marginal increases in the prevalence of various symptoms to be detected. 
MALATHION 31 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

The only information available regarding respiratory effects in animals following inhalation exposure to 

malathion is provided by a study in rats in which whole body exposure to an aerosol concentration of 

100 mg/m3

 of malathion (96.4% pure) 6 hours/day, 5 days/week for 13 weeks induced hyperplasia of the 

olfactory and larynx epithelia (Beattie 1994). The 100 mg/m3

 exposure concentration, which was the 

lowest exposure level tested, was used to derive an intermediate-duration inhalation MRL of 0.02 mg/m3

for malathion. 

Gastrointestinal Effects. The only information on gastrointestinal effects in humans after inhalation 

exposure to malathion comes from a study of self-reported symptoms in 22 seamen who may have been 

exposed to a single cloud of malathion that escaped from a nearby overheated tank (Markowitz et al. 

1986). Compared with a group of controls, the seamen reported significantly more problems such as 

diarrhea, constipation, or painful bowel movements when contacted 12 days following the incident. As 

previously mentioned, there was no evidence of actual exposure to the chemical. 

No studies were located regarding gastrointestinal effects in animals following inhalation exposure to 

malathion. 

Hematological Effects. As previously mentioned in Section 3.2.1.1, Death, Reeves et al. (1981) 

reported the case of a 12-year-old girl who was admitted to the hospital and died from aplastic anemia 

6 months after exposure to malathion. Aplastic anemia was diagnosed 2 weeks after a 1-hour exposure to 

malathion (unspecified formulation or purity), which makes the evidence that malathion was the causing 

agent only circumstantial. This was one of six cases of children exposed to pesticides, and few details are 

presented in this brief communication other than the fact that the parents of all six children recalled 

previously using the product in the home. A more recent study of 60 workers at a pesticide (primarily 

malathion) manufacturing facility who were in direct contact with malathion found an inverse relationship 

between hemoglobin concentration and duration of employment (Singaravelu et al. 1998). Eight 

individuals who had worked in the processing unit for >20 years had mean hemoglobin levels of 

11.30 g/dL compared to 15.5 g/dL measured in four matched controls employed for >20 years. No 

information was provided regarding exposure levels or the health status of the workers. The small 

number of individuals studied precludes drawing meaningful conclusions from this study. 

No studies were located regarding hematological effects in animals following inhalation exposure to 

malathion. 
MALATHION 32 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Renal Effects. Some limited information is available regarding renal effects in humans exposed to 

malathion. Albright et al. (1983) described the case of a 65-year-old man who developed transient renal 

insufficiency with massive proteinuria 3 weeks after spraying intensively with malathion (unknown 

formulation). The presence of membranous glomerulopathy and a marginally reduced C3 complement 

level led the authors to postulate that malathion caused an immune complex nephropathy. Another study 

of workers exposed to several organophosphate pesticides, including malathion, for up to 29 years, found 

no increase in the incidence of renal disease (inflammation of the renal parenchyma, calyces, and pelvis) 

compared to a group of unexposed controls (Hermanowicz and Kossman 1984). 

No studies were located regarding renal effects in animals following inhalation exposure to malathion. 

Body Weight Effects. Information on body weight was found in a study of 16 male volunteers 

(4/exposure level) who were exposed to aerosol bombs that contained 0 (control), 5, or 20% actual 

malathion (95% pure) (Golz 1959). The men were exposed for 1 hour twice/day for 42 days to measured 

concentrations of 0, 5.3, 21, or 85 mg/m3

. There were no exposure-related changes in body weight during 

the study. Additional information was found in a study of self-reported symptoms in 22 seamen who may 

have been exposed to a single cloud of malathion that escaped from a nearby overheated tank (Markowitz 

et al. 1986). Compared with a group of controls, the seamen reported significantly more rapid weight 

changes when contacted 12 days following the incident. Since there was no evidence of actual exposure 

to the chemical, the role of malathion, if any, is unknown. 

Rats exposed to an aerosol of malathion (96.4% pure) at a concentration of up to 2,010 mg/m3

, 

6 hours/day, 5 days/week for 13 weeks showed no significant alterations in body weight gain during the 

study (Beattie 1994). No further information was located in the available studies. 

3.2.1.3 Immunological and Lymphoreticular Effects 

As mentioned above, Albright et al. (1983) described the case of a 65-year-old man who developed 

transient renal insufficiency with massive proteinuria weeks after spraying intensively with malathion 

(unknown formulation). The presence of membranous glomerulopathy and a marginally reduced C3 

complement level led the authors to postulate that malathion caused an immune complex nephropathy. A 

study of 85 workers occupationally exposed to several organophosphate pesticides, including malathion, 

as well as chlorinated solvents for periods ranging from 0.1 to 29 years observed marked impairments of 

neutrophil chemotaxis and significantly decreased neutrophil adhesion in all types of workers studied 
MALATHION 33 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

(Hermanowicz and Kossman 1984). As noted in Section 3.2.1.2, the frequency of upper respiratory tract 

infections was greater in workers than in controls. The role of malathion, if any, in the observed effects 

cannot be determined. 

The study by Kahn et al. (1992) in Santa Clara County, California, described above (Respiratory Effects), 

showed that there were no significant increases in the number of visits for the broad category, allergic 

problems, to hospital emergency departments during the application period compared with the prespray 

period or the corresponding period the previous year. The results of the surveys to assess self-reported 

symptoms revealed no detectable increase in acute morbidity or in organophosphate-compatible 

symptomatology, although the sample size may have been too small to detect small increases in 

prevalence of various symptoms. 

No studies were located regarding immunological effects in animals following inhalation exposure to 

malathion. 

3.2.1.4 Neurological Effects 

Numerous studies were located that provided information on the neurological effects of exposure by 

humans to organophosphate pesticides in the air, but few evaluated exposure specifically to malathion, 

and provided quantitative exposure data. End points evaluated included measurements of red blood cell 

(RBC) and plasma cholinesterase activity as well as measurements of neurophysiological parameters and 

clinical signs. Most studies evaluated workers exposed repeatedly over periods of time ranging from 

weeks to years. 

Effects on Cholinesterase Activity. In a controlled-exposure study, 16 male volunteers (4/exposure level) 

were exposed to aerosol bombs that contained 0 (control), 5, or 20% actual malathion 1 hour 2 times/day 

for 42 days (Golz 1959). The actual exposure concentrations were 0, 5.3, 21, or 85 mg/m3

. The 

malathion in the formulation was 95% pure. There were no signs of toxicity during the study and no 

significant effect on either plasma or RBC cholinesterase activity. Similar lack of effects on plasma and 

RBC cholinesterase was reported by Culver et al. (1956) among a group of men exposed outdoors for 

4–5 hours to malathion concentrations between 0.5 and 4 mg/m3

, with peak concentration of up to 

56 mg/m3

. 
MALATHION 34 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Studies in which workers were exposed to a combination of pesticides (not limited to organophosphates) 

that included malathion showed either a decrease of 26% in RBC cholinesterase in 85 workers exposed 

from 0.1 to 29 years compared with the same number of unexposed individuals (Hermanowicz and 

Kossman 1984) or no significant difference among 11 pesticide applicators when comparing exposure 

periods with periods during the year of no exposure (StDlberg et al. 1978). Among four studies that 

measured changes in plasma cholinesterase, levels were 8–53% lower in groups of pesticide applicators 

when compared with controls (Ernest et al. 1995; Hermanowicz and Kossman 1984; Peedicayil et al. 

1991) or with periods of no exposure (StDlberg et al. 1978). Numbers of exposed individuals evaluated in 

these four studies ranged from 11 to 85 pesticide workers. 

Some studies also examined the possible association between changes in cholinesterase levels and the 

presence or absence of clinical signs of cholinergic stimulation. For example, Peedicayil et al. (1991) 

found that plasma cholinesterase activity in workers who exhibited cholinergic symptoms and signs was 

17% lower than in workers without symptoms and signs. Similar findings were reported by Ernest et al. 

(1995). No cholinergic signs were seen in the StDlberg et al. (1978) study in which the activities of RBC 

and plasma cholinesterase varied less than 10% between pre- and postexposure. 

Neurophysiological Effects. A significantly higher percentage of peripheral neuropathies (evaluated by 

electromyograph [EMG] recordings) were observed among pesticide workers than in controls in a study 

by Ernest et al. (1995). Those who had clinical features of peripheral neuropathy had been exposed to 

organophosphates from 4 to 10 years. A similar finding was reported by Peedicayil et al. (1991), 

although the specific method to assess peripheral neuropathy was not indicated. Only a slight reduction 

(3%) in sensory nerve conduction velocity was seen among a group of 11 workers exposed to 

organophosphates for periods ranging from 1 to 24 years (StDlberg et al. 1978); however, there were no 

significant alterations in motor nerve conduction velocity or any indication of altered synaptic 

transmission. No evidence of neuromuscular insufficiency was reported by Jušić et al. (1980) among a 

group of 14 workers exposed to a pesticide formulation containing 57% malathion 4–5 hours/day, 4–

6 months during the year. 

The study by Kahn et al. (1992) described above (Respiratory Effects) on residents from an urban area 

where aerial spraying with malathion was conducted did not find a significant increase in visits to hospital 

emergency departments for the category, anxiety, following the spraying. In fact, after the spraying, there 

was a decrease in anxiety-related symptoms. The study also found no increase in self-reported symptoms 

that would indicate effects consistent with organophosphate poisoning. 
MALATHION 35 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Studies in animals support the findings in humans regarding cholinesterase inhibition. Exposure of 

rabbits to 123 mg malathion/m3

 as an aerosol generated from a technical malathion formulation 

(95% pure) for 6 hours inhibited plasma cholinesterase activity by 37% at 24 hours postexposure and 41% 

at 72 hours postexposure (Weeks et al. 1977). This exposure also resulted in inhibition of erythrocyte 

cholinesterase by 38, 48, and 48% at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days postexposure, respectively. The 

NOAEL was 65 mg/m3

. Exposure to an aerosol formulation containing 6% malathion and a fuel oil 

mixture resulted in 38% inhibition of plasma cholinesterase with a 66 mg/m3

 concentration 72 hours after 

exposure and 71% inhibition with a 128 mg/m3

 concentration 10 minutes postexposure. With this 

formulation, erythrocyte cholinesterase was inhibited 61 and 46% with the 128 mg/m3

 concentration 

10 minutes and 24 hours, respectively, postexposure. Exposure to the 6% formulation caused lethality, 

but no signs of toxicity or deaths were seen among rabbits exposed to the 95% malathion formulation. By 

comparing these results to those obtained after oral exposure in a parallel experiment, Weeks et al. (1977) 

estimated that it took 15–20 times more malathion by ingestion to cause an effect similar to that seen by 

inhalation. The NOAEL of 65 mg/m3

 was used to derive an intermediate inhalation MRL of 0.02 mg/m3

for malathion. 

In a 13-week study, Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed whole body to up to 2,010 mg/m3

 of malathion 

(96.4% pure) 6 hours/day, 5 days/week (Beattie 1994). At termination, the effects on cholinesterase 

activities were found to be exposure concentration-related and effects on females seemed more 

pronounced that in males. Plasma cholinesterase activity was decreased 30% at 450 mg/m3

 and 70% at 

2,010 mg/m3

 in females, respectively. RBC cholinesterase activity was decreased 22 and 27% at 

450 mg/m3

 in males and females, respectively, and 43 and 44% at 2,010 mg/m3 in males and females, 

respectively. Brain cholinesterase activity was decreased 41% at 2,010 mg/m3

 in females. Excess 

salivation was seen mostly in rats from the high-exposure group, although it occurred sporadically in the 

other exposed groups. 

NOAEL and LOAEL values from the Beattie (1994), Golz (1959), and Weeks et al. (1977) studies are 

presented in Table 3-1 and plotted in Figure 3-1. 

3.2.1.5 Reproductive Effects 

Reproductive outcomes were investigated in a group of 7,450 women who were confirmed as pregnant 

during periods of malathion spraying to control an infestation by the Mediterranean fruit fly in the San 
MALATHION 36 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Francisco Bay area (Thomas et al. 1992). Using several measures of malathion exposure and adjustment 

for confounders, the study found no significant association between exposure to malathion and 

spontaneous abortion. There was a moderate association between stillbirths and exposure accumulated up 

to 1 month before death. The one major weakness of the study is possible exposure misclassification, 

based on using residence as the surrogate for exposure, although the authors felt that this seemed much 

less vulnerable to recall bias than would a subject’s recollection of whether or not she had been exposed 

(Thomas et al. 1992). Rupa et al. (1991b) investigated reproductive outcomes in 1,016 couples in which 

the males’ main jobs were mixing and spraying pesticides (including malathion and also organochlorine 

pesticides) compared with 1,020 unexposed couples, and found significantly higher percent ages of 

stillbirths (8.73 versus 2.65%) and abortions (26.0 versus 15.0%) in exposed workers. A significantly 

lower percent of fertile males (80.8 versus 94.9% in controls) and decreased frequency of live births 

(53.0 versus 80.1%) was also observed. Rupa et al. (1991b) further stated that 80% of the males in the 

exposed group showed ill effects such as severe giddiness, and nervous, skin, and eye disorders. The role 

of malathion in these findings, if any, cannot be determined. 

No studies were located regarding reproductive effects in animals following inhalation exposure to 

malathion. 

3.2.1.6 Developmental Effects 

Three studies were located that examined the association between developmental outcomes and exposure 

to malathion, with varying outcomes. Grether et al. (1987) examined occurrence of defects and low birth 

weight using newborn hospital discharge data and vital records in the San Francisco Bay area after aerial 

malathion spraying. The study included an exposed cohort of 24,987 births and an unexposed cohort of 

15,278 births. Although the authors found some positive (and significant) associations for some 

anomalies, the anomalies that occurred more frequently than expected did not represent a biologically 

consistent pattern. No significant association was found between low birth weight and increasing 

exposure to malathion. Thomas et al. (1992) (described above in Section 3.2.1.5) found a statistically 

significant association between incidence of gastrointestinal anomalies in offspring and exposure to 

malathion during the second trimester of pregnancy (odds ratio [OR]=4.14; CI=1.01, 16.6). No 

significant associations were observed for intrauterine growth retardation or other congenital effects 

reportable by the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program. García et al. (1998) compared paternal 

pesticide exposures between offspring with congenital malformations (i.e., nervous system and 

cardiovascular defects, oral clefts, epispadia or hypospadias, musculoskeletal defects, unspecified defects) 
MALATHION 37 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

and controls. In a subgroup of 14 individuals exposed to malathion, regression analysis showed no 

significant associations with outcomes after adjusting for confounding factors. 

Two additional studies investigated a broader set of pesticides. Lin et al. (1994) studied the association 

between exposures to a variety of pesticides and limb reduction defects (a generally well-reported birth 

defect) from a register of congenital anomalies among live births in New York State. In the full sample 

and in a subgroup of individuals exposed to insecticides, no significant associations were observed, 

although odds ratios for risk of limb reduction defect plus one additional malformation were consistently 

higher than those for limb reduction defects only. Rupa et al. (1991b) found significantly reduced 

numbers of live births and significantly increased neonatal deaths and congenital defects in 

pregnancies/offspring of males exposed to pesticides compared with offspring of unexposed males. The 

possible role of malathion cannot be ascertained in these two studies. 

No studies were located regarding developmental effects in animals following inhalation exposure to 

malathion. 

3.2.1.7 Cancer 

Several studies provide information on exposure to pesticides, including malathion, and cancer. The 

overall evidence from human studies is insufficient to draw any conclusions regarding the association 

between exposure to malathion and cancer. In general, the magnitude of the excesses is small, exposure 

assessment is unreliable, and people are seldom exposed to a single pesticide. 

The possible association between pesticide exposure and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) has been 

investigated in several studies. In a study of 622 white men with newly diagnosed NHL in Iowa and 

Minnesota and 1,245 population-based controls, the prevalence of NHL in individuals who handled 

malathion as a crop insecticide prior to 1965 was significantly higher than in nonfarmers (OR=2.9, 

CI=1.1, 7.4) (Cantor et al. 1992). The prevalence was also significantly higher in workers who used 

malathion as an animal insecticide than in nonfarmers (OR=1.8, CI=1.0, 3.3). Zahm et al. (1993) 

presented data on agricultural exposures among women from a population-based case-control study of 

NHL in eastern Nebraska. A total of 119 women diagnosed with NHL and 471 controls reported ever 

having lived or worked on a farm. No individual insecticide was associated with a significant risk of 

NHL among women, but there was a nonsignificant increase for malathion (OR=1.9; 9 cases, 18 controls) 

and for several other insecticides. Women who had personally handled organophosphates were 4.5 times 
MALATHION 38 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

more likely (CI=1.1, 17.9) to have NHL than those who did not use organophosphates. In a retrospective 

cohort study that investigated deaths among 32,600 employees of a lawn care company that used a variety 

of pesticides, malathion among them, as well as herbicides and fungicides, a total of four deaths due to 

NHL were observed, three were male lawn applicators, and two of them were employed for 3 or more 

years (SMR=7.11, 95% CI=1.78, 28.42) (Zahm 1997). However, malathion was not among the pesticides 

known to be in use at the branch when the subject was employed as applicator. No significant increase in 

NHL was observed in a study of 1,860 men and 589 women pesticide users from Iceland (Zhong and 

Rafnsson 1996), but women showed elevated risks of lymphatic and haematopoietic tissue cancer 

(standardized incidence ratio [SIR]=5.56, CI=1.12-16.23) compared with the general population. 

McDuffie et al. (2001) examined the association between specific pesticide exposure and NHL in a 

Canadian multicenter population-based incident, case-control study (517 cases, 1,506 controls) among 

men in a diversity of occupations. Detailed information regarding their exposure history was obtained by 

telephone interview from 119 cases and 301 controls who indicated pesticide exposure of ≥10 hours/year. 

An additional randomly selected 60 cases and 155 controls who indicated exposure of 10 hours/year were 

interviewed by telephone. Exposure to the chemical classes carbamates and organophosphates, but not 

organochlorines, was significantly associated with NHL. In multivariate analyses, malathion was the only 

individual organophosphate exposure (seven organophosphate pesticides were included in the analysis) 

significantly associated with NHL (OR=.83, 95% CI=1.31–2.55). Among the study limitations discussed 

by the authors are the potential for recall bias and for misclassification of pesticide exposure and the lessthan-optimal response rates. 

A population-based case-control study of 578 white men with leukemia and 1,245 controls living in Iowa 

and Minnesota found slight, but significant elevations in risk for all leukemia (OR=1.2, 95% CI=1.0–1.5) 

and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (OR=1.4, 95% CI=1.1–1.9) for farmers compared to nonfarmers 

(Brown et al. 1990). Also, risk for all leukemia was significantly elevated for use of the organophosphate 

family on animals (OR=1.5, 95% CI=1.0–2.1), but not on crops. Risk of leukemia for mixing, handling, 

or applying malathion ever or at least 20 years prior to the interview was not significantly elevated, but 

the risk of leukemia for use of malathion as an animal insecticide for $10 days/year was significantly 

elevated (OR=3.2, 95% CI=1.0–10.0). A similar study of 173 white men with multiple myeloma and 

650 controls from Iowa found a slight nonsignificantly increased risk for multiple myeloma among 

farmers, the OR for malathion was 1.9 (95% CI=0.8–4.6) (Brown et al. 1993a). However, failure to use 

protective equipment was not associated with increased risk. 
MALATHION 39 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Risks for rectal cancer were elevated in women and men combined (SIR=2.94, CI=1.07–6.40) and were 

even higher in a subgroup of licensed pesticide applicators who used pesticides for agricultural purposes 

(SIR=4.63, CI=1.49–10.80) in the study by Zhong and Rafnsson (1996). Finally, a study in Los Angeles 

County, California, involving mothers of 224 cases and 218 controls, who used (from pregnancy to 

diagnosis) household pesticides for a number of domestic purposes, found no elevated risks in pediatric 

brain tumors among the user group (Pogoda and Preston-Martin 1997). 

No studies were located regarding cancer in animals following inhalation exposure to malathion. 

3.2.2 Oral Exposure 

The human data in this section are derived primarily from case reports in which the actual doses ingested 

are unknown. However, many cases provide enough information (i.e., volume of the formulation taken 

and percent malathion in the formulation) to at least make reasonable estimates. One additional factor to 

consider is that malathion formulations also contain many other chemicals, such as solvents and 

impurities, which may form during long periods of storage. Many impurities greatly increase the toxicity 

of malathion formulations relative to pure malathion. Therefore, caution should be exercised when 

comparing oral doses estimated from human cases with doses used in experiments in laboratory animals. 

3.2.2.1 Death 

Perhaps because of its widespread use and availability, many cases of fatal ingestion of malathion in 

humans (suicides and poisonings) have been documented in the literature (Faragó 1967; Jušić and Milić

1978; Morgade and Barquet 1982; Namba et al. 1970; Zivot et al. 1993). For example, Faragó (1967) 

described four cases of lethal intentional ingestion of a formulation containing 35% malathion, and based 

on the amount ingested, the lethal doses can be estimated to have been between 350 and 1,000 mg/kg. No 

dose can be estimated in a case described by Zivot et al. (1993), but the antemortem blood level of 

malathion in the patient on admission was 23.9 mg/L. A dose between 857 and 1,286 mg/kg can be 

estimated to have been ingested in a case described by Namba et al. (1970) and 2,000 mg/kg in one 

described by Jušić and Milić (1978). Talcott et al. (1979a) estimated a median lethal dose for malathion 

in humans of 3,655 mg/kg by using an equation relating carboxylesterase (serum and liver) and toxicity. 

The equation was experimentally constructed from data obtained in mice treated with various doses of 

malathion and carboxylesterase inhibitors. The higher estimate of Talcott et al. (1979a) probably reflects 
MALATHION 40 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

the use of recrystallized malathion in their experiments, since, as discussed below, impurities found in 

commercial formulations can greatly increase the toxicity of malathion. 

Numerous studies have examined the lethality of malathion in animals, particularly the acute lethality. 

Representative examples are summarized below, as well as relevant information on factors that play a role 

in the acute toxicity of this pesticide. 

An early study by Frawley et al. (1957) calculated an LD50 of 1,400 mg/kg for technical malathion 

(98% pure) in young male Osborne-Mendel rats. Doses of 600 mg/kg caused no deaths, whereas all rats 

(10 out of 10) died when administered a dose of 2,000 mg/kg (Frawley et al. 1957). Gaines (1960) 

determined LD50 values of 1,375 and 1,000 mg/kg in adult male and female Sherman rats, respectively, 

administered technical malathion of unspecified purity. The apparent greater susceptibility of female rats 

observed by Gaines (1960) was not seen in subsequent studies by Lu et al. (1965) who reported no 

significant differences in LD50 values between male and female Hooded or Wistar rats administered 

malathion of 95% purity. In addition, no difference in susceptibility between strains was observed (Lu et 

al. 1965). 

The role that impurities (i.e., trimethyl phosphorothioate and phosphorodithioate esters, isomalathion) 

play in the acute toxicity of malathion has been examined in detail in several studies. For example, in 

adult Wistar rats, the LD50 of 95% pure malathion was 1/4 that of 99.6% pure malathion (925 vs. 

3,697 mg/kg) (Lu et al. 1965). Similar observations have been made by others in studies in rats and mice 

(Aldridge et al. 1979; Pellegrini and Santi 1972; Talcott et al. 1977; Toia et al. 1980; Umetsu et al. 1977). 

Clearly, as the purity of malathion decreases (and impurities increase), the LD50 values greatly decrease 

(toxicity of the malathion formulation increases). This is caused by the inherent toxicity of the impurities 

and/or potentiation of malathion toxicity. Umetsu et al. (1977) reported an LD50 of 9,500 mg/kg in adult 

Sprague-Dawley rats for malathion of 99.3% purity and 12,500 mg/kg for recrystallized malathion. In the 

same study, the LD50 for 95% pure malathion in adult mice was 1,985 mg/kg and that for 99.3% pure 

malathion was 3,000 mg/kg. Further studies demonstrated that these impurities, or contaminants of 

technical malathion, inhibit the activity of serum and liver malathion carboxylesterases, which detoxify 

malathion, as well as of cholinesterase, thereby increasing the toxicity of the malathion formulation 

(Talcott et al. 1977, 1979b). 

An additional factor that plays a role in the acute toxicity of malathion is age; young animals are more 

susceptible than older animals. The single oral LD50 of 95% malathion in newborn male Wistar rats was 
MALATHION 41 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

124.1 mg/kg, whereas in preweaning (14–16 days old) and adult (3–4 months) rats, oral LD50 values were 

386.8 and 925.4 mg/kg, respectively (Lu et al. 1965). This difference was also observed for 4-day 

cumulative LD50s (Lu et al. 1965). Similar findings were reported by Mendoza (1976) and Mendoza and 

Shields (1976) who also observed that the decrease in susceptibility more or less paralleled increases in 

the activities of esterases in various tissues. For example, using acetylthiocholine as substrate, a single 

dose of 8,000 mg/kg of malathion inhibited brain esterase by 85% in 18-day-old pups, while in 1-day-old 

pups, the same degree of inhibition was achieved with a dose of only 500 mg/kg. 

In dogs, single doses of up to 4,000 mg/kg of 98% pure malathion in a gelatin capsule were not lethal, 

although the observation period was not indicated (Frawley et al. 1957). In rabbits, a single dose of 

1,200 mg/kg of 95% pure malathion killed five out of six animals 6 hours after dosing; there were no 

deaths with 600 mg/kg (Weeks et al. 1977). In all of the species examined, death was preceded by signs 

of cholinergic stimulation such as salivation, respiratory distress, tremors, and convulsions. 

Deaths in animals also have been reported in intermediate-duration studies. In a 6-week dietary study, 

five out of five male and female Osborne-Mendel rats administered approximately 2,816 mg/kg/day 

technical malathion (95% pure) died by week 3 (NCI 1978); no deaths were reported at 1,408 mg/kg/day. 

Deaths were also observed among male and female Fischer-344 rats administered approximately 

1,399 mg/kg/day technical malathion, but not at #700 mg/kg/day in a 13-week feed study (NCI 1979a). 

Also, 4 out of 10 male, but no female B6C3F1 mice died following dietary administration of 

approximately 6,432 mg/kg/day of technical malathion for 3 weeks (NCI 1978); no deaths occurred with 

approximately 3,216 mg/kg/day malathion or less. 

Significant increased mortality was observed among male Fischer-344 rats administered approximately 

166 mg/kg/day of technical malathion (95% pure) in the diet for 2 years (NCI 1979a). A more recent 

bioassay reported a significant increase in deaths not attributed to cancer among male Fischer-344 rats 

given approximately 359 mg/kg/day technical malathion (97.1% pure) or higher doses (Daly 1996a). No 

significant increase in mortality was seen in the females that received up to 868 mg malathion/kg/day 

(Daly 1996a). 

The LOAEL values for death in each species and duration category are recorded in Table 3-2 and plotted 

in Figure 3-2. 
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral

ACUTE EXPOSUREDeath

1

(Wistar) (GO)

once 

1500 (LD50 96.8% pure)3697 (LD50 99.6% pure)

925

b

(LD50 95% pure)

Rat

2

(Wistar) (GO)

once 

386.8 (LD50 in preweaning)925.4 (LD50 in adult)124.1

b

(LD50 in newborn)

Rat

3

(Wistar)

(GO)

4 d1 x/d

1599 (4-day cumulative LD50 in adu

rats)

331.2

b

(4-day cumulative LD50 inpreweaning rats)

Rat

4

(Wistar) (GO)

once 

707 (LD50 in 6-day old)

1085 (LD50 in 12-day old)1806 (LD50 in 17-day old)

209

b

(LD50 in 1-day old)

Rat

5

(SpragueDawley) (G)

once 

12500 (LD50 of recrystallized)

9500

b

(LD50 of 99.3% pure)

Rat

6

(ICR)

(GO)

2 d1 x/d

2357 (LD50 for l-malathion)1014

b

F (LD50 for d-malathion)

Mouse
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Death

7

(C57BL/ 6N) (GO)

once 

1430 (LD50) F Mouse

8

(Swiss) (GO)

once 

3200 (LD50 for recrystallized) M Mouse

9

(C57B1) (GO)

once 

2600 (LD50) M Mouse

10

(Swiss white) (G)

once 

3000 (LD50 of 99.3% pure)1850

b

(LD50 of 95% pure)

Mouse

11

(NewZealand)

(GO)

once 

1200 (5 out of 6 died 6 hours after

dosing)

M Rabbit

Systemic

12

2000 M

(Long- Evans)

Bd Wt

(GO)

Rat once 

13

10 M

(Wistar)

Bd Wt

(G)

14 d1x/2d

Rat 

14

40 M

(Wistar)

Bd Wt

(G)

2 d1x/d

Rat 
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Systemic

15

(SpragueDawley)

Hemato

(GW)

once 

4.4 (decreased hematocrit and

platelet counts)

M

Rat

16

(SpragueDawley)

Hemato

(W)

14 dad libitum

89 (changes in clotting factor

activity)

F

Rat

Bd Wt 111 FOther 89 (30% decrease in water intake) F

17

163

(Wistar) Resp

(F)

7 dad libitum

411 (severe respiratory distress) Rat

Cardio 411 593 (tachycardia)Bd Wt 411 593 (17% decrease in weight)

Other 18.5 163 (12% decrease in food intake)

18

(Wistar) Resp

(GO)

14 d1 x/d

130 (interstitial pneumonia,

emphysema)

M Rat

Cardio 130 M 390 (focal hemorrhage in the heart

M

Hepatic 130 (diffuse hydropic degeneration

M

Renal 130 (atrophy of the glomeruli;

degeneration of tubularepithelium)

M
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Systemic

19

(Wistar) Resp (G)

once 

1950 (hemorrhage and hyperemia in

the lungs)

M Rat

Cardio 1950 (congestion and hemorrhage in

the heart)

M

Hepatic 1950 (liver congestion and

hemorrhage; hepatocytesvacuolation and necrosis)

M

Renal 1950 (kidney

congestion;degenerativechanges in tubular epithelium)

M

20

(Wistar)

Endocr

(GW)

6 d1x/d

225 (increased pituitary gland weight

and serum prolactin levels;decrease pituitary prolactin)

M

Rat

Bd Wt 225 M

21

(Wistar)

Gastro

(GW)

6 d1x/d

22 (diarrhea after the first dose) M

Rat

Endocr 225 MBd Wt 225 M

22

715 F

(C57BL/ 6N)

Bd Wt

(GO)

Mouse once 

Immuno/ Lymphoret

23

1 F

(SpragueDawley) (GO)

once 

10 (increased serum histamine

levels 4 hours after dosing)

F

Rat
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Immuno/ Lymphoret

24

(C57BL/ 6N) (GO)

once 

720 (suppression of primary IgM

response)

M

Mouse

25

240 M

(C57BL/ 6N) (GO)

Mouse 4 d 

26

(C57BL/ 6N) (GO)

once 

715 (increased proliferative

response of splenocytesfollowing exposure to polyclonalactivators)

F

Mouse

27

(C57BL/ 6N) (GO)

once 

450 (stimulation of macrophage

function)

F

Mouse

28

1 F

(C57BL/ 6N) (GO)

once 

10 (increased serum histamine

levels 4 hours after dosing)

F

Mouse

29

(C57BL/ 6N)

(GO)

14 d1 x/d

0.1 (degranulation of mast cells

associated with the smallintestine)

F

Mouse

30

(C57BL/ 6N)

(GO)

14 d1 x/d

143 (decrease in thymic lymphocyte

number)

F

Mouse

Neurological

31

(Long- Evans) (GO)

once 

600 (increased spontaneous motor

activity)

M

Rat
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Neurological

32

(SpragueDawley) (GO)

once 

1000 (34% inhibition of RBC

cholinesterase)

F

Rat

33

138 F

(SpragueDawley)

(GO)

8 dGd 6-131 x/d

276 (34% inhibition brain AChE) F 827 (convulsions, tremor, ataxia) F Rat

34

163

(Wistar)

(F)

7 d1x/d

411 (dizziness, recurrent

convulsions, and tremorsobserved in all rats)

Rat

35

(Wistar) (G)

once 

1950 (brain congestion, neuronal

degeneration and gliosis)

M Rat

36

(C57BL/ 6N) (GO)

once 

720 (tremors, fasciculations, 36%

inhibition brain cholinesterase)

M Mouse

37

(C57BL/ 6N) (GO)

4 d 

240 (47 and 59% inhibition of

plasma and RBCcholinesterase, respectively)

M

Mouse

38

(NewZealand)

(G)

once 

188 (50-60% inhibition of brain

AChE)

M

Rabbit

39

12 M

(NewZealand)

(GO)

once 

120 (27% inhibition of RBC

cholinesterase)

M 600 (61% inhibition of RBC

cholinesterase)

M Rabbit
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Reproductive

40

(Wistar)

(G)

14 d1x/2d

10 (significant increase in serum

FSH levels)

M

Rat

41

(Wistar)

(G)

2 d1x/d

40 (reversible damage to

spermatogenetic tissue)

M

Rat

42

800

(SpragueDawley) (GO)

10 dGd 6-15

Rat 

43

18.5

(Wistar)

(F)

7 d1x/d

163 (minor histopathological lesions

in testes, ovaries, and uterus)

Rat

44

(Wistar) (G)

once 

1950 (reversible degeneration and

necrosis of gonocytes inseminiferous tubules)

M Rat

45

(SpragueDawley) (GO)

3 dGd 6, 10, 14

500 (decreased number of implants

per dam)

F

Rat

46

25

(NewZealand) (GO)

13 dGd 6-18

50 (increased mean number and

percent resorptions)

Rabbit

Developmental

47

300

(Wistar)

(GO)

10 dGd 6-151x/d

Rat 
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Developmental

48

800

(SpragueDawley)

(GO)

10 dGd 6-151x/d

Rat 

49

276

(SpragueDawley)

(GO)

8 dGd 6-131 x/d

827 (47% inhibition of brain AChE in

pups)

Rat

50

(SpragueDawley) (GO)

3 dGd 6, 10, 14

500 (reduced number of live fetuse

per litter and fetal weight)

Rat

51

100

(NewZealand)

(GO)

6 dGd 7-121 x/d

Rabbit 

52

(NewZealand)

(GO)

3 dGd 28-301 x/d

126 (79% decrease fetal plasma

AChE activity; 66% decrease

fetal brain AChE activity)

Rabbit

53

100

(NewZealand)

(GO)

13 dGd 6-181x/d

Rabbit 

INTERMEDIATE EXPOSUREDeath

54

(OsborneMendel) (F)

6 wkad libitum

2816 (5/5 males and 5/5 females die

by week 3)

Rat
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Death

55

(Fischer- 344)

(F)

13 wkad libitum

1399 (5/10 males died by week 9)

(9/10 females died by week 5)

Rat

56

(B6C3F1)

(F)

6 wkad libitum

6432 (4/10 died by week 3) M Mouse

Systemic

57

Hemato 0.34 M

(C)

32-56 d1 x/d

Human 

Renal 0.34 M

58

75 F

(CFY)

Hemato

(F)

Rat 90 d 

Hepatic 75 FRenal 75 FBd Wt 75 F

59

29 M

(Wistar)

Endocr

(F)

6 wkad libitum

Rat 

Bd Wt 29 M

60

20 M

(Wistar)

Bd Wt

(G)

20 d1x/d

Rat 
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Systemic

61

(SpragueDawley)

Hemato

(W)

6 moad libitum

0.15 (prolonged prothrombin and

partial thromboplastin times)

F

Rat

Hepatic 0.15 (hepatocyte degeneration) F

Bd Wt 0.15 F

62

700

(Fischer- 344)

Bd Wt

(F)

13 wkad libitum

1399 (final body weight reduced 50%

relative to controls)

F Rat

63

(albino)

Endocr

(GO)

15 wk1x/d

10 (significant decrease in serum

cortizol and aldosterone levels,and congestion in zonareticularis of adrenal glands inboth sexes)

Rat

64

10.5 M

(Hissar) Hepatic (F)

3 -12 wk 

21 (increased relative liver weight) M Mouse

Bd Wt 21 M

65

(Beagle)

Gastro

(C)

28 d 

125 (diarrhea) Dog

Immuno/ Lymphoret

66

2.3 M

(Wistar)

(F)

8 -22 wkad libitum

5.8 (reduced humoral and

cell-mediated immuneresponses to antigens)

M

Rat
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Immuno/ Lymphoret

67

4.2 M

(Hissar) (F)

3 -12 wk 

10.5 (decreased humoral and cellmediated responses to

antigens)

M

Mouse

68

(C57BL/6N)

(GO)

28 d1 x/2d

0.018 (incrased primary humoal

response to SRBC)

F

Mouse

69

(C57BL/ 6N)

(GO)

90 d1 x/d

0.1 (increased macrophage function

and mast cell degranulation)

F

Mouse

70

0.5 M

(NewZealand) (G)

21 wk1 x/d

2.5 (significant decrease in some

tests of humoral andcell-mediated immunity)

M

Rabbit

71

(NS)

(C)

6 wk5 d/wk

5 (decreased humoral immune

response to Salmonellavaccine)

M

Rabbit

Neurological

72

0.23

c

M

(C)

32-56 d1 x/d

0.34 (25% depression of plasma and

RBC cholinesterase)

M

Human

73

38

(CFY)

(F)

90 dad libitum

75 (increased excitability as shown

by changes in the EEG andEMG)

F

Rat

74

55 F

(albino)

(GO)

32 d1 x/d

137.5 (37% inhibition of RBC

cholinesterase; 58% inhibition of

plasma cholinesterase)

F

Rat
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Neurological

75

4

(SpragueDawley) (F)

90 dad libitum

352 (61% inhibition of RBC

cholinesterase activity)

M Rat

76

(Wistar)

(GO)

14 d1 x/d

130 (neuronal degeneration; gliosis

M Rat

77

(Beagle) (C)

28 d 

125 (>20% decrease in plasma

cholinesterase activity)

Dog

78

10 M

(NS)

(C)

6 wk5 d/wk

25 (25-30% inhibition of RBC

cholinesterase following twoweeks of treatment)

M

Rabbit

Reproductive

79

(albino)

(GO)

12 wk1 x/d

45 (edema, congestion, and

desquamation of lining cells ofseminiferous tubules)

M

Rat

80

(albino)

(GO)

12 wk1 x/d

44 (decrease seminal vesicle pH,

protein content, relative testesweight and enzyme activities)

M

Rat

81

(Wistar)

(G)

20 d1x/d

20 (reversible damage to

spermatogenic tissue)

M

Rat

82

50 F

(SpragueDawley) (GO)

110 d1 x/d

Rat 
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Reproductive

83

(albino)

(GO)

15 wk1x/d

10 (hyperemia of the veins of the

testes and degeneratedtesticular tubuli)

M

Rat

84

703 F

(SpragueDawley) (F)

>63 dad libitum

Rat 

Developmental

85

(Wistar)

(F)

5 moad libitum

240 (increased neonatal mortality 7

and 21 days after birth)

Rat

86

50 F

(SpragueDawley) (GO)

110 d1 x/d

Rat 

87

153 F

(SpragueDawley) (F)

>63 dad libitum

394 (reduced body weight gain

during lactation)

M

Rat

CHRONIC EXPOSUREDeath

88

(Fischer- 344)

(F)

2 yrad libitum

359 (significant increase in deaths

not attributed to cancer)

M Rat

89

(Fischer- 344)

(F)

103 wkad libitum

166 (increased mortality) M Rat
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Systemic

90

35 F

(Fischer- 344)

Hemato

(F)

2 yrad libitum

359 (decreased hemoglobin,

hematocrit, MCV, and mean cellhemoglobin)

M

Rat

Hepatic 35 F 359 (increased absolute and relative

liver weight)

M

Renal 35 F 359 (increased absolute and relative

kidney weight)

M

Endocr 35 F 415 (increased absolute and relative

thyroid and parathyroid weight)

F

Ocular 868 FBd Wt 35 F 359 (decreased body weight gain) MOther 868 F
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Systemic

91

622

(OsborneMendel) Resp (F)

Rat 80 wk 

Cardio 622Gastro 622Musc/skel 622Hepatic 622Renal 622Endocr 622Dermal 622Bd Wt 622
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Systemic

92

332

(Fischer- 344) Resp

(F)

103 wkad libitum

Rat 

Cardio 332Gastro 166 (chronic inflammation of the

stomach and stomach ulcers)

M

Musc/skel 332Hepatic 166 (fatty metamorphosis of the

liver)

F

Renal 332Endocr 332Dermal 332Bd Wt 166 332 (>10% reduction in final body

weight)

M
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Systemic

93

(B6C3F1) Resp

(F)

80 wkad libitum

2980 (coughing and sneezing from

week 72 until end of study)

Mouse

Cardio 2980Gastro 2980Musc/skel 2980Hepatic 2980Renal 2980Endocr 2980Dermal 2980Bd Wt 1490 (>10% lower body weight than

controls)

94

17.4 M

(B6C3F1) Resp

(F)

18 moad libitum

167 (increased incidence of

non-neoplastic nasal lesions)

F

Mouse

Hepatic 167 F 1476 (hepatocellular hypertrophy) MBd Wt 167 F 1476 (14-20% decreased body

weight)

M

Other 167 F 1476 (decreased food consumption) M

Neurological

95

2

d

M

(Fischer- 344)

(F)

2 yrad libitum

29e (29% inhibition of plasma

cholinesterase)

M

35 (27% inhibition of RBC

cholinesterase)

F

359 (64% inhibition of plasma

cholinesterase)

M Rat
LOAEL

NOAEL Less Serious

(mg/kg/day) (mg/kg/day)

Serious a

System (mg/kg/day)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) Species (Strain) Key to figure 

Table 3-2 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Oral (continued)

Neurological

96

(B6C3F1)

(F)

80 wkad libitum

2980 (generalized body tremors from

week 71 to 79)

F Mouse

97

20.8 F

(B6C3F1)

(F)

18 moad libitum

143 (24% and 44% inhibition of

plasma and RBC cholinesteraseactivity, respectively)

M 1476 (90% inhibition of plasma and

RBC cholinesterase activity)

M Mouse

Reproductive

98

(B6C3F1)

(F)

80 wkad libitum

1490 (cystic endometrial hyperplasia) F

Mouse

Cancer

99

(Fischer- 344)

(F)

2 yrad libitum

868 (CEL: increased incidence of

combined hepatocellularadenoma and carcinoma)

F Rat

100

(B6C3F1)

(F)

a The number corresponds to entries in Figure 3-2b Only this dose level, the lowest effect level, is plotted in Figure 3-2.c Used to derive an intermediate-duration oral minimal risk level (MRL) of 0.02 mg/kg/day; The MRL was derived by dividing the NOAEL by an uncertainty fact

human variability.d Used to derive a chronic-duration oral minimal risk level (MRL) of 0.02 mg/kg/day; The MRL was derived by dividing the NOAEL by an uncertainty factor of 1human extrapolation; 10 for human variability).e Differences in levels of health effects and cancer between males and females are not indicated in Figure 3-2. Where such differences exist, only the levels osensitive gender are presented.AchE = acetylcholinesterase; Bd Wt = body weight; (C) = capsule; Cardio = cardiovascular; CEL = cancer effect level; d = day(s); (EEG) = electroencephalogr

electromyogram; Endocr = endocrine; (F) = feed; F = female; FSH = follicle stimulating hormone; (G) = gavage; gastro = gastrointestinal; gd = gestation day; ((GW) = gavage in water; Hemato = hematological; LD50 = lethal dose, 50% kill; LOAEL = lowest-observed-effect level; M = male; MCV = mean corpuscular vomilligram/kilogram/day; mo = month(s); Musc/skel = musculoskeletal; NOAEL = no-observed-adverse-effect level; RBC = red blood cell(s); Resp = respiratory; week(s); x = times; yr = year(s)

18 moad libitum

1476 (CEL: increased incidence of

combined hepatocellularcarcinomas and adenomas)

M Mouse














	
				
























 












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MALATHION 64 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

3.2.2.2 Systemic Effects 

The highest NOAEL values and all reliable LOAEL values for systemic effects in each species and 

duration category are recorded in Table 3-2 and plotted in Figure 3-2. 

Respiratory Effects. Several reports of malathion poisoning document respiratory difficulties typical 

of parasympathetic autonomic stimulation shortly after poisoning (Amos and Hall 1965; Choi et al. 1998; 

Crowley and Johns 1966; Dive et al. 1994; Jušić and Milić 1978; Monje Argiles et al. 1990; Namba et al. 

1970; Tuthill 1958; Zivot et al. 1993). Doses could be estimated from information in some studies, and 

ranged from 214 to 1,071 mg/kg. Even at the lower dose estimates, respiratory distress and bronchorrhea 

were common, and most patients required ventilatory support, some for more than 30 days (Monje 

Argiles et al. 1990). Pulmonary fibrosis that developed in the second week following the poisoning 

episode was also observed in two reports (Dive et al. 1994; Monje Argiles et al. 1990). 

Adverse respiratory effects have been described in animals after acute oral exposure to malathion. Severe 

respiratory distress was observed in Wistar rats administered approximately 411 mg/kg/day malathion of 

unspecified purity in a 7-day dietary study (Ojha et al. 1992). Hemorrhage and hyperemia in the lungs 

was reported in male Wistar rats 2 days following administration of a single gavage dose of 1,950 mg/kg 

of technical malathion (95% pure), the only dose level tested (Piramanayagam et al. 1996). Without 

providing details, the authors (Piramanayagam et al. 1996) stated that by day 12, almost all organs 

examined appeared normal. Rats treated for 1–2 weeks with 130 mg malathion/kg/day (purity 

unspecified) by gavage developed interstitial pneumonia and emphysema (Piramanayagam and Manohar 

2002). Also, pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats administered 500 mg/kg/day technical malathion (purity 

unspecified) by gavage 3 times during gestation exhibited dyspnea 2 hours after each dosing (Prabhakaran 

et al. 1993). Dyspnea and respiratory distress may be due to stimulation of parasympathetic 

postganglionic nerves (muscarinic effects) or to diaphragmatic failure (nicotinic effects). 

No respiratory effects (clinical signs or histopathology) were reported in Osborne-Mendel rats 

administered up to 622 mg/kg/day technical malathion (95% pure) in the diet for 80 weeks (NCI 1978) or 

in Fischer-344 rats administered up to 332 mg/kg/day technical malathion (95% pure) also in the diet for 

103 weeks (NCI 1979a). In studies in mice, NCI (1978) reported that male and female B6C3F1 mice 

given approximately 2,980 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) in the diet began coughing and sneezing 

after 72 weeks of treatment; this condition persisted until the end of the study (80 weeks). No such 
MALATHION 65 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

effects were observed in mice from the low-dose group administered approximately 1,490 mg 

malathion/kg/day. Another long-term study (18 months) in mice reported an increased incidence of 

nonneoplastic nasal lesions in female B6C3F1 mice treated with 96.4% pure malathion in the diet at 

167 mg/kg/day and in males and females at approximately 1,500 mg/kg/day (Slauter 1994). These

lesions were characterized as exudate, suppurative, increased glandular secretion, olfactory atrophy, and 

olfactory respiratory metaplasia. No such lesions were seen in animals treated with about 20 mg/kg/day 

of malathion or less. 

Cardiovascular Effects. Cardiovascular effects were observed in almost all reported cases of 

malathion poisoning (Crowley and Johns 1966; Dive et al. 1994; Healy 1959; Jušić and Milić 1978; 

Monje Argiles et al. 1990; Namba et al. 1970; Rivett and Potgieter 1987; Zivot et al. 1993). In general, 

signs and symptoms on admission included bradycardia and low blood pressure as expected from vagal 

stimulation. Several cases also observed atrio-ventricular conduction disturbances within a few days after 

ingestion of the pesticide (Crawley and Johns 1966; Dive et al. 1994; Monje Argiles et al. 1990). Doses 

estimated in these cases ranged from 214 to 2,117 mg/kg. In contrast, Choi et al. (1998) reported a 

normal electrocardiogram and chest x-ray performed in the emergency room in a woman who ingested 

approximately 1,071 mg/kg malathion. 

Tachycardia was reported in many Wistar rats treated with about 593 mg/kg/day of malathion 

(unspecified purity) in the diet for 7 days, but not in those treated with ≤411 mg/kg/day malathion (Ojha 

et al. 1992). Tachycardia may be the result of cholinergic stimulation of parasympathetic and 

sympathetic autonomic ganglia. Administration of gavage doses of 390 mg malathion/kg/day 

(unspecified purity) for 1–2 weeks to rats caused focal hemorrhage in the heart (Piramanayagam and 

Manohar 2002). A single gavage dose of 1,950 mg/kg of malathion (95% pure), the only dose level 

tested, caused congestion and hemorrhage in the hearts of male Wistar rats 2 days after dosing, females 

were not tested (Piramanayagam et al. 1996). Although the authors did not specifically mention the heart, 

they stated that by day 12 after dosing, almost all organs examined appeared normal. 

No adverse cardiovascular effects were reported in long-term dietary studies in rats (up to 622 mg 

malathion/kg/day) (NCI 1978, 1979a) and mice (up to 2,980 mg malathion/kg/day) (NCI 1978; Slauter 

1994). 

Gastrointestinal Effects. Abdominal cramping, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting were common signs 

and symptoms observed following ingestion malathion in some of the reports available (Amos and Hall 
MALATHION 66 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

1965; Crowley and Johns 1966; Healy 1959; Rivett and Potgieter 1987). These effects result from the 

stimulation of parasympathetic autonomic postganglionic nerves by organophosphates and the lack of 

reporting of these effects in the additional studies reviewed most likely reflects incomplete reporting 

rather than the absence of gastrointestinal effects. 

Diarrhea was observed in beagle dogs treated with 125 mg/kg/day (the lowest dose tested) malathion 

(92.4% pure) in gelatin capsules for 28 days (Fischer 1988). Rats administered malathion (22 mg/kg/day) 

by gavage in a mixture of alcohol and water for 6 days suffered diarrhea (Simionescu et al. 1977). 

Diarrhea is a common muscarinic sign of organophosphate pesticide intoxication. Rats treated with 

gavage doses of 130 mg/kg/day of malathion (unspecified purity) for 1–2 weeks showed gastrointestinal 

alterations described by the authors as catarrhal changes (Piramanayagam and Manohar 2002). 

Information from a single dose study in rats suggested that malathion may alter gastrointestinal 

absorption. Absorption was examined in an isolated portion of the intestines from male Wistar rats 

48 hours after administration of a single gavage dose of 1,000 mg/kg/day of technical malathion (purity 

unspecified) (Chowdhury et al. 1980). Absorption of glucose and glycine were reduced and the activities 

of some brush border enzymes were depressed in the malathion-treated rats. In a subsequent study from 

the same group in which rats were treated for 45 days with 50 mg/kg/day malathion, the authors found 

that treatment with malathion significantly increased the absorption of glucose, phenylalanine, and lysine, 

but not glycine, and increased brush border enzyme activities (Wali et al. 1984). 

No gastrointestinal effects were reported in Osborne-Mendel rats administered up to approximately 

622 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) in the diet for 80 weeks or in B6C3F1 mice treated with up to 

2,980 mg/kg/day in the diet for 80 weeks (NCI 1978). However, male Fischer-344 rats administered 

166 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) or more in the diet for 103 weeks developed chronic inflammation 

of the stomach and stomach ulcers. 

Hematological Effects. Almost all of the case reports of oral ingestion of malathion described the 

results of laboratory tests conducted on the patients on or following admission to treatment centers. In 

most cases, these included complete and differential blood counts, which may or may have not deviated 

from the normal ranges. However, observed deviations are probably not unique to malathion 

intoxication, or to organophosphates in general, but represent stress reactions (Aaron and Howland 1998). 

For example, it is not uncommon to find high hematocrit secondary to hemoconcentration due to large 

fluid losses (Aaron and Howland 1998). Therefore, a detailed discussion of specific alterations from the 

individual cases is of little utility. 
MALATHION 67 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Moeller and Rider (1962) conducted a controlled study in which male volunteers were administered daily 

capsules containing malathion (purity not reported) in corn oil that provided an approximate dose of 

0.11 mg malathion/kg/day for 32 days, 0.23 mg malathion/kg/day for 47 days, or 0.34 mg 

malathion/kg/day for 56 days. Routine blood counts conducted at the end of each study period did not 

detect any significant changes. 

Few reports were available that provided some information on hematological effects in animals following 

oral exposure to malathion. A study reported no hematological effects in pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats 

administered the relatively low dose of 0.73 mg/kg/day of malathion (analytical grade) bound to wheat 

during gestation days (Gd) 5–11 (Bitsi et al. 1994). Lox (1983) observed a decrease in hematocrit and in 

platelet counts in rats 2 hours after being gavaged once with a suspension of malathion (99% pure) in 

water; no other dose level was tested. Treatment of Sprague-Dawley rats with approximately 

89 mg/kg/day malathion in the drinking water for 14 days resulted in a significant increase in fibrinogen 

and decrease in clotting factor XII, whereas a high dose of about 111 mg/kg/day decreased clotting factor 

II and XII and increased factor X (Lox 1985). A much smaller dose of approximately 0.15 mg/kg/day of 

malathion (99% pure), also in drinking water, for 6 months significantly prolonged prothrombin and 

partial thromboplastin times in female Sprague-Dawley rats, but had no significant effect on fibrinogen or 

coagulation factors II, VII, or X (Lox and Davis 1983); this treatment caused no significant alterations on 

hematocrit or platelet counts. A 90-day-duration study found no significant effect of malathion 

(95% pure) on blood counts (differential or quantitative) following administration in the diet at a level of 

75 mg/kg/day (Desi et al. 1976). A 2-year-duration study in Fischer-344 rats observed a decrease in 

hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, and mean cell hemoglobin in males and females 

following dosing of 6,000 ppm malathion (97.1% pure) in the diet (359 mg/kg/day for males, 

415 mg/kg/day for females) (Daly 1996a). 

Musculoskeletal Effects. No studies were located regarding musculoskeletal effects in humans 

following oral exposure to malathion. The only information available regarding musculoskeletal effects 

of malathion in animals is that from chronic studies. These studies reported no gross or microscopic 

alterations in bone (unspecified) from Osborne-Mendel rats treated with up to 622 mg/kg/day of 

malathion (95% pure) for 80 weeks (NCI 1978), in Fischer-344 rats given up to 332 mg/kg/day for 

103 weeks (NCI 1979a), or in B6C3F1 mice administered up to 2,980 mg/kg/day malathion for 80 weeks 

(NCI 1978). 
MALATHION 68 

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Hepatic Effects. No specific reports were located of hepatotoxicity in humans following oral 

exposure to malathion. Several studies provide information on hepatic effects in animals following oral 

exposure to malathion. A single high-dose of 1,950 mg/kg malathion (95% pure) administered by gavage 

to male Wistar rats caused liver congestion and hemorrhage 2 days after dosing (Piramanayagam et al. 

1996). Microscopic examination revealed vacuolation of the hepatocytes, necrosis, portal mononuclear 

cell infiltration, and microgranuloma formation up to the second day after treatment; these changes 

appeared to reverse in subsequent days. Rats treated by gavage with 130 mg malathion/kg/day 

(unspecified purity) for 1–2 weeks showed diffuse hydropic degeneration of the liver and those treated 

with 390 mg/kg/day had focal necrosis, vacuolar degeneration in the portal hepatocytes, Kupffer cell 

hyperplasia and microgranuloma (Piramanayagam and Manohar 2002); without providing details, the 

authors indicated that these changes persisted after a recovery period of 7 weeks. A considerable lower 

dose of approximately 0.15 mg/kg/day (only dose level tested) of malathion (99% pure) administered in 

the drinking water to female Sprague-Dawley rats for 6 months caused hepatocyte degeneration (Lox and 

Davis 1983). This finding is puzzling since no significant nonneoplastic alterations have been reported in 

the livers of rats and mice administered much higher doses for prolonged periods of time. For example, 

NCI (1978) reported no liver alterations in Osborne-Mendel rats administered approximately 

622 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) in the diet for 80 weeks, but female Fischer-344 rats given 

approximately 166 mg/kg/day for 103 showed fatty metamorphosis of the liver, but no degeneration. 

B6C3F1 mice treated with up to 2,980 mg/kg/day malathion for 80 weeks had no significant liver effects 

(NCI 1978), but a similar study in the same mice strain found hepatocellular hyperplasia at 

1,476 mg/kg/day malathion and no significant effect at 167 mg/kg/day (Slauter 1994). 

Other studies have monitored liver or serum enzymes commonly used as biomarkers of liver damage. A 

dose of 500 mg/kg/day malathion (98% pure) for 3 days induced a decrease in glutathione content and 

increased lipid peroxide in the liver of Sprague-Dawley rats (Prabhakaran and Devi 1993; Prabhakaran et 

al. 1993). A single gavage dose of 500 mg/kg malathion (96% pure) or intermittent gavage doses of 

500 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks increased serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate 

aminotransferase (AST) activities, also in rats (Enan 1983). A NOAEL of 50 mg/kg (following either 

single dose or 21-day dosing) for serum transaminase activities in rats was reported by Abdel-Rahman et 

al. (1985). A dose of 137.5 mg/kg/day for 32 days significantly increased AST, ALT, and alkaline 

phosphatase (AP) activities in the liver (Husain et al. 1987). A dose of 25 mg/kg/day malathion 

(unspecified purity) administered by gavage for 7 days to female Sprague-Dawley rats had no significant 

effect on the activities of liver microsomal enzymes (Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1985). Data on hepatic 

effects in mice following acute exposure of malathion are limited to a report of increased glutathione 
MALATHION 69 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

peroxidase activity in the liver of female Swiss albino mice treated with 30 mg/kg/day malathion 

(98% pure) for 14 days (Chhabra et al. 1993). The same result was obtained following 21 days of 

treatment, with the added finding of a significant decrease in liver glutathione reductase activity (Chhabra 

et al. 1993). 

No significant effects on liver weight were reported in rats following a single gavage dose of 500 mg/kg 

of malathion (unspecified purity) (Bulusu and Chakravarty 1984) or following administration of 

approximately 11.5 mg/kg/day malathion (>99% pure) in the food to Wistar rats for 8–22 weeks 

(Banerjee et al. 1998) or 75 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) to CFY rats in the food for 90 days (Desi et 

al. 1976). However, mice given approximately 21 mg/kg/day malathion (>99% pure) in the diet for 3–

12-weeks had increased relative liver weight (Banerjee et al. 1998). Increased absolute and relative liver 

weight was reported in male and female Fischer-344 rats administered 359 or 415 mg/kg/day of 

malathion (97.1% pure), respectively, in the diet for 2 years (Daly 1996a), no significant effects were seen 

at 29 mg/kg/day in males or 35 mg/kg/day in females. 

The data in animals suggest that the nonneoplastic liver changes may represent adaptive responses unless 

very high bolus doses are administered, which may cause more serious histopathologic damage. 

Renal Effects. Renal abnormalities in humans have been observed in several case reports. Five 

poisoning cases (Crowley and Johns 1966; Dive et al. 1994; Healy 1959; Namba et al. 1970; Zivot et al. 

1993) reported a variety of urinary/renal changes following malathion ingestion. It should be kept in 

mind, however, that many of these cases resulted in death or near death, such that the true toxicological 

significance of the findings is unclear. In a subject who ingested approximately 514 mg/kg of malathion, 

protein was found in the urine, and mild renal insufficiency (measured by creatinine clearance) was 

observed (Dive et al. 1994). In another case, after ingestion of approximately 600 mg/kg of malathion, 

protein, sugar, and white blood cells were found in the urine (Crowley and Johns 1966). At a dose of 

approximately 1,045 mg/kg, protein and glucose again were also seen (Namba et al. 1970). Decreased 

urine production and a urinary tract infection (with Escherichia coli) were observed prior to death in an 

80-year-old woman who ingested an undetermined amount of malathion (Zivot et al. 1993). Healy (1959) 

found increased secretion of ketone bodies and glucose in the urine in an 18-month-old boy who ingested 

malathion. 

No remarkable alterations in urynalises were observed in a study in which male volunteers were 

administered daily capsules containing malathion (purity not reported) in corn oil that provided an 
MALATHION 70 

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approximate dose of 0.11 mg malathion/kg/day for 32 days, 0.23 mg malathion/kg/day for 47 days, or 

0.34 mg malathion/kg/day for 56 days (Moeller and Rider 1962). 

Limited information exists regarding renal effects in animals following oral exposure to malathion. A 

single gavage dose of 1,950 mg/kg malathion (95% pure) (only level tested) induced kidney congestion in 

male Wistar rats during 2 days after dosing and kidney enlargement on the second and third day 

(Piramanayagam et al. 1996). Microscopically, the kidneys showed hyperemia, degeneratives changes in 

the tubular epithelium, and microgranuloma. Without specifically mentioning the kidneys, 

Piramanayagam et al. (1996) indicated that by day 12 after dosing, almost all organs appeared normal. 

Treatment of rats by gavage with ≥130 mg malathion/kg/day (purity unspecified) for 1–2 weeks induced 

atrophy of the glomeruli, degeneration of the tubular epithelium, and epithelial casts (Piramanayagam and 

Manohar 2002). A lower dose of 75 mg/kg/day of malathion (95%) in the food for 90 days had no 

significant histopathologic effects on the kidneys from female CFY rats (Desi et al. 1976). 

Other studies have provided information of biochemical parameters in the kidney of unclear toxicological 

significance. Increased lipid accumulation and decreased glutathione content were reported in female 

Sprague-Dawley rats following three gavage doses of 500 mg/kg/day malathion (98% pure) (Prabharakan 

and Devi 1993; Prabhakaran et al. 1993). A 32-day gavage study in rats reported increased AST, ALT, 

and AP enzyme activities in the kidneys (Husain et al. 1987). An additional study in Sprague-Dawley 

rats reported increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) after 5 weeks of treatment with approximately 

0.067 mg/kg/day malathion (98%) pure bound to milled rice (Syed et al. 1992). Increased BUN may 

indicate glomerular disease, but may also have many other causes unrelated to kidney function. 

None of the long-term studies reported any significant kidney lesions in rats administered malathion in 

doses of up to 622 mg/kg/day (NCI 1978) or in mice administered up to 2,980 mg/kg/day (NCI 1978). 

However, increased absolute and relative kidney weight was reported in male and female Fischer-344 rats 

administered 359 or 415 mg/kg/day of malathion (97.1% pure), respectively, in the diet for 2 years (Daly 

1996a); the corresponding NOAELs were 29 and 35 mg/kg/day. The available information in animals 

suggests that the kidney is not a sensitive target for malathion toxicity. 

Endocrine Effects. The only relevant information available of endocrine effects in humans is that 

from a study of 22 patients with organophosphate poisoning that resulted from intentional ingestion of 

undetermined amounts of malathion (Güven et al. 1999). Upon admission to the hospital, all patients 

showed signs of organophosphate intoxication. Blood levels of several hormones, particularly pituitary 
MALATHION 71 

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hormones, were measured in 22 patients. Of eight hormones, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), 

cortisol, and prolactin (PRL) levels were significantly higher shortly after poisoning than 3 days after 

appropriate treatment had been provided; blood levels of all three hormones had decreased by about 50% 

3 days after treatment. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were slightly, but not significantly 

lower before treatment (by 20.5%) than after treatment. In addition, seven patients showed transient 

lowering in thyroid hormone levels (low fT3, fT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) before 

treatment. The toxicological significance of these findings is unknown. 

Relatively little information is available on the endocrine effects of malathion after oral exposure in 

animals. Increased pituitary gland weight and serum prolactin levels and decrease pituitary levels of 

prolactin were reported in male Wistar rats administered approximately 225 mg/kg/day of malathion for 

6 days (Simionescu et al. 1977). An intermediate-duration study found congestion in the zona reticularis

of the adrenal glands from rats treated by gavage with 10 mg/kg/day of malathion (94% pure) for 

15 weeks (Ozmen and Akay 1993). Serum cortisol and aldosterone levels were increased at 

10 mg/kg/day, but not at 100 mg/kg/day. Serum T4, T3, testosterone, and 17β-estradiol levels were not 

significantly affected by treatment with malathion and there were no histopathologic changes in the 

thyroid in the treated animals (Ozmen and Akay 1993). 

A chronic-duration study in Osborne-Mendel rats did not reveal gross or microscopical lesions in the 

adrenal glands, thyroid, or parathyroid from rats administered 0, 359, or 622 mg/kg/day malathion 

(95% pure) in the diet for 80 weeks (NCI 1978). However, cysts of the pituitary were seen more often in 

treated males (0% in controls, 28% incidence in low-dose, and 22% in the high-dose) than in controls. 

Since only one high-dose female showed this lesion, the authors (NCI 1978) did not consider the lesion 

treatment-related. In the bioassay with Fischer-344 rats, there were no significant treatment-related 

lesions in endocrine organs during treatment with up to 332 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) in the diet 

for 103 weeks (NCI 1979a). Similar results were obtained in B6C3F1 mice administered up to 

2,980 mg/kg/day malathion in the diet for 80 weeks (NCI 1978). Increased relative and absolute thyroid 

and parathyroid weights were seen in female Fischer-344 rats administered 415 mg/kg/day of malathion 

(97.1% pure) in the diet for 2 years (Daly 1996a); the NOAEL was 35 mg/kg/day. 

The limited information available does not suggest that endocrine organs are direct targets for malathion 

toxicity. The adrenal congestion reported by Ozmen and Akay (1993) in rats treated with 10 mg/kg/day 

malathion may be a nonspecific effect since hyperemia and petechial hemorrhages in some organs is not 
MALATHION 72 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

an uncommon finding following organophosphate intoxication. Interestingly, no such congestion was 

seen in the chronic studies with much larger doses. 

Dermal Effects. No studies were located regarding dermal effects in humans following oral exposure 

to malathion. The only information regarding dermal effects in animals following exposure to malathion 

is that provided in the long-term bioassays, which reported no gross or microscopic alterations in the skin 

from rats or mice treated with malathion in the diet for periods between 80 and 103 weeks. Rats were 

dosed with up to 622 mg/kg/day malathion (NCI 1978, 1979a) and mice with up to 2,980 mg/kg/day (NCI 

1978). 

Ocular Effects. Pupillary constriction and blurred vision were observed in many cases of malathion 

intoxication (Amos and Hall 1965; Crowley and Johns 1966; Ekin 1971; Jušić and Milić 1978; 

Matsukawa et al. 1997; Monje Argiles et al. 1990; Rivett and Potgieter 1987; Sudakin et al. 2000). These 

effects are typical signs of organophosphate poisoning resulting from stimulation of parasympathetic 

autonomic postganglionic nerves. 

The only information regarding ocular effects in animals following oral exposure to malathion is that no 

significant ocular effects were observed in Fischer-344 rats administered up to 868 mg/kg/day of 

malathion (97.1% pure) in the diet for 2 years (Daly 1996a) (retinal degeneration has been observed in 

rats treated long-term with other organophosphates such as fenthion, see Dementi [1993]). 

Body Weight Effects. No information was located regarding body weight effects in humans 

following oral exposure to malathion. Of several studies providing information on body weight in 

animals after acute oral administration of malathion, only two studies in rats reported significant effects. 

Ojha et al. (1992) reported a 17% decrease in final weight relative to controls in rats administered 

approximately 593 mg/kg/day malathion (unspecified purity) in the food for 7 days. This decrease was 

accompanied by a significant decrease in food consumption; the NOAEL was 451 mg/kg/day. The other 

study reported a decrease of 22% in body weight gain during pregnancy in rats administered 

500 mg/kg/day malathion (98% pure) by gavage on gestation days 6, 10, and 14 (Prabhakaran et al. 

1993). In this case, food intake was not affected by treatment with malathion. Other representative acuteduration studies in rats reported NOAELs of 225 mg/kg/day after 6 days gavage administration of 

malathion, and 286 mg/kg/day after 14 days of administration of malathion in drinking water (Lox 1985). 

A NOAEL of 715 mg/kg/day (only dose tested) was reported in a study in mice given a single gavage 

dose of malathion and monitored for 5 days (Rodgers et al. 1986). Administration of 100 mg/kg/day 
MALATHION 73 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

malathion (98% pure) to mice on lactation days 1–14 had no significant effect on body weight gain 

(Chhabra et al. 1993). 

In intermediate-duration oral studies in rats, the only one that reported a significant effect of malathion on 

body weight was NCI (1979a) in which female Fischer-344 rats showed a 50% reduction in final body 

weight after administration of approximately 1,399 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) in the diet for 

13 weeks; no significant effects were seen in males at this dose level or in females dosed approximately 

700 mg/kg/day. No information on food intake was provided in the NCI (1979a) study. Other NOAELs 

in rats include 75 and 29 mg/kg/day in 90-day (Desi et al. 1976) and 6-week (Foster 1968) dietary studies, 

respectively, and 20 mg/kg/day in a 20-day gavage study (Krause et al. 1976). A 3–12-week feeding 

study in mice reported a NOAEL for body weight of approximately 21 mg/kg/day (Banerjee et al. 1998), 

whereas a NOAEL of 100 mg/kg/day was reported for female mice in a 21-day gavage study (Chhabra et 

al. 1993). The only significant finding in mice is that dose of approximately 4 mg/kg/day (only level 

tested) of malathion (95% pure) given in the drinking water to Swiss mice for 15 weeks induced a 23% 

decrease in body weight gain (Barlas et al. 1996). Without providing quantitative data, the investigators 

indicated that the mice may have reduced their food and water intake during the study. 

Administration of approximately 622 mg/kg/day of malathion (95% pure) to Osborne-Mendel rats in the 

diet for 80 weeks had no significant effect on body weight (NCI 1978), but dietary doses of 

approximately 332 mg/kg/day for 103 weeks reduced final body weight of male Fischer-344 rats by more 

than 10% (NCI 1979a); no significant effects were seen in females. Food intake data were not provided 

in the latter study. Decreased body weight gain was also reported in male and female Fischer-344 rats 

administered 359 or 415 mg/kg/day, respectively, of malathion (97.1% pure) in the diet for 2 years (Daly 

1996a); no significant effects were observed at 35 mg/kg/day. In the latter study, food intake was not 

reduced by administration of malathion. Male and female B6C3F1 mice also showed a reduction in body 

weight gain after administration of approximately 1,490 mg/kg/day of malathion (95% pure) for 80 weeks 

(NCI 1978). A similar finding was reported by a Slauter (1994) in male B6C3F1 mice after dietary 

administration of 1,476 mg/kg/day malathion (96.4% pure) for 18 months; in this case, the reduced 

weight gain was associated with a decrease in food intake. 

The significance of the reduction in body weight reported in some studies is unknown, but may reflect 

decreased palatability of the food with added malathion. However, in the chronic study by Daly (1996a), 

there was reduction of body weight gain in rats without a decrease in food intake. There is no evidence 

from any other study suggesting that malathion decreases food utilization. 
MALATHION 74 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Metabolic Effects. The only study that specifically reported metabolic effects was that of Zivot et al. 

(1993) in which severe metabolic acidosis was observed in an 80-year-old woman who ingested an 

unspecified, but fatal, amount of malathion. Anion gap acidosis is common in organophosphate 

poisoning from poor tissue perfusion (Aaron and Howland 1998). No relevant information was found in 

animal studies. 

Other Systemic Effects. The incidence of pancreatic involvement in malathion intoxication was 

investigated in 75 patients who ingested unspecified amounts of liquid formulations of the pesticide 

(Dagli and Shaikh 1983). Serum amylase levels over 500 units (normal range 80–200 units) in 

10 patients suggested that these patients had acute pancreatitis, whereas milder elevations in 37 patients 

suggested mild pancreatic dysfunction; all amylase levels returned to within normal values within 3 days 

following treatment for organophosphate poisoning. Dagli and Shaikh (1983) stated that the occurrence 

of pancreatitis was the result of functional ductal obstruction caused by an increase in exocrine flow rate, 

which is consistent with activation of muscarinic receptors in the pancreas by malathion. The occurrence 

of pancreatic involvement could not be confirmed by surgery or autopsy because all patients recovered. 

Hyperglycemia and/or glucosuria were reported in several cases of acute malathion poisoning (Crowley 

and Johns 1966; Dive et al. 1994; Healy 1959; Zivot et al. 1993). The exact cause of these findings is 

unknown. 

As previously mentioned, there are some oral studies in animals that provided information on food and/or 

water consumption during administration of malathion. For example, decreased food intake was reported 

in rats given 163 mg/kg/day malathion in the diet for 7 days (Ojha et al. (1992) and in water intake when 

malathion was administered in the drinking water at a target dose of 95 mg/kg/day for 14 days (Lox 

1985). A chronic-duration study reported a significant decrease in food consumption in rats fed 

approximately 1,476 mg/kg/day malathion in the diet for 18 months (Slauter 1994). These effects may 

reflect aversion to the taste or smell of the diet and have no toxicological significance. There is no 

evidence that malathion may affect food utilization. 

3.2.2.3 Immunological and Lymphoreticular Effects 

No information was located regarding immunological effects in humans following oral exposure to 

malathion. In animals, the effects of malathion on the immune system have been examined in numerous 
MALATHION 75 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

studies, particularly in rats and mice. When assessing effects on the immune system, it became apparent 

that a distinction had to be made between a direct action of the pesticide on any component of the 

immune system and responses that may be mediated indirectly by the pesticide-induced cholinergic 

stimulation and resulting stress. An early study by Casale et al. (1983) sought to investigate this specific 

issue. Administration of a single gavage dose of 720 mg/kg of malathion (95% pure) to C57BL/6N mice 

significantly suppressed the primary IgM response following immunization with sheep red blood cells 

(SRBC). This dose of malathion, which caused moderate to severe cholinergic signs, also decreased 

relative spleen weight and the number of viable cells per spleen. When malathion was given in four daily 

doses of 240 mg/kg/day, a regimen that did not produce cholinergic signs, it did not suppress the primary 

IgG response to SRBC. Furthermore, results of experiments with a cholinomimetic agent suggested that 

cholinergic stimulation played a major role in malathion-induced suppression of the primary immune 

response (Casale et al. 1983). 

It is interesting that other studies that used almost the same dose level (715 mg/kg) of malathion 

(>99% pure) in the same strain of mice did not observe any clinical signs of cholinergic poisoning or 

reduction of total acetylcholinesterase activity in plasma, but still observed alterations in some immune 

parameters (Rodgers et al. 1986). In this study, the single 715 mg/kg dose of malathion had no effect on 

the generation of a cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) response to alloantigen by splenocytes, increased the 

ability of splenocytes to generate a response to SRBC 5 days after malathion treatment, significantly 

increased the proliferative response to concanavalin A (Con A) and lipopolysacchraride (LPS), and did 

not alter thymic lymphocyte number. In contrast, 14 days of daily treatments with 143 mg/kg of 

malathion had no effect on the response to SRBC or the mitogenic responses to Con A or LPS, but 

significantly decreased thymic lymphocyte number. This set of experiments pointed out the differences 

between results from single and repeated dosing. Further studies by Rodgers and coworkers showed that 

in vitro exposure of splenocytes to malathion resulted in a suppression of the proliferative response to 

Con A and LPS (Rodgers and Ellefson 1990). However, treatment with malathion activated with a crude 

liver system capable of regenerating reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) 

resulted in an unchanged proliferative response. Rodgers and Ellefson (1990) also showed that 

administration of single doses of 715 or 900 mg/kg malathion to mice significantly elevated respiratory 

burst activity, a measure of macrophage activation of peritoneal leukocytes following stimulation with 

12-phorbol 13-myristate acetate (PMA). However, no such elevation was evident after treatment of the 

cells in vitro, unless malathion had been metabolically activated with the NADPH-regenerating system. 

Rodgers and Ellefson (1990) concluded that in order for the effects of a compound on the immune 

response to be examined following in vitro exposure, the applicability of this type of exposure to that 
MALATHION 76 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

class of compound and the necessity for a metabolism system should be determined for each parameter 

assessed. 

The mechanism of malathion-induced macrophage activation has been examined in more detail in recent 

studies. Using a wide range of doses, Rodgers and Ellefson (1992) observed that peritoneal cells from 

mice treated with a single dose of 0.25 mg/kg of malathion exhibited an increased respiratory burst 

activity, as measured by hydrogen peroxide production following stimulation with PMA; there was also 

an increase in the percentage of degranulated mast cells. The authors suggested that malathion-induced 

degranulation of mast cells and subsequent release of mast cell inflammatory mediators such as histamine 

(Rodgers and Xiong 1997b) or arachidonic acid metabolites and tumor necrosis factor (Rodgers and 

Xiong 1997a) may increase macrophage function. Increased serum levels of histamine occurred in both 

rats and mice after administration of malathion, and the increase was maximum 4 hours after a dose of 

10 mg/kg (Rodgers and Xiong 1997b). In rats, lower and higher doses produced smaller increases, 

whereas in mice, a significant but smaller increase occurred 8 hours after dosing with 700 mg/kg 

malathion. Degranulation of mast cells associated with the small intestine was seen in mice after 

administration of as low as 0.1 mg/kg/day of malathion for 14 days (Rodgers and Xiong 1997d) or 

90 days (Rodgers and Xiong 1997c), but differences in tissue sensitivities were apparent. Rodgers and 

Ellefson (1992) speculated that degranulation of mast cells by malathion may be accomplished by 

inhibition of an esterase on the surface of the mast cell. Administration of malathion (300 mg/kg) to mast 

cell-deficient mice reduced macrophage function; however, exposure of mast cell-deficient mice 

reconstituted with bone marrow-derived mast cells from wild-type mice resulted in enhanced macrophage 

function and the production of circulating IgM, but not IgG antibodies to SRBC on days 3 and 5 after 

immunization (Rodgers et al. 1996). This suggested that the presence of mast cells is necessary for the 

increase in macrophage function and humoral immunity observed after the administration of malathion. 

Intermediate-duration studies by Banerjee et al. (1998) provide comparative information on the effects of 

non-cholinergic doses of malathion on the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses in rats, mice, 

and rabbits. Humoral immune responses were assessed by measuring IgM and IgG concentrations, 

antibody titer against antigens (SRBC, tetanus toxoid, ovalbumin), and splenic plaque forming cells 

(PFC). The cell-mediated immune (CMI) response was studied by using the leucocyte migration 

inhibition (LMI) and macrophage migration inhibition (MMI) tests. Male Wistar rats were treated with 

malathion (>99% pure) in the diet (approximately 2.3, 5.8, or 11.5 mg/kg/day) for 8–22 weeks. There 

was no effect on thymus weight, but relative spleen weight was significantly decreased at 22 weeks in the 

mid- and high-dose rats that were immunized with ovalbumin or tetanus toxoid. There was no effect on 
MALATHION 77 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

serum IgG or IgM levels; however, malathion (11.5 mg/kg/day) significantly attenuated the normal 

increase in IgG level that occurs after administration of the antigens tetanus toxoid and ovalbumin. The 

IgM fraction after antigen stimulation was not affected. Antibody titers against tetanus toxoid and 

ovalbumin were significantly decreased in high-dose rats throughout the study and in the mid-dose rats 

after 22 weeks. The MMI response in ovalbumin immunized rats was significantly decreased in mid- and 

high-dose rats in a time-related manner. Rats exposed to malathion and immunized with ovalbumin or 

tetanus toxoid showed a significant decrease in LMI response especially with the high dose and at longer 

times with the mid-level dose. Mild lymphoid depletion of the spleen was described in another 

intermediate-duration study in rats treated with 130 mg malathion/kg/day for 6 weeks, whereas marked 

depletion occurred at 390 mg/kg/day (Piramanayagam and Manohar 2002). 

Male Hissar mice received malathion (approximately 4.2, 10.5, or 21 mg/kg/day) in the diet for 3–

12-weeks (Banerjee et al. 1998). Mice exposed to 10.5 mg/kg/day malathion for 12 weeks and 

immunized with SRBC showed a significant decrease in relative spleen weight. There was no significant 

change in thymus weight. Malathion did not significantly alter levels of IgG or IgM. Exposure to 

21 mg/kg/day for 3 weeks did not alter primary antibody titer against SRBC, but significantly decreased 

the secondary antibody titer against SRBC throughout the experiment. Serum antibody titer to ovalbumin 

was also decreased in high-dose mice after 8 weeks of exposure to malathion. Exposure to the high-dose 

for 3 weeks caused a reduction in the PFC response only after secondary immunization, but exposure to 

10.5 or 21 mg/kg/day for more than 6 weeks caused a dose-related decrease in PFC response after both 

primary and secondary immunization. Exposure to malathion (mid- and high-dose) produced a marked 

decrease in the MMI response to ovalbumin and tetanus toxoid immunization. In male New Zealand 

rabbits treated by gavage with 0.5 or 2.5 mg/kg/day malathion for 21 days, there was no significant effect 

on serum IgG or IgM levels. High-dose rabbits showed a significant decrease in antibody titer to 

ovalbumin after 7 and 11 weeks of primary immunization (5 and 9 weeks after secondary immunization, 

or 3 and 7 weeks after tertiary immunization) with the antigen. No effect was seen with the low-dose. 

Rabbits exposed to malathion for 15 weeks and immunized with ovalbumin or tetanus toxoid showed a 

significant decrease in LMI response after 7 weeks of antigen. 

The effects of a commercial malathion formulation (50% malathion) on the immune system of female 

SJL/J mice was investigated by Johnson et al. (2002). The mice were gavaged with 0, 0.018, 7.2, or 

180 mg of malathion/kg on alternate days for 28 days. Malathion did not stimulate cholinergic activity as 

monitored by the lack of significant change in brain acetylcholinesterase activity. The only significant 

effect observed was a significant enhancement of the primary IgM response to SRBCs when the response 
MALATHION 78 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

was expressed per viable spleen cells or per spleen; the increases appeared similar with the three doses 

tested and no dose-response was apparent. Malathion did not affect splenic cellularity or the viability of 

the splenocytes. Furthermore, lymphocyte blastogenesis was not affected and there was no significant 

effect on Con A- or phytohemagglutinin-induced T-lymphocyte proliferation or LPS-induced 

B-lymphocyte proliferation. 

Chronic-duration studies in rats administered up to approximately 622 mg/kg/day of malathion for 

80 weeks (NCI 1978) or 332 mg/kg/day for 103 weeks (NCI 1979a) or in mice given up to approximately 

2,980 mg/kg/day for 80 weeks (NCI 1978) reported no significant treatment-related alterations in the 

gross or microscopical appearance of lymph nodes or the spleen; no functional immunological end points 

were evaluated in these studies. 

Overall, the findings in animal studies suggest that malathion has at least a modulatory effect on some 

immune parameters and that this can occur at relatively low doses. However, as Rodgers and Ellefson 

(1992) stated, the physiological significance of alterations in respiratory burst and mast cell degranulation 

of the magnitude observed are unknown. Nevertheless, these findings could explain the symptoms of 

rashes and irritation of mucous membranes reported by individuals following exposure to malathion and 

suggest that these responses may be systemic in nature rather than localized. Results from animal studies 

also warned about extrapolating data obtained from in vitro studies to in vivo situations (Rodgers and 

Ellefson 1990) and from one animal species to another (Banerjee et al. 1998). 

3.2.2.4 Neurological Effects 

Several reports of accidental or intentional ingestion of malathion formulations, some with fatal 

consequences, were located. In all cases, the patients showed many of the characteristic signs of 

organophosphate poisoning (i.e., excessive salivation, lacrimation, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, 

pupillary constriction, nausea, respiratory distress, fasciculations). Cholinesterase levels were measured 

in many of these cases. Both RBC cholinesterase and plasma cholinesterase activity levels ranged from 

undetectable to 70–90% inhibition shortly after poisoning (Choi et al. 1998; Dive et al. 1994; Jušić and 

Milić 1978; Lee and Tai 2001; Matsukawa et al. 1997; Namba et al. 1970; Sudakin et al. 2000). Doses of 

malathion could be estimated to have been between 214 and 2,000 mg/kg, but dose-response relationships 

could not be established with this set of studies. Treatment with cholinesterase-reactivating agents 

reversed the enzyme inhibition to various degrees in some but not all cases. 
MALATHION 79 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Neurophysiological assessments were performed in some case reports. For example, electromyography 

testing demonstrated neuromuscular blockage in case reports described by Crowley and Johns (1966), but 

not in a case described by Jušić and Milić (1978); in the latter case, neither motor nor sensory peripheral 

nerve conduction velocities were significantly altered. Slightly reduced motor nerve conduction velocity 

was reported by Dive et al. (1994) in a case when measured 10 days following the poisoning episode. 

Acute sensorimotor distal axonal polyneuropathy was described in a case by Monje Argiles et al. (1990). 

The alterations consisted of mild reductions of most compound muscle and sensory nerve action potential 

amplitudes, slightly prolonged sensory distal latencies, and mildly slowed nerve conduction velocities. 

This was accompanied by morphological evidence of denervation and reinnervation of the gastrocnemius 

muscle and degenerating axons from the sural nerve. In both the Monje Argiles et al. (1990) and Dive et 

al. (1994) cases, isopropylmalathion was found in relatively large quantities in the formulation ingested. 

Several cases on intermediate syndrome were described following malathion intoxication (Benslama et al. 

1998; Choi et al. 1998; Lee and Tai 2001; Sudakin et al. 2000). The intermediate syndrome is termed as 

such because it occurs in the time interval (24–96 hours) between the end of the acute cholinergic crisis 

and the usual onset of delayed neuropathy and it is thought to be due to persistent cholinesterase 

inhibition leading to combined pre- and postsynaptic impairment of neuromuscular transmission (De 

Bleecker 1995; De Bleecker et al. 1992). Clinically, it was characterized by weakness in the territory of 

several motor cranial nerves, weakness of neck flexors, proximal limb muscles, and respiratory paralysis. 

Healy (1959) described the case of an 18-month-old boy who developed flaccid paralysis involving the 

lower and upper limbs 3 days after malathion intoxication that lasted for several weeks. 

Worth noting separately is a controlled dosing study conducted by Moeller and Rider (1962) in 

volunteers. The study was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, five male volunteers were 

administered daily capsules containing malathion (purity not reported) in corn oil that provided an 

approximate dose of 0.11 mg malathion/kg/day for 32 days. In the second phase, which started 3 weeks 

after the first phase had terminated, five male volunteers received daily capsules with malathion providing 

about 0.23 mg malathion/kg/day for 47 days. In the third phase, five new subjects received 

approximately 0.34 mg malathion/kg/day for 56 days. Plasma and RBC cholinesterase was determined 

twice weekly before, during, and after administration of malathion. Administration of 0.11 mg 

malathion/kg/day for 32 days or 0.23 mg/kg/day for 47 days did not produce any significant depression of 

plasma or RBC cholinesterase activity nor did it induce clinical signs. In phase three, 0.34 mg 

malathion/kg/day for 56 days caused a maximum depression of 25% in plasma cholinesterase 
MALATHION 80 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

approximately 3 weeks after cessation of treatment. A similar depression in RBC cholinesterase was 

observed, but occurred later. No clinical signs were seen in the volunteers in phase three. The NOAEL 

of 0.23 mg/kg/day was used to derive an intermediate-duration oral MRL of 0.02 mg/kg/day. 

Many studies have evaluated the effects of oral administration of malathion on neurological end points in 

animals. End points examined include activity of plasma, RBC and/or brain cholinesterase as an indicator 

of potential neurological effects, neurophysiological effects, occurrence of clinical signs, and 

morphological effects. Some representative examples are summarized below. 

Effects on Cholinesterase Activity. In rats, single dose studies have reported 37% inhibition for plasma 

cholinesterase after a dose of 500 mg/kg malathion (96% pure) (Enan 1983) and 11–48% inhibition in 

female rats administered a range of 500–2,000 mg/kg malathion (96.4% pure) (Lamb 1994a), although 

the magnitude of the inhibition was not dose-related. Also, no significant inhibition was detected in male 

rats with that same dose range (Lamb 1994a). A 34% inhibition was reported for RBC cholinesterase in 

female rats given 1,000 mg/kg malathion and 39% with 2,000 mg/kg (Lamb 1994a). Brain cholinesterase 

appears much less susceptible, as a 2,000 mg/kg dose of malathion had no significant effect on the 

enzyme activity in either male or female rats (Lamb et al. 1994a). However, a 2,000 mg/kg dose of 

88% pure malathion decreased brain cholinesterase activity 44%, suggesting a possible role for malathion 

impurities. A similar pattern can be seen in intermediate-duration studies in rats. For example, Lamb 

(1994b) found that in female rats (effects were similar in males), a dose of 395 mg/kg/day malathion 

(96.4% pure) for 90 days caused a 15–30% decrease in plasma cholinesterase activity, a 49–53% decrease 

in RBC cholinesterase, and a 12–20% decrease in brain cholinesterase; no significant effects were seen at 

4 mg/kg/day. Similar observations were made by Husain et al. (1987) in a 32-day study. In a chronicduration study, after 24 months of treatment, plasma and RBC were inhibited 12–29% with doses 

between 29 and 35 mg/kg/day malathion, whereas brain cholinesterase was only inhibited 1–3% (Daly 

1996a); the NOAEL was 2 mg/kg/day for males and 3 mg/kg/day for females. The NOAEL for males 

was used to derive a chronic-duration oral MRL of 0.02 mg/kg/day. 

Acute studies in mice also suggest that brain cholinesterase is less susceptible than plasma or RBC 

cholinesterase to inhibition by malathion, but the differential susceptibility seems to be less marked than 

in rats. For example, a single dose of 720 mg/kg of malathion (only dose level tested) diminished the 

activities of plasma, RBC, and brain cholinesterase by 41, 47, and 36%, respectively, 6 hours after 

treatment (Casale et al. 1983). The corresponding percent inhibition after four doses of 240 mg/kg/day 

was 47, 59, and 15% (Casale et al. 1983). The same trend was seen in an 18-month study in mice in 
MALATHION 81 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

which doses of 143 mg/kg/day of malathion inhibited plasma, RBC, and brain cholinesterase activities by 

24, 44, and <10%, respectively (Slauter 1994). 

In rabbits, maximum decreases in cholinesterase activity of 50–60% occurred in the cerebral right and left 

frontal lobes, cerebellum lateralis, and cerebellum flocculus 5 days after a single gavage dose of 

188 mg/kg (only dose tested) of technical-grade malathion (Vijayakumar and Selvarajan 1990). Another 

study in rats reported dos- related inhibition of RBC and plasma cholinesterase after single doses of 

between 12 and 1,200 mg/kg of malathion (95% pure) (Weeks et al. 1977). Six hours after dosing, RBC 

cholinesterase inhibition ranged from 10% with the lowest dose to 79% with the highest dose. In dogs, 

doses of 125 mg/kg/day (the lowest dose tested) of malathion (92.4% pure) inhibited plasma 

cholinesterase by more than 20% and RBC cholinesterase by 17% after 28 days of treatment (Fischer 

1988). A longer-duration study in dogs reported no significant inhibition of plasma cholinesterase and a 

20% inhibition of RBC cholinesterase with 5.3 mg/kg/day (the highest dose tested) of malathion 

(98% pure) for 6 weeks (Frawley et al. 1957); there was no significant inhibition of RBC cholinesterase 

activity with 2.1 mg/kg/day malathion. 

Neurophysiological and Neurobehavioral Effects. Ehrich et al. (1993) evaluated rats with a functional 

observation battery (FOB) that tested behavioral and central nervous system excitability, autonomic 

effects, muscle tone and equilibrium, and general physiology 7, 14, and 21 days after administering a 

single gavage dose of 600, 1,000, or 2,000 mg/kg malathion (88% pure). Significant changes occurred 

mostly in the examination 21 days after dosing and were mostly indicative of increased excitability, as for 

example, spontaneous motor activity was increased. There seemed to be no significant effects on 

autonomic functions. A similar study was conducted by Lamb (1994a) who found somewhat different 

results. Rats treated once with 500–2,000 mg/kg malathion (96.4% pure) and tested on a FOB 15 minutes 

and 7 and 14 days postdosing showed no significant alterations with the possible exception of decreased 

motor activity in the high-dose group. Results from a 90-day feeding study showed no significant effects 

of treatment with malathion (96.4% pure) doses between 4 and 1,575 mg/kg/day on parameters of a FOB 

or on motor activity (Lamb 1994b), tests were conducted on weeks 3, 7, and 13. In contrast, another 

90-day feeding study reported changes indicative of increased excitability in the electroencephalogram 

(EEG) and EMG in rats after dosing with 75 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure); doses of 38 mg/kg/day 

had no significant effects (Desi et al. 1976). In the latter study, rats from both dose groups made more 

errors than controls in a maze learning experiment. 
MALATHION 82 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Clinical Signs. Frank signs of cholinergic stimulation have been reported in many studies following 

short- and long-term exposure to malathion. For example, rats from all dosed groups (500–

2,000 mg/kg/day) in the Lamb (1994a) acute study showed clinical signs of organophosphate 

intoxication. This was also seen in the 90-day feeding study in rats administered approximately 

1,500 mg/kg/day malathion (Lamb 1994b). Convulsions, tremor, and ataxia were reported among 

pregnant rats after each of five gavage treatments with 827 mg/kg/day malathion (98% pure); the NOAEL 

was 138 mg/kg/day (Mathews and Devi 1994). Feeding a diet that provided 411 mg/kg/day of malathion 

(unspecified purity) to rats for 7 days resulted in dizziness, recurrent convulsions, and tremors; no 

significant effects were seen at 163 mg/kg/day (Ojha et al. 1992). Tremors, fasciculations, and excessive 

salivation were seen in mice following administration of a single 720 mg/kg dose of malathion 

(95% pure) (Casale et al. 1983), but no such signs were seen after a single dose of 715 mg/kg or 14 doses 

of 143 mg/kg/day of recrystallized malathion (>99% pure) (Rodgers et al. 1986). Also, generalized body 

tremors were seen in mice treated with approximately 2,980 mg/kg/day malathion from week 71 to 79 in 

an 80-week feeding study (NCI 1978); no tremors were seen in rats dosed with approximately 

1,490 mg/kg/day. 

Morphological Effects. Limited information was found regarding morphological changes in the nervous 

system after exposure to malathion. A single dose of up to 2,000 mg/kg of malathion (88% pure) caused 

no neuropathologic lesions in segments of the medulla, cervical and lumbar spinal cord, branches of the 

tibial nerve, and cerebellum from rats sacrificed 21 days after dosing (Ehrich et al. 1993). However, brain 

congestion, neuronal degeneration, and gliosis was seen in the brain of rats during the first few days after 

administration of a single dose of 1,950 mg/kg of malathion (Piramanayagam et al. 1996). Without 

providing much detail, the latter authors stated that both gross and microscopical changes appeared 

reversible, which could explain the apparent lack of lesions in the Ehrich et al. (1993) study. Histological 

sections of the brain from male Wistar rats treated with ≥130 mg malathion/kg/day (purity unspecified) 

for 6 weeks showed neuronal degeneration, gliosis, perivascular cuffing, necrosis, and hemorrhages 

(Piramanayagam and Manohar 2002). These lesions appeared to be reversible after a 6-week posttreatment recovery period. No gross or microscopic lesions were seen in the brains from rats 

administered up to 622 mg/kg/day malathion for 80 weeks (NCI 1978) or 332 mg/kg/day for 103 weeks 

(NCI 1979a), or from mice given up to 2,980 mg/kg/day for 80 weeks (NCI 1978). 

The highest NOAEL values and all reliable LOAEL values for neurological effects in each species and 

duration category are recorded in Table 3-2 and plotted in Figure 3-2. 
MALATHION 83 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

3.2.2.5 Reproductive Effects 

No studies were located regarding reproductive effects in humans following oral exposure to malathion. 

Several studies are available that provide information on the reproductive effects of malathion in animals 

after oral exposure; most of them have been conducted in rats. 

Effects in Males. The effect of malathion on spermatogenesis was examined in juvenile Wistar rats by 

Krause et al. (1976). Rats were sacrificed at various times up to the 50th day of life following two single 

gavage doses of 40 mg/kg/day of malathion (unspecified purity) on the 4th and 5th day of life, and the 

testes were examined. According to the authors, significant findings included a slight reduction in the 

number of Sertoli and Leydig cells on the 6th day, reduction of spermatogonia on days 6 and 12, and 

reduction of pachytene spermatocytes on day 18. All abnormalities disappeared by day 50. Seven daily 

gavage doses of 20 mg/kg/day of malathion over a 14-day period given to adult male Wistar rats did not 

induce any histological alterations in the spermatogenic epithelium and had no significant effect on serum 

levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) or testosterone, but increased serum FSH (Krause 1977). A higher 

dose of 163 mg/kg/day of malathion (unspecified purity) given mixed in the food for 7 days to Wistar rats 

damaged the seminiferous tubules and produced an abnormal pattern of Sertoli cells; no significant 

alterations were seen with 18.5 mg/kg/day (Ojha et al. 1992). A considerably higher gavage dose of 

1,950 mg/kg of malathion (95% pure) given once to 8-week-old male Wistar rats reduced the number of 

germinal layers and produced degeneration and necrosis of gonocytes in the seminiferous tubules during 

the first 3 days after dosing (Piramanayagam et al. 1996). These alterations appeared mild by the 6th day 

and almost all tubules showed spermatogenic activity by day 12. 

Edema, congestion, and desquamation of lining cells of the seminiferous epithelium were observed in rats 

gavaged daily for 12 weeks with 45 mg/kg/day of malathion (unspecified purity) (Balasubramanian et al. 

1987a). The same treatment also resulted in lower pH of the seminal fluid, decreased testicular protein, 

decrease relative testis weight, decreased activities of testicular LDH, AP, and acid phosphatase, and no 

change in AST or ALT activities (Balasubramanian et al. 1987b). Without providing details, the 

investigators indicated that all the changes seemed to be at least partially reversible over a 2-week postdosing period. Wistar rats treated with 390 mg malathion/kg/day (purity unspecified) for 6 weeks had a 

reduction in the number of germinal layers in the testes, accumulation of eosinophilic cellular debris in 

the lumen of the seminiferous tubules, and intertubular edema (Piramanayagam and Manohar 2002); these 

changes appeared reversible after a 6-week post-treatment recovery period. No treatment-related gross or 

microscopical alterations were seen in the prostate or testis from rats administered up to 622 mg/kg/day of 
MALATHION 84 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

malathion (95% pure) in the diet for 80 weeks (NCI 1978) or 332 mg/kg/day for 103 weeks (NCI 1979a), 

or in mice administered up to 2,980 mg/kg/day for 80 weeks (NCI 1978). 

Effects in Females. Administration of 827 mg/kg/day malathion (98% pure) to pregnant SpragueDawley rats on Gd 6–13 induced abortions after the 5th dose, but this dose level also induced lethality 

among the dams (Mathews and Devi 1994). A slight but significant decrease in the number of implants 

was observed on Gd 20 in Sprague-Dawley rats administered doses of 500 mg/kg/day of malathion 

(98% pure) on Gd 6, 10, and 14; this level of malathion exposure also reduced maternal body weight gain 

by 22% (Prabhakaran et al. 1993). However, a similar study in which Sprague-Dawley rats were 

administered 800 mg/kg/day malathion (94% pure) on Gd 6–15 found no effects on the number of 

implantations or resorptions upon examination on Gd 20 (Lochry 1989). A study in rabbits treated with 

25, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day malathion (92.4% pure) on Gd 6–18 reported an increase in the number and 

percent on resorptions sites/doe at $50 mg/kg/day; there were no effects on fertility, number of corpora 

lutea, or implantation sites (Siglin 1985). It should be noted that body weight gain was also decreased at 

$50 mg/kg/day. Treatment of female Sprague-Dawley rats with 50 mg/kg/day of malathion (unspecified 

purity) for 3 months prior to mating and during Gd 1–20 did not affect the ability to mate or conceive or 

the number of total implants or number of implants per dam (Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1984). No 

reproductive toxicity was reported in a 2-generation study in Sprague-Dawley rats (Schroeder 1990). In 

this study, male and female rats (F0) were administered 612 and 703 mg/kg/day malathion (94% pure), 

respectively, for 63 days before mating, after which time, the rats were mated to produce the F1A litters. 

After weaning, F0 rats were mated again to produce the F1B litters. F1B males and females were treated 

for 79 days before mating twice to produce F2A and F2B litters. Parameters examined included 

reproductive performance, fertility indices, and gestation length. 

Limited information exists on the effects of malathion on the histology of female reproductive organs. 

An acute study observed disquamation of cells lining the ovary, absence of grafian follicle, distortion of 

the uterine epithelium, and enlargement of the tubular uterine glands in Wistar rats that received 

approximately 163 mg/kg/day of malathion (unspecified purity) in the diet for 7 days (Ojha et al. 1992); 

no significant effects were seen at 18.5 mg/kg/day. An intermediate-duration study reported no 

significant histopathological alterations in the ovaries from rats given 10 mg/kg/day of malathion 

(94% pure) by gavage for 15 weeks (Ozmen and Akay 1993). In chronic-duration studies, no significant 

histopathological alterations were seen in the mammary gland, uterus, or ovaries from rats following 

dietary administration of up to 622 mg/kg/day malathion (95%) for 80 weeks (NCI 1978) or 

332 mg/kg/day for 103 weeks (NCI 1979a). However, increased incidence of cystic endometrial 
MALATHION 85 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

hyperplasia was seen in B6C3F1 mice administered 1,490 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) for 80 weeks 

(NCI 1978). 

The highest NOAEL values and all reliable LOAEL values for reproductive effects in each species and 

duration category are recorded in Table 3-2 and plotted in Figure 3-2. 

3.2.2.6 Developmental Effects 

No studies were located regarding developmental effects in humans following oral exposure to malathion. 

The developmental toxicity of malathion has been investigated primarily in rats, although some 

information is also available in mice and rabbits. 

Embryotoxicity. In acute studies in rats, embryotoxicity was evident only in a study by Prabhakaran et al. 

(1993) who reported a reduction in the number of live fetuses per litter and reduced fetal weight in 

Sprague-Dawley rats treated with 500 mg/kg/day (only level tested) malathion (98% pure) on Gd 6, 10, 

and 14. It should be noted, however, that treated dams gained significantly less weight during pregnancy 

than controls. No embryotoxicity was observed in Wistar rats treated with 100 mg/kg/day malathion 

(unspecified purity) on Gd 6–15 (Khera et al. 1978) or in Sprague Dawley rats treated with 

800 mg/kg/day malathion (94% pure) also on Gd 6–15 (Lochry 1989). Reduced fetal weight and crownrump length were seen in mice gavaged once on Gd 6 with 125 mg/kg malathion (unspecified purity) and 

examined on Gd 15; however, no information was provided on maternal effects (Asmatullah et al. 1993). 

Two studies in rabbits provided no evidence of embryotoxicity following gavage administration of 

100 mg/kg/day malathion on Gd 7–12 (Machin and McBride 1989a) or Gd 6–18 (Siglin 1985). 

Increased neonatal mortality (days 7 and 21 after birth) was reported in Wistar rats following maternal 

exposure to 240 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) in the diet for at least 5 months starting before mating 

(Kalow and Marton 1961). It is unclear, however, whether the rats were exposed during gestation. 

Furthermore, no information was provided regarding maternal effects. Schroeder (1990) conducted a 

2-generation study in Sprague-Dawley rats in which the animals were administered malathion (94% pure) 

in the diet at various levels between 43 and 703 mg malathion/kg/day. The only developmental effect 

noticed was a decrease in body weight gain in pups from the F1A and F2B litter during the lactation 

period at parental doses of 394 mg/kg/day for males and 451 mg/kg/day for females. The corresponding 

NOAELs were 131 and 153 mg/kg/day. In this study, there were no significant effects on clinical signs, 

growth before mating, food consumption, or maternal weight gain during gestation. 
MALATHION 86 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Teratogenicity. Acute studies in rats found no teratogenic effects of malathion after gavage 

administration of doses of 300 mg/kg/day on Gd 6–15 (Khera et al. 1978), 500 mg/kg/day on Gd 6, 10, 

and 14 (Prabhakaran et al. 1993), or 800 mg/kg/day on Gd 6–15 (Lochry 1989). No teratogenic effects 

were seen in rabbits given up to 100 mg/kg/day malathion on Gd 6–18 (Siglin 1985). No teratogenic 

effects were observed in rats administered 50 mg/kg/day malathion for 3 months prior to mating and 

during gestation (Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1984) or in the 2-generation study by Schroeder (1990) 

summarized above. 

Other Effects. Administration of technical malathion (98% pure) by gavage (0, 138, 276, or 827 mg/kg) 

from Gd 6 through 13 to Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in inhibition of brain cholinesterase in a dosedependent manner both in dams and pups on postnatal day 21 (Mathews and Devi 1994). The extent of 

inhibition was similar in dams and pups and was approximately 14, 37, and 47% in the low-, mid-, and 

high-dose groups, respectively. Also, treatment with malathion significantly increased the activities of 

carboxylesterase, glutathione-S-transferase, and cytochrome P-450 content in the liver from both dams 

and pups. Malathion also reduced the glutathione content and the activities of glutathione reductase and 

glutathione peroxidase and increased lipid peroxide content in the liver from both dams and pups. A 

study in rabbits administered 126 mg/kg/day malathion on Gd 28–30 and killed after the last dose 

reported a decrease between 54 and 79% in fetal plasma cholinesterase activity and between 60 and 66% 

in fetal brain cholinesterase (Machin and McBride 1989b). An additional study in mice administered 

30 or 100 mg/kg malathion (98% pure) by gavage in corn oil from day 1 to day 14 of lactation (Ld) found 

that glutathione-S-transferase activity was increased in the liver from male pups from both treated groups 

and in high-dose female pups (Chhabra et al. 1993). Glutathione reductase activity was increased only in 

high-dose male pups. Glutathione peroxidase activity was significantly increased (dose-related) in both 

dose groups of pups. These changes in pups’ liver followed the same trend as in maternal liver (see 

Hepatic Effects) except for glutathione reductase activity. 

Based on the available information, malathion is not a developmental toxicant when administered at doses 

that do not cause maternal toxicity. 

The highest NOAEL values and all reliable LOAEL values for developmental effects in each species and 

duration category are recorded in Table 3-2 and plotted in Figure 3-2. 
MALATHION 87 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

3.2.2.7 Cancer 

No studies were located regarding cancer in humans following oral exposure to malathion, but several 

bioassays have been conducted to examine the carcinogenicity of malathion in animals. 

NCI (1978) did an 80-week study in Osborne-Mendel rats administered malathion (95% pure) in the diet 

at approximate doses of 0, 359, and 622 mg/kg/day. In addition to a matched controls group, the study 

used pooled controls, which included controls used in assays for other pesticides. Most tissues and 

organs were examined microscopically from animals that died early, and at the end of the study. Higher 

incidences of proliferative lesions in the thyroids were observed in treated rats compared with matched 

controls. No statistically dose-related trends of differences from controls (either matched or pooled) were 

found for C-cell (parafollicular cells) or follicular cell adenomas or carcinomas in male rats. In females, 

the combined incidence of follicular cell adenoma and carcinoma in the high-dose group was 4/49 (8%) 

versus none in either set of controls. The Cochran-Armitage test indicated a significant positive linear 

trend (p=0.026) in incidence using pooled controls, but the Fisher Exact test was not significant. No other 

tumor appeared in the rats at any site in statistically significant incidences. It was concluded that under 

the conditions of the assay, there was no evidence of carcinogenicity attributable to malathion in OsborneMendel rats. A study was also conducted in Fischer-344 rats administered malathion (95% pure) in the 

diet at approximate dose levels of 0, 166, or 332 mg/kg/day for 103 weeks (NCI 1979a). Administration 

of malathion resulted in a variety of neoplasms in both control and dosed animals, with the exception of 

adrenal pheochromocytomas in male rats, which not believed to be compound-related. The incidences of 

adrenal pheochromocytomas were 2/49 (2%), 11/48 (23%), and 6/49 (12%) in controls, low-dose, and 

high-dose rats, respectively. The result of the Fisher Exact test for the low-dose group relative to the 

controls was significant (p=0.006), but the high-dose group was not. The result of the Cochran-Armitage 

test also was not significant. A lower incidence of leukemia and of carcinomas of the pituitary was 

observed in male rats, which according to the authors, may have accounted for the shorter survival of the 

dosed animals compared to controls. The conclusion was that under the conditions of the study, 

malathion was not carcinogenic for Fischer-344 rats of either sex, but females may have not received the 

maximum tolerated dose. 

More recent information is provided by a study by Daly (1996a), also in Fischer-344 rats, that used a 

wider dose range. In this 2-year study, four dose levels of 2–868 mg/kg/day were used in addition to 

controls. Administration of malathion (97.1% pure) significantly increased mortality in males at 

359 mg/kg/day and in both sexes at the highest dose levels, 739 mg/kg/day for males and 868 mg/kg/day 
MALATHION 88 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

for females. The combined incidences of liver adenomas and carcinomas in females were 0, 3.6, 3.6, 5.5, 

and 10.9%. The incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma was not significantly increased at any dose level 

in females. Because the incidence at 868 mg/kg/day was statistically significant by pair wise comparison, 

there was a statistical trend, and was outside the range of both the testing facility and NTP (National 

Toxicology Program) historical control databases, it was concluded that at 868 mg/kg/day, there was 

evidence of carcinogenicity in female rats. A very small number of nasal tumors in males and females 

and of oral cavity tumors in females was observed, but it could not be determined whether these tumors 

were treatment-related or due to random occurrence. Other tumors that were considered not attributable 

to treatment with malathion included thyroid follicular cell tumors and C-cell tumors observed in male 

rats, pituitary tumors in females, uterine tumors, testicular tumors, and incidence of mononuclear cell 

leukemia. 

NCI (1978) also tested B6C3F1 mice in the 80-week dietary study. Mice were administered a diet that 

provided approximately 0, 1,490, or 2,980 mg/kg/day of 95% pure malathion. There were no statistically 

significant incidences of any tumors in female dosed groups when compared with those of either set of 

matched or pooled controls. In males, the combined incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma and neoplastic 

nodules showed a significant linear trend when either the matched controls (p=0.041) or pooled controls 

(p=0.019) were used. Separately, these incidences were not statistically significantly greater in either 

treated group compared with either control. The Fisher Exact test for the comparison between high-dose 

(17/49) and pooled control groups had a p value of 0.031. However, the authors indicated that when 

time-adjusted analysis was performed, eliminating the male mice that died before 52 weeks on study, the 

following incidences resulted: matched controls, 2/9 (22%), pooled controls, 8/48 (17%), low-dose, 

7/47 (15%), and high-dose, 17/49 (35%). Neither the Fisher Exact test nor the Cochran-Armitage test of 

the time-adjusted incidences are significant (p>0.05) when the matched controls are used. NCI (1978) 

concluded that under the conditions of the assay, there was no clear evidence of the association of the 

tumor incidence with the administration of malathion in B6C3F1 mice. The NCI (1978) bioassay in 

B6C3F1 mice was repeated by Slauter (1994) in a study that included four treatment levels of malathion 

(96.4% pure) from 17.4 to 3,448 mg/kg/day in addition to controls. Administration of malathion had no 

significant effect on mortality. Both male and female mice showed a treatment-related increase in the 

incidence of hepatocellular tumors at the two highest dietary levels of malathion. In males, the percent 

incidences of hepatocellular adenomas were 1.9, 7.3, 3.6, 21.8, and 94.1%; the incidences of liver 

carcinomas were 0, 10.9, 5.5, 10.9, and 2.0%; the combined incidences were 1.9, 18.2, 9.1, 32.7, and 

96.1%. Analysis of these data for males showed that there was a positive dose trend. The corresponding 

incidences of hepatocellular adenomas for females were 0, 1.8, 0, 17, and 80.8; the incidences for liver 
MALATHION 89 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

carcinomas were 1.8, 0, 3.7, 1.9, and 3.8%; and the combined incidences were 1.8, 1.8, 3.7, 18.9, and 

84.6%. As with males, there was a positive dose trend. Examination of the nasal tissues showed no 

evidence of carcinogenic response. It was concluded that there was evidence of carcinogenicity in both 

sexes at the two highest doses tested, 1,476 and 2,978 mg/kg/day for males and 1,707 and 

3,448 mg/kg/day for females. 

The active metabolite of malathion, malaoxon, also has been tested for carcinogenicity in rats and mice. 

In the NCI (1979b) study, male and female Fischer-344 rats were administered malaoxon in the diet 

(approximately 0, 41, and 82 mg/kg/day) and to male and female B6C3F1 mice (approximately 0, 91, and 

182 mg/kg/day) for 103 weeks. The only possibly carcinogenic response seen was the incidence of C-cell 

adenomas and carcinomas of the thyroid among treated female rats. However, comparison of the 

incidences in treated rats with historical controls precluded relating the incidence of the tumors seen in the 

study to administration of malaoxon. NCI (1979b) concluded that under the conditions of the study, 

malaoxon was not carcinogenic to Fischer-344 rats or B6C3F1 mice. A more recent study in male and 

female Fischer-344 rats administered one of three dietary levels of malaoxon in the range of 1–

141 mg/kg/day for 103 weeks found no treatment-related neoplasia (Daly 1996b). 

In response to increased concern about the widespread use of malathion in agriculture, the NTP, in 

consultation and agreement with NCI, reevaluated the histopathology of the NCI studies on malathion in 

Osborne-Mendel rats (NCI 1978) and Fischer-344 rats (NCI 1979a), and of malaoxon on Fischer-344 rats 

(NCI 1979b). The results of the reevaluation confirmed the original conclusions of NCI regarding the 

lack of carcinogenicity of malathion in rats (Huff et al. 1985), and slightly modified the original 

interpretation for the C-cell neoplasms of the thyroid in the malaoxon study by concluding that there was 

equivocal evidence of carcinogenicity for male and female Fischer-344 rats (Huff et al. 1985). 

CEL values from each reliable study in each species and duration category are recorded in Table 3-2 and 

plotted in Figure 3-2. 

3.2.3 Dermal Exposure 

As stated in the introduction to Section 3.2.1, Inhalation Exposure, occupational exposure to malathion 

involves mostly exposure by the inhalation and dermal routes, but the contribution of each specific route 

is impossible to ascertain, especially if it is not known whether or not workers were using protective 

clothing or masks. This section includes summaries of studies in which direct skin contact was explicitly 
MALATHION 90 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

suggested by the study authors as being the primary route of exposure. However, the reader should keep 

in mind that considerable dermal absorption may have also occurred in many studies summarized in 

Section 3.2.1. 

3.2.3.1 Death 

A large study of 7,500 workers in 1976 in Pakistan who sprayed various malathion formulations reported 

that at least five workers (two mixers and three sprayers) died, probably as a result of exposure to the 

pesticide (Baker et al. 1978). Poor work practices (e.g., wearing clothing soaked with pesticide for 

several days without washing, mixing chemicals with bare hands) resulted in excessive skin contact and 

absorption of the pesticide through the skin. Baker et al. (1978) estimated that the daily dermal exposure 

for the spraymen was 330 mg of malathion. Isomalathion, an inhibitor of carboxylesterase and therefore a 

synergist for malathion, was suspected to be a major contributor in the toxicity of at least two of three 

formulations used. Ramu et al. (1973) reported the death of a 9-year-old child 5 days after exposure to 

malathion through a hair wash containing 50% malathion in xylene. No other studies describing death 

specifically linked to dermal exposure were found. 

A dermal LD50 of >4,444 mg/kg was reported in Sherman rats for malathion (Gaines 1960). Application 

of a single dose of 4,444 mg/kg of a 57% emulsifiable concentrate of malathion in xylene to a clipped 

area of the back resulted in the death of 4 out of 10 males within 1 hour of dosing (Gaines 1960, 1969). 

The only additional information available regarding dermal lethality is from a 30-day intermediateduration study in male guinea pigs in which application of 200 mg/kg/day of malathion (98% pure) in 

acetone to a 36 cm2

 clipped area of the skin killed 4 out of 10 animals during days 20–30 (Dikshith et al. 

1987). Signs of toxicity before dying included tremors, dyspnea, salivation, convulsions, and paralysis of 

the hind limbs. The lethality values from these two studies are presented in Table 3-3. 

3.2.3.2 Systemic Effects 

The highest NOAEL values and all reliable LOAEL values for systemic effects in each species and 

duration category are recorded in Table 3-3. No studies were located regarding cardiovascular, 

gastrointestinal, or musculoskeletal effects in humans or animals following dermal exposure to malathion. 
LOAEL

Table 3-3 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Dermal

Species

(Strain)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) System

NOAEL Less Serious Serious 

ACUTE EXPOSURE

Death

(Sherman)Rat once M

(4/10 males died)

4444

mg/kg/day

Ga

Systemic

Human 5-10 min Ocular 21 M

mg/m3

M

(slight conjunctivalirritation)

85

mg/m3

Go

Immuno/ Lymphoret

(Sprague- Dawley)Rat once F

(increased serumhistamine levels 4 hoursafter dosing)

2

mg/kg/day

Ro

(BALB/c)Mouse 2 d

1 x/d

148 F

mg/kg/day

Cu

(C57BL/ 6N)Mouse once 2 F

mg/kg/day

F

(increased serumhistamine levels 4 hoursafter dosing)

20

mg/kg/day

Ro

INTERMEDIATE EXPOSURE

Death

(NS)Gn Pig 30 d

1 x/d

M

(4/10 died during days20-30)

200

mg/kg/day

Di

Systemic

(Long- Evans) (topical)Rat 4 wk

5 d/wk

Ocular M

(mild eye irritation)

500

mg/kg/day

Bo

Bd Wt 500 M

mg/kg/day
LOAEL

Table 3-3 Levels of Significant Exposure to Malathion - Dermal (continued)

Species

(Strain)

Exposure/

Duration/

Frequency

(Specific Route) System

NOAEL Less Serious Serious 

Systemic

(New Zealand)Rabbit 3 wk

5 d/wk6 hr/d

Hemato 1000

mg/kg/day

M

Hepatic 1000

mg/kg/day

Renal 1000

mg/kg/day

Endocr 1000

mg/kg/day

Dermal 1000

mg/kg/day

Bd Wt 1000

mg/kg/day

Neurological

(Long- Evans) (topical)Rat 4 wk

5 d/wk

500 M

mg/kg/day

Bo

(NS)Gn Pig 30 d

1 x/d

M

(45-52% inhibition ofbrain and RBCcholinesterase)

200

mg/kg/day

Di

(New Zealand)Rabbit 3 wk

5 d/wk6 hr/d

50 M

mg/kg/day

Bd Wt = body weight; d = day(s); Endocr = endocrine; F = female; Gn Pig = Guinea Pig; Hemato = hematological; hr = hour(s); Immuno/Lymphoret = immunol

LOAEL = lowest-observed-effect level; M = male; mg/kg/day = milligram/kilogram/day; min = minute(s); NOAEL = no-observed-adverse-effect level; RBC = red week(s); x = times

F

(26% inhibition of RBCcholinesterase)

300

mg/kg/day

M

(65% inhibition ofcerebrum cholinesterase)

1000

mg/kg/day

M
MALATHION 93 

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Respiratory Effects. Dyspnea and excessive secretions in the respiratory tract were observed in 

cases of malathion intoxication in children by dermal application to the hair of a solution containing 50% 

malathion in xylene reported by Ramu et al. (1973). No studies were located regarding respiratory effects 

in humans or in animals following dermal exposure to malathion. 

Hematological Effects. No studies were located regarding hematological effects in humans 

following dermal exposure to malathion. No hematological alterations were reported in guinea pigs 

applied 400 mg/kg/day malathion (98% pure) in acetone on a 36 cm2

 area of the skin for 30 days 

(Dikshith et al. 1987). Application of up to 1,000 mg/kg/day of malathion (94% pure) 6 hours/day, 

5 days/week for 3 weeks to skin of rabbits resulted in no significant alterations in hematological variables 

and clinical chemistry parameters (Moreno 1989). 

Hepatic Effects. Limited information on hepatic effects in humans is provided by a study of 

12 agricultural workers who sprayed malathion over a period of 6 months (Grech 1965). The study was 

prompted by reports of ill-defined complaints and the finding that because the workers were not wearing 

the recommended protective clothing, significant dermal absorption was occurring. Serum levels of ALT, 

AST, aldolase, and albumin were determined at intervals during several periods of exposure and 

compared with preexposure levels and control subjects. No significant differences were observedbetween 

exposed and controls subjects, but in general, mean preexposure levels of the workers were higher than 

during exposure and than the control subjects. The toxicological significance of these findings is 

unknown. 

Unspecified mild hepatic changes were reported in guinea pigs applied 400 mg/kg/day of malathion 

(98% pure) in acetone for 30 days, no alterations were seen at 200 mg/kg/day (Dikshith et al. 1987). No 

gross or microscopical lesions were observed in the livers from rabbits treated dermally with up to 

1,000 mg/kg/day malathion (94% pure) for 3 weeks (Moreno 1989). No further information was located 

in the available literature. 

Renal Effects. No studies were located regarding renal effects in humans following dermal exposure 

to malathion. No gross renal alterations were reported in guinea pigs applied 400 mg/kg/day malathion 

(98% pure) in acetone on a 36 cm2

 area of the skin for 30 days (Dikshith et al. 1987). No gross or 

microscopical lesions were observed in the kidneys from rabbits treated dermally with up to 

1,000 mg/kg/day malathion (94% pure) for 3 weeks (Moreno 1989). 
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Endocrine Effects. No studies were located regarding endocrine effects in humans following dermal 

exposure to malathion. No significant alteration in the weight of the adrenals was reported in guinea pigs 

applied 400 mg/kg/day malathion (98% pure) in acetone on a 36 cm2

 area of the skin for 30 days 

(Dikshith et al. 1987). No gross or microscopical lesions were observed in endocrine glands from rabbits 

treated dermally with up to 1,000 mg/kg/day malathion (94% pure) for 3 weeks (Moreno 1989). 

Dermal Effects. A few cases of dermal injury from assumed skin contact with malathion have been 

found in the literature. Baker et al. (1978) observed burns and skin rashes in an unspecified number of 

workers spraying malathion in Pakistan. As noted above, the daily dermal exposure was estimated to 

have been 330 mg of malathion. However, a survey of residents from an urban area in California who 

underwent aerial spraying with malathion found no significant increase in dermatologic problems (skin 

rash) that would require the utilization of health care services or in the prevalence of self-reported dermal 

symptoms (Kahn et al. 1992). In an absorption study in 31 healthy volunteers, it was found that 

application of an aqueous dose of malathion of 2.5 mg/cm2

 to the volar surface of the arm caused a 

marked and long-lasting erythema which, according to the investigators, could have been due to 

malathion-induced accumulation of acetylcholine within the tissue space in quantities enough to cause 

visible erythema (Boutsiouki et al. 2001). 

Mild dermatitis was reported in mice following a brief whole-body submersion in a dip preparation 

containing 8% malathion (Relford et al. 1989); submersion in a 2% solution induced no significant 

effects. Hyperkeratosis of the epidermal layer of the skin was reported in guinea pigs following repeated 

applications of 200 mg/kg/day of malathion (98% pure) in acetone in a 30-day study (Dikshith et al. 

1987). Also in an intermediate-duration study, repeated application of up to 1,000 mg/kg/day of 

malathion (94% pure) to the skin of rabbits resulted in no gross or microscopical alterations of the skin 

(Moreno 1989). 

Ocular Effects. In a controlled-exposure study, 16 male volunteers (4/exposure level) were exposed 

to aerosol bombs that contained 0 (control), 5, or 20% actual malathion (95% pure) for 1 hour, 

2 times/day for 42 days (Golz 1959). The actual exposure concentrations were 0, 5.3, 21, or 85 mg/m3

. 

There were no signs of toxicity during the study with the exception of occasional conjunctival irritation. 

A study of residents from an urban area in California found no significant increase in the number of visits 

to health care services for ocular problems or in the prevalence of self-reported ocular symptoms after 

aerial spraying of the area with malathion (Kahn et al. 1992). Kamel et al. (2000) used cross-sectional 

data from self-administered questionnaires completed by licensed pesticide applicators from Iowa and 
MALATHION 95 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

North Carolina to evaluate the relationship between retinal degeneration and pesticide application. They 

compared pesticide use in 154 applicators with the disease and 17,804 applicators with no retinal 

degeneration. Organophosphate use was significantly associated with retinal degeneration only in North 

Carolina, but not in Iowa or both states together, nor in various subgroups, and no dose-response was 

observed. Kamel et al. (2000) suggested that because nearly all applicators (both cases and controls) 

evaluated in their study used organophosphate insecticides, exposures could not be effectively evaluated. 

At the same time, they pointed out that it would be premature to conclude that no risk existed. Anecdotal 

information was found in a study of self-reported symptoms in 22 seamen who may have been exposed to 

a single cloud of malathion that escaped from a nearby overheated tank (Markowitz et al. 1986). 

Compared with a group of controls, the seamen reported significantly more problems associated with 

swelling or irritation, blurring, double vision, or poor vision when contacted 12 days following the 

incident. It should be noted that there was no evidence of actual exposure to the chemical; therefore, the 

role of malathion, if any, cannot be determined. 

Transient conjunctivitis was observed in mice following a brief whole-body submersion in a dip 

preparation containing 2 or 8% malathion (Relford et al. 1989). A recent study by Boyes et al. (1999) 

examined the ocular toxicity of malathion in Long-Evans rats. Malathion alone or with insect bait was 

applied directly to the eyes at a level of 100 mg per eye, 5 days/week for 4 weeks. Assuming a body 

weight of about 0.4 kg for a 60-day-old Long-Evans rat, the daily dose can be estimated at 

500 mg/kg/day. Approximately 38 days after completion of the study, the eyes were examined by an 

ophthalmologist. Application of malathion caused only slight signs of ocular irritation described as mild 

redness of the periocular tissue. The ophthalmologic examination did not reveal any significant changes 

in the anterior or posterior segment of the eye. Boyes et al. (1999) pointed out that while there was no 

apparent damage, the possibility cannot be ruled out that acute alterations detectable shortly after dosing 

could have resolved during the 38–42-day posttreatment period. They also estimated that the amount of 

malathion applied would yield a dose of 2,000 μg of malathion per mm2

, which is about 84,000 times 

greater than what would be expected from an aerial application of the pesticide. 

Body Weight Effects. No information was located regarding body weight effects in humans 

following dermal exposure to malathion. No significant effects on body weight were reported in rats 

treated topically in the eye with approximately 500 mg/kg/day of malathion for 4 weeks (Boyes et al. 

1999). No significant effect on body weight was observed in rabbits treated dermally with up to 

1,000 mg/kg/day malathion (94% pure) for 3 weeks (Moreno 1989). 
MALATHION 96 

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Other Effects. Hyperglycemia and glucosuria were found in four children with severe malathion 

intoxication following application to the hair of a solution containing 50% malathion in xylene (Ramu et 

al. 1973). Since the hyperglycemia was accompanied with hyperinsulinemia, Ramu et al. (1973) 

suggested that it may have not been mediated by release of catecholamines, which are known to inhibit 

insulin secretion. 

3.2.3.3 Immunological and Lymphoreticular Effects 

Laboratory studies conducted by Milby and Epstein (1964) in 87 volunteers showed that a single 

exposure to 10% malathion (95% pure) induced contact sensitization in almost half of the subjects, and 

that 0.1 and 0.01% concentrations of 99.3% malathion were able to evoke positive responses in 

previously sensitized individuals. Field experiments conducted with occupationally exposed subjects 

showed that only about 3% reacted to a 1% malathion patch test (Milby and Epstein 1964). The field 

study results, however, showed that three of the four positive reactions in mosquito workers were in a 

district that used malathion dissolved in diesel oil, which was subsequently found to cause irritation. 

Cases of possible immediate and delayed type hypersensitivity reactions to malathion or to a corn syrup 

bait were investigated among 10 subjects who had developed dermatitis within a week of exposure to 

aerial application of malathion in Southern California (Schanker et al. 1992). The authors found one case 

of possible immediate IgE reaction to malathion bait and another case of irritant reaction to malathion and 

to the bait, but there were no cases of delayed type hypersensitivity. Schanker et al. (1992) noted that due 

to the low participation rate in the study, no specific conclusions regarding the rate of sensitivity in the 

population could be drawn. 

Three studies were located that provided information on immunological effects of malathion in animals 

following dermal exposure. One of them examined the effect of acute administration of malathion on 

serum levels of histamine in Sprague-Dawley rats and C57BL/6N mice (Rodgers and Xiong 1997b). 

Doses from 2 to 2,000 mg/kg of malathion (>99% pure) in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) were applied once 

to the shaved skin under an occlusive bandage. Both in rats and mice, treatment with malathion produced 

a dose-related increase in serum histamine levels, which was maximum 4 hours after dosing. Eight hours 

after dosing, histamine levels had returned to near control levels. The investigators (Rodgers and Xiong 

1997b) suggested that signs such as lacrimation, rashes, and irritation of mucous membranes that may 

have reported by individual exposed to malathion may be of systemic origin rather than the result of 

localized action. A study in BALB/c mice sensitized with two daily applications of malathion (25 μL at 

17.8 or 177.6 mg/mL) to the shaved abdomen showed no delayed-type hypersensitivity when challenged 
MALATHION 97 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

with malathion 6 days after the second sensitization (Cushman and Street 1983). The findings of Rodgers 

and Xiong (1997b) and Cushman and Street (1983) are listed in Table 3-3. An additional study examined 

the effects of a malathion dip preparation on selected immunologic parameters in BALB/c mice (Relford 

et al. 1989). Mice were briefly submersed in a solution of 2 or 8% malathion twice with a 10-day interval 

in between doses. The cellular immune response was assessed by in vitro exposure of lymphocytes to 

mitogens, whereas the humoral response was measured by quantifying antibody production against 

SRBC. Sampling started 3 days after the second treatment and continued at 6-day intervals for a total of 

5 samplings. Treatment with malathion did not significantly alter the cellular immune response to 

mitogens (Concanavalin A, phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen, lipopolysaccharide), with the 

exception of a suppressed B cell response to LPS on day 3 in both treated groups. This suppression was 

not seen at other sampling times. Responses to the SRBC were no different among control and treated 

groups. No exposure level could be estimated in this study. 

3.2.3.4 Neurological Effects 

A case of dermal poisoning with malathion was described by Parker and Chattin (1955). The victim was 

a 10-year-old girl who had extensive dermal contact with a commercial malathion formulation in the form 

of flakes and became semi-comatose 48 hours after exposure. On admission, there was stiffness of the 

neck and back and there were signs of meningeal irritation; deep reflexes of the lower extremities were 

absent. Following treatment with atropine, there was gradual recovery towards normality. Cholinesterase 

levels were measured in two studies that had significant dermal exposure to malathion. Ramu et al. 

(1973) described several cases of intoxication in children following a hair wash with a solution containing 

50% malathion in xylene. In four severely intoxicated children, serum cholinesterase levels increased 

from undetected on admission to almost within the normal range 72 hours later, after appropriate 

treatment for organophosphate poisoning. Baker et al. (1978) measured RBC cholinesterase activity in 

occupationally exposed subjects at the beginning and end of the day during the period of pesticide use. 

The percent decreases varied by pesticide formulation; in mixers and spraymen, the average decrease 

from morning to evening (after a day of exposure) was about 40–45% with a formulation that contained 

the lowest concentration of malathion and the highest concentration of four breakdown products, 

including isomalathion. 

Few studies were available providing information on neurological effects of malathion following dermal 

exposure of animals. Lethargy and anorexia were described in mice following a brief submersion in a dip 

preparation of 2 or 8% malathion (Relford et al. 1989). Vestweber and Kruckenberg (1972) studied the 
MALATHION 98 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

dermal toxicity of a malathion formulation commonly used to treat house pets. A dog was sprayed over 

the entire body with a solution containing 0.5% malathion 3 times in a week and was observed for up to 

41 days following the treatment; plasma and RBC cholinesterase were also determined. No clinical signs 

of toxicity were observed during the study, but both plasma and RBC cholinesterase activities were 

inhibited by application of malathion. A maximum inhibition of 36% of the plasma cholinesterase 

activity and 34% of the RBC activity occurred the day of the second treatment, but by day 19, enzyme 

activities had recovered to pretreatment values. No doses could be estimated from these two studies. 

Repeated dermal doses of 200 mg/kg/day of malathion (98% pure) in acetone, which were lethal to 

guinea pigs, inhibited brain and RBC cholinesterase activity by 45–52% after 30 days of treatment, but 

did not induce gross or microscopical alterations in the brain (Dikshith et al. 1987). The animals that died 

showed frank signs of cholinergic stimulation before dying. A 65%, inhibition of cerebrum 

cholinesterase activity was reported in male New Zealand rabbits applied malathion (94% pure) on the 

skin for 6 hours/day, 5 days/week for 3 weeks (Moreno 1989). Doses of 300 mg/kg/day decreased RBC 

cholinesterase activity by 26% in females, whereas the lowest dose level tested, 50 mg/kg/day, caused no 

significant inhibition of plasma, RBC, cerebrum, or cerebellum cholinesterase activities (Moreno 1989). 

No signs of toxicity were observed in this study. 

In the Boyes et al. (1999) study that was briefly described under Ocular Effects, the authors also 

examined the effects of malathion on visual evoked potentials (VEP) in Long-Evans rats by implanting 

the animals with cranial electrodes for recording of VEP. The amount of malathion applied to the eye 

resulted in approximate doses of 500 mg/kg/day for 4 weeks. Treatment with malathion had no 

significant effect on the amplitude or phase, or the first harmonic of the VEPs. During the study, there 

were no signs of cholinergic activation. Examination of the retina and optic nerve 42 days after 

termination of the study revealed no treatment-related alterations. 

The highest NOAEL values and all reliable LOAEL values for neurological effects in each species and 

duration category are recorded in Table 3-3. 

3.2.3.5 Reproductive Effects 

No studies were located regarding reproductive effects in humans following dermal exposure to 

malathion. A study in male guinea pigs reported a decrease in absolute testes weight following 

application of 400 mg/kg/day of malathion (98% pure) in acetone to the skin for 30 days; however, doses 
MALATHION 99 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

of 200 mg/kg/day induced an increase in relative weight (Dikshith et al. 1987). Since body weight data 

were not provided, the significance of the changes in testes weight is unknown. There were no gross or 

microscopical alterations in the testes. Another intermediate-duration study did not observe significant 

changes in weight or gross or microscopical alterations in the ovaries, testes, or epididymis from rabbits 

applied up to 1,000 mg/kg/day on the skin for 6 hours/day, 5 days/weeks for 3 weeks (Moreno 1989). 

Only the latter study is listed in Table 3-3 since few details were provided in the former. 

3.2.3.6 Developmental Effects 

No relevant information was located regarding developmental effects of malathion in humans after 

dermal exposure with the exception of a report discussing a possible link between a mother’s use of a hair 

lotion containing 0.5% malathion during the 11th and 12th weeks of pregnancy and the birth of a severely 

malformed child who died shortly after birth (Lindhout and Hageman 1987). The child’s condition 

resembled amyoplasia congenita in which skeletal muscle is almost completely replaced by fatty tissue. 

Although no causal link can be established, the mother and father were healthy and had two other children 

who were healthy. 

No studies were located regarding developmental effects in animals following dermal exposure to 

malathion. 

3.2.3.7 Cancer 

No studies were located regarding cancer in humans or animals following dermal exposure to malathion. 

3.3 GENOTOXICITY 

Many in vivo and in vitro studies in humans and animals have investigated the genotoxic effects of 

malathion, and evidence suggests that technical-grade malathion has the potential to be a genotoxic agent. 

Most studies (many with positive results) have used technical or commercial grades of malathion rather 

than the purified form. This, plus positive genotoxicity results of studies on malaoxon, suggests the 

possibility that impurities in commercial formulations might be the active genotoxicity agents (Flessel et 
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3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

al. 1993). There is also some evidence that malathion is a weak DNA alkylating agent in vitro (Flessel et 

al. 1993). Results of in vivo and in vitro studies are discussed below. 

Four in vivo studies of genotoxicity associated with malathion exposure in humans show varying results 

(Table 3-4). Actual exposure levels were not available in any of the studies. In a study of 60 workers in 

direct contact with malathion who were exposed from 5 to 25 years, significant differences in chromatid 

aberrations were observed both in groups of individuals exposed for 11–15 years and those exposed for 

more than 20 years when compared with control groups employed at the plant for similar exposure 

periods (Singaravelu et al. 1998). A study of individuals acutely exposed to malathion showed significant 

chromatid breaks, total chromatid aberrations, numbers of cells with non-modal chromosomes, and 

unstable and stable chromosome aberrations in lymphocytes cultured immediately after exposure (van 

Bao et al. 1974). One month after exposure, lymphocytes showed only significant levels of stable and 

unstable chromosome aberrations, and at 6 months postexposure, significant differences were observed 

only in numbers of cells with nonmodal chromosomes. In a study of workers who applied malathion as 

ground treatment during the Southern California med-fly eradication program, both a pilot program and a 

full scale investigation found no significant differences in the level of micronuclei in lymphocytes 

between the exposed and unexposed groups (Windham et al. 1998). The frequency of variant cells was 

not associated with malathion exposure in either the pilot or full-scale study. Similarly, Titenko-Holland 

et al. (1997) studied 38 workers involved in the med-fly eradication program, and found no change on 

proliferation or micronucleus level when compared with an unexposed control group. 

Several additional in vivo studies have investigated the genotoxicity of malathion in mammals after 

intraperitoneal or oral administration (Table 3-4). In the bone marrow of treated mice, significantly 

higher numbers of chromosomal aberrations and abnormal metaphases were observed after single 

intraperitoneal doses of 230 and 460 mg/kg body weight when compared with controls (Dulout et al. 

1983). Chromosome abnormalities were observed at a dose of 1.5 mg/kg body weight administered by 

gavage to mice for 7 days (Kumar et al. 1995). A dose-response relationship was observed in this study 

up to the highest dose of 6.0 mg/kg. Feeding male mice with grains treated with a commercial malathion 

formulation induced chromosomal aberrations in bone marrow cells and chromosomal abnormalities in 

spermatocytes (Amer et al. 2002); maximal responses were seen with the highest dose tested 

(approximately 7.5 mg/kg/day) in mice that ate grains pre-stored for 24 weeks and were given to the mice 

for 12 weeks. Amer et al. (2002) also found an increase in chromosome aberrations and sister chromatid 

exchanges in cultures of spleen cells from the mice that ate the contaminated grains. Numbers of cells 

with chromosome aberrations were significantly higher in hamsters given single intraperitoneal injections 
MALATHION 101 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Table 3-4. Genotoxicity of Malathion In Vivo

Species (test system) End point Results Reference 

Mammalian cells: 

 Mouse bone marrow Chromosomal abnormalities + Kumar et al. 1995 

 Mouse bone marrow Chromosomal aberrations – Degraeve and 

Moutschen 1984 

 Mouse spermatogonia Chromosomal aberrations – Degraeve and 

Moutschen 1984 

 Mouse spermatogonia Dominant lethal mutation – Degraeve and 

Moutschen 1984 

 Mouse spermatogonia Chromosomal aberrations + Salvadori et al. 1988 

 Mouse bone marrow Micronuclei + Dulout et al. 1982 

 Mouse bone marrow Chromosomal aberrations + Dulout et al. 1983 

 Hamster bone marrow Chromosomal aberrations ± Dzwonkowska and 

Hubner 1986 

 Mouse bone marrow Chromosomal aberrations + Abraham et al. 1997 

 Mouse bone marrow Micronuclei + Abraham et al. 1997 

 Mouse spermatocytes Meiotic index + Hoda et al. 1993 

 Mouse bone marrow Chromosomal aberrations + Amer et al. 2002 

 Mouse spermatocytes Chromosomal aberrations + Amer et al. 2002 

 Mouse spleen cells Chromosomal aberrations + Amer et al. 2002 

 Mouse spleen cells Sister chromatid exchange + Amer et al. 2002 

 Mouse bone marrow Chromosomal aberrations + Giri et al. 2002 

 Human lymphocytes Micronuclei – Titenko-Holland et al. 

1997 

 Human lymphocytes Chromosomal aberrations + Singaravelu et al. 1998 

 Human lymphocytes Chromosomal aberrations + van Bao et al. 1974 

 Human lymphocytes Micronuclei – Windham et al. 1998 

 Human erythrocytes Mutation frequencies – Windham et al. 1998 

Eukaryotic organisms: 

 Drosophila (food) Dominant lethal + Kumar et al. 1995 

 Drosophila (food) Sex linked recessive lethal + Kumar et al. 1995 

 Drosophila (food) Wing spot test – Osaba et al. 1999 

 Drosophila (food) Sex linked recessive lethal – Velázquez et al. 1987 

 Drosophila (food) Sex chromosome losses – Velázquez et al. 1987 

– = negative result; + = positive result; ± = weak positive result 
MALATHION 102 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

of 240 mg/kg (all aberrations except gaps) and 2,400 mg/kg (all aberrations) (Dzwonkowska and Hubner 

1986). Results were not significant at intervening doses. Dulout et al. (1982) observed a significantly 

higher number of micronucleated cells in mice at single intraperitoneal doses of 120 and 240 mg/kg, but 

not at the highest dose of 480 mg/kg. No differences were observed after dermal administration. After 

10 days of gavage dosing with 0.2 μg/kg/day, mice spermatocytes had slower rates of meiotic cell 

division than controls (Hoda et al. 1993). Another study showed no significant numbers of chromosome 

aberrations in bone marrow or spermatogonia and no dominant lethal mutations after a single 

intraperitoneal dose of 300 mg/kg was administered to mice (Degraeve and Moutschen 1984). 

Administration of single intraperitoneal doses of malathion in the range of 2.5–10 mg/kg to mice resulted 

in significant dose-dependent increases in the frequency of chromosome aberrations in bone marrow cells 

and sperm abnormalities, but did not affect the total sperm count (Giri et al. 2002). A study in male mice 

treated dermally with multiple doses of 500 mg/kg/day of commercial malathion (unspecified purity) 

found a significant increase in chromosome aberrations in primary spermatocytes (Salvadori et al. 1988). 

Malathion (250 mg/kg/day) also produced an increase in univalent chromosomes (lacking centromeres). 

However, the significance of results of Salvadori et al. (1988) has been questioned by some investigators 

who noted that “while higher frequencies of spermatocytes containing univalents were observed in both 

sex chromosomes and autosomes in malathion-exposed mice, the statistical strength of the effect was 

stronger in the sex chromosomes, diminishing the significance of the effect” (Flessel et al. 1993). It was 

also pointed out that “the reported increase in univalents among the sex chromosomes exhibited a positive 

dose-response relationship, whereas the increase among the autosomes did not.” 

In vivo studies in Drosophila are more equivocal (Table 3-4). Kumar et al. (1995) did observe increased 

failure of eggs to hatch after untreated females were mated with treated males, assumed to be due to 

dominant lethal mutations. The study also found increased sex-linked recessive lethal mutations. 

Another study, however, showed no differences in sex-linked recessive lethal mutations, although this test 

used a Drosophila strain selected for increased malathion resistance (Velázquez et al. 1987). Results of 

the wing spot test, which can test genotoxic activity without exogenous metabolic activation, were 

negative (Osaba et al. 1999). 

Results from in vitro studies are summarized in Table 3-5. Assays in bacteria show conflicting results. 

Shiau et al. (1980) observed some mutagenicity of malathion without metabolic activation in one strain of 

Bacillus subtilis (and greater mutagenicity with activation) and weak DNA damaging potential in several 

B. subtilis strains. In another study, purified colicinogenic plasmid E1 DNA from malathion-treated 

Escherichia coli was found to have significantly more breaks than DNA from control bacteria in a test 
MALATHION 103 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Table 3-5. Genotoxicity of Malathion In Vitro

 Results

Species (test system) End point

With 

activation

Without 

activation Reference

Prokaryotic organisms: 

 Salmonella typhimurium 

(TA97a) 

Gene mutation – – Pednekar et al. 1987 

 S. typhimurium (TA98) Gene mutation – – Pednekar et al. 1987 

 S. typhimurium (TA100) Gene mutation – – Pednekar et al. 1987 

 S. typhimurium (TA102) Gene mutation – – Wong et al. 1989 

 S. typhimurium (TA1535) Gene mutation – – Wong et al. 1989 

 S. typhimurium (TA1537) Gene mutation – – Wong et al. 1989 

 Bacillus subtillis (TKJ5211) Gene mutation – – Shiau et al. 1980 

 B. subtillis (TKJ6321) Gene mutation + ± Shiau et al. 1980 

 B. subtillis (rec assay) DNA damage ± ± Shiau et al. 1980 

 Isolated DNA from Escheria coli

K-12 

DNA damage NT + Griffin and Hill 1978 

Mammalian cells: 

 CHO cells Sister chromatid 

exchange 

NT + Nishio and Uyeki 1981 

 Human fetal fibroblasts Sister chromatid 

exchange 

NT + Nicholas et al. 1979 

 Human lymphoid cells Sister chromatid 

exchange 

+ + Sobti et al. 1982 

 Human lymphocytes Sister chromatid 

exchange 

+ + Garry et al. 1990 

 Human lymphocytes Sister chromatid 

exchange 

NT + Balaji and Sasikala 1993 

 Human lymphocytes Micronuclei NT ± Titenko-Holland et al. 

1997 

 Human lymphocytes Chromosomal 

aberrations 

+ + Garry et al. 1990 

 Human lymphocytes Chromosomal 

aberrations 

NT + Balaji and Sasikala 1993 

 Human lymphocytes Chromosomal 

aberrations 

NT + Walter et al. 1980 

 Human lymphocytes DNA repair NT – Blasiak et al. 1999 

 Human lymphocytes Mutation 

frequency 

NT + Pluth et al. 1996, 1998 

– = negative result; + = positive result; ± = weak positive result; CHO = Chinese hamster ovary; DNA = deoxyribose 

nucleic acid; NT = not tested 
MALATHION 104 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

performed without activation, although the breakage rate was fairly slow (Griffin and Hill 1978). Studies 

in various Salmonella typhimurium strains dosed with malathion reported no significant differences in 

gene mutations both with and without activation (Pednekar et al. 1987; Wong et al. 1989). 

Mammalian cells tested in vitro exhibited genotoxicity after malathion dosing both with and without 

activation (Table 3-5). Sister chromatid exchanges were observed in human lymphoid cells and 

lymphocytes, when assays were conducted with activation (Garry et al. 1990; Sobti et al. 1982). More 

studies report results of tests using no activation; even without activation, malathion-associated sister 

chromatid exchange occurred in human fetal fibroblasts, lymphoid cells, and lymphocytes, and Chinese 

hamster ovary cells (Balaji and Sasikala 1993; Garry et al. 1990; Nicholas et al. 1979; Nishio and Uyeki 

1981). Several studies in human lymphocytes report significant levels of chromosome aberrations both 

with activation (Garry et al. 1990) and without activation (Balaji and Sasikala 1993; Garry et al. 1990; 

Walter et al. 1980). Titenko-Holland et al. (1997) found a significant increase in micronucleated cells in 

isolated human lymphocytes, whereas the genotoxic effects in whole blood cultures (although still 

significant) were smaller. Pluth et al. (1996, 1998) studied the frequency of mutations in human 

lymphocytes and found significantly greater mutations in cells dosed with malathion (without activation). 

DNA damage and repair in human lymphocytes was investigated in one study, which showed no 

significant effects of malathion (Blasiak et al. 1999). The study did find, however, that two analogues 

present in commercial malathion formulations (malaoxon and isomalathion) damaged DNA in a dosedependent manner. In a more recent study, Blasiak and Stańkowska (2001) suggested that hydrogen 

peroxide and reactive oxygen species may be involved in the formation of DNA lesions induced by 

malaoxon. Weak evidence of in vitro methylation of DNA bases by malathion was presented by 

Wiaderkiewicz et al. (1986). Also, malathion and several impurities were able to alkylate nitrobenzylpyridine, a synthetic substrate, but none of the impurities was mutagenic in tests in Salmonella (Imamura 

and Talcott 1985). 

3.4 TOXICOKINETICS 

Absorption of ingested malathion is rapid, followed by efficient biotransformation and elimination, 

mostly in urine. Dermally applied malathion is readily absorbed, although the fraction absorbed varies 

with the site and dose. Little direct information exists for the fate of inhaled malathion. Malathion 

requires for its acute toxicity the bioactivation to the ultimate neurotoxic metabolite, malaoxon. It is the 

level of this metabolite at the target that determines acute toxicity. Although the liver is the richest source 

of the bioactivation enzyme among various mammalian organs, the source organ of malaoxon responsible 
MALATHION 105 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

for acute toxicity has not been determined. The overriding factor that makes the mammalian 

toxicokinetics of malathion unique is the rapid hydrolytic cleavage of carboxylic ester linkages that 

counters the buildup of the neurotoxic metabolite malaoxon. The impact of carboxylesterase on acute 

toxicity is evident in the rat in which the oral LD50 of malathion may be as low as 7.5 mg/kg when 

carboxylesterase is artificially suppressed (Dauterman and Main 1966; Main and Braid 1962) and as high 

as 10,000 mg/kg when carboxylesterase is fully active in the absence of interfering impurities. A similar, 

though less dramatic, effect of carboxylesterase inhibition has also been observed for malaoxon toxicity 

(Dauterman and Main 1966). 

Malathion also undergoes various other forms of biotransformation. Both malathion and malaoxon are 

subject to phosphate linkage hydrolysis as well as glutathione-linked cleavage, both of which are 

detoxicative. Carboxylesterase is quite active in rat blood, but not in human blood (Main and Braid 

1962). In contrast, in both species, the enzyme is highly active in the liver. Since the blood enzyme in 

the rat apparently plays a major role in keeping the toxicity of this insecticide low, whether rats serve as a 

correct toxicokinetic model for humans is uncertain, particularly in view of the observed inter-specific 

variations. The efficient carboxylesterase hydrolysis masks various other pathways of biotransformation, 

and makes studies of toxicokinetics difficult. Further confounding the toxicokinetics is the varying 

amounts of impurities in commercial formulations, which inhibit carboxylesterase to varying degrees 

depending on the formulation. As a result, toxicokinetics depends not only on variations in the recipient 

sensitivity, but also on the purity of the malathion preparation at hand. 

3.4.1 Absorption 

Absorption of malathion has been studied either indirectly by following the urinary output of metabolites 

or directly by studies of disappearance of malathion from the site of application, typically by using 

malathion radiolabeled with 14C at various parts of the molecule, including the methoxy, succinyl, and 

ethyl groups. Though many of these studies also provide information regarding elimination, studies 

concerning elimination as evidence of absorption are presented in this section, while other studies more 

directly addressing elimination are reviewed in Section 3.4.4, Elimination and Excretion. 
MALATHION 106 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

3.4.1.1 Inhalation Exposure 

While inhalation of malathion vapor or spray mist is well anticipated to be an efficient route of absorption 

of malathion, especially in occupational applications, no specific studies were located in the literature on 

absorption of malathion through inhalational exposure. 

3.4.1.2 Oral Exposure 

The many case reports of malathion intoxication following accidental or intentional ingestion (see 

Section 3.2.2, Oral Exposure) of the pesticide provide ample evidence that malathion is well absorbed 

through the gastrointestinal tract in humans. Also, a controlled study with volunteers who received 

malathion in capsules provides direct evidence of absorption, as ingestion of malathion induced a 

decrease in both plasma and RBC cholinesterase activity levels (Moeller and Rider 1962). 

In mice, rapid absorption of oral doses of malathion was shown by its decrease from the gastrointestinal 

tract. 14C-Succinyl malathion gavaged at 1 mg/kg to fasted female ICR mice was rapidly absorbed (20% 

in 1 minute, 28% in 5 minutes, 40% in 15 minutes, 45% in 30 minutes, and 89% in 60 minutes) (Ahdaya 

et al. 1981). The half-time of absorption was 34 minutes. Ligation of the pylorus to measure stomach 

absorption resulted in absorption of 20% in 1 hour, indicating that most absorption occurred in the 

intestine (Ahdaya and Guthrie 1982). 

As described in the section on elimination, ingested malathion is rapidly eliminated, mainly into urine, 

further indicating rapid absorption of ingested doses. 

3.4.1.3 Dermal Exposure 

There is extensive information on dermal absorption of malathion in humans and animals. The dermal 

route constitutes a major route of exposure during and following malathion application to fields and 

following aerial spraying for pest control and residential use. Dermal absorption occurs as a result of high 

capacity of the skin and the affinity of the plasma proteins for malathion (Menczel et al. 1983). 
MALATHION 107 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Interplay of such factors was analyzed in a direct study of dermal absorption employing the isolated 

perfused porcine skin flap (IPPSF) and revealed modest rates of absorption. Percutaneous absorption 

kinetics for the 14C-labeled insecticides including malathion were examined in viable epidermis and 

dermis with a functional microcirculation (Chang et al. 1994). Measured venous flux values during the 

8-hour perfusion were fitted to the 4-compartment pharmacokinetic model, and rate constants were 

estimated. The model yielded estimates of rate constants for surface-to-skin (transitional), skin 

(transitional)-to/from-skin (reservoir), skin (transitional)-to/from-vascular, and vascular-to-effluent 

compartments. Absorption, defined as cumulative flux of radioactivity appearing in the venous perfusate 

for malathion, was 1.29% of the applied dose in 8 hours. 

In contrast, very rapid dermal absorption was observed in a study involving succinyl 14C-malathion 

applied to 7–8-week-old female Duplin ICR mice. The dermal dose of 1 mg/kg was rapidly absorbed 

(5.5% in 1 minute, 13% in 5 minutes, 23% in 15 minutes, 25% in 60 minutes, 67% in 8 hours, and 98% in 

48 hours) (Shah et al. 1981). Of 14 pesticides examined, malathion showed the slowest absorption rate, 

with an absorption half-life of 130 minutes. 

Dary et al. (2001) used a factorial design of three factors, vehicle, the source of the chemical (technical 

grade 95% pure vs. 50% emulsifiable concentrate), and exposure duration (0.5 vs. 1 hour) to examine 

dermal penetration of 14C-malathion through the skin of rats. Penetration of malathion was detected by 

instant electronic autoradiography. The result showed no significant interactions between the factors, 

penetration was influenced solely by the vehicle; malathion was found to penetrate the stratum corneum 

and the underlying layers of the skin more efficiently from an aqueous vehicle than from an organic 

solvent. The portion of the applied dermal dose that was absorbed into the system amounted to a mean 

total of 6.0±1.0% for the various groups studied. 

The rate of percutaneous absorption of malathion in human skin in vivo was measured using 

microdialyisis probes in 31 healthy volunteers (Boutsiouki et al. 2001). The authors also examined the 

relationship between tissue levels of malathion and changes in local skin blood flow. An aqueous 

solution of malathion was applied to the volar surface of the forearm at a concentration of 2.5 mg/cm2

. 

Malathion was detected in the dialysate collected from the perfused probes within 30 minutes of 

application to the skin and the concentration increased to reach a steady state of 50 ng/mL at 3 hours. 

There was no significant further increase up to 5 hours of continuous exposure. The total amount of 

malathion recovered was relatively low, approximately 71 ng. No malaoxon could be detected in the 

dialysate at any time. When a commercial aqueous solution of 0.5% malathion was applied, no malathion 
MALATHION 108 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

was detected in the dialysate for up to 5 hours after application. Malathion caused a marked and longlasting erythema which, according to the investigators, could have been due to malathion-induced 

accumulation of acetylcholine within the tissue space in quantities enough to cause visible erythema. 

Reducing the skin blood flow by the addition of the vasoconstrictor noradrenaline produced an 8-fold 

increase in the recovery of malathion in the dialysate, indicating significantly reduced absorption. 

Other studies of dermal absorption relied on the urinary excretion of dermally-applied malathion as 

evidence of dermal absorption. Although widely ranging doses employed by researchers may underlie 

some of the variations, interspecies difference in absorption rates (based on urinary elimination) have 

been cited by Wester and Noonan (1980) (64.6% for rabbits, 15.5% for pigs, 19.3% for monkeys, and 

8.2% for humans), precluding quantitative generalization (Rabovsky and Brown 1993). Furthermore, 

even in a single species, the rate of dermal absorption may vary in different skin areas. For example, in 

humans, the extent of malathion absorption from the forearm was similar to that from the palm and foot, 

but was less than from the abdomen and hand dorsum; absorption from the forehead and the axilla was 

3–4 times more extensive than from the forearm (Maibach et al. 1971). 

Urinary excretion was studied to assess percutaneous penetration of 12 pesticides, including malathion, in 

humans (Feldmann and Maibach 1974). Six volunteers received 4 μg/cm2

 of 14C-malathion (label 

position unspecified) in acetone on the ventral forearms, and urinary excretion was followed over a 5-day 

period. The total urinary excretion of an intravenous dose was 90.2%, and this was used to correct for the 

urinary excretion of the dermal dose. Presumably reflecting the blood concentrations, urinary 14C level 

from the dermal dose reached a peak in the 4–8-hour sample and declined after 12 hours. The total 

urinary excretion of the dermal dose was 8.2%. 

In an effort to establish reliable methods to estimate dermal absorption from urinary excretion data, the 

data of Feldmann and Maibach (1974) were reanalyzed by Thongsinthusak et al. (1999) by fitting a model 

with a lag time. The model-derived maximum excretion of dermal dose predicted that 6.3%, instead of 

8.2%, of the dermal dose will be eliminated via urine. The figure of 7.0% was obtained when the model 

was also applied to the intravenous data of Feldmann and Maibach (1974). 

In another study in humans, the effect of repeated dermal exposure on absorption was examined in male 

volunteers. Tests began with a single application of 14C-malathion (label position unspecified; mixed 

with nonlabeled malathion) onto the ventral forearm skin, followed by repeated daily application of 

nonlabeled malathion to the same site (Wester et al. 1983). The daily dose was 23 mg (5 mg/cm2

 over a 
MALATHION 109 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

4.6-cm2 area). On day 8, the same cycle began for the second week. The absorption estimated on the 

basis of urinary excretion from the first radiolabeled malathion dose was 4.48% and that from the second 

dose was 3.53%, a value not significantly different. 

A similar study was carried out with guinea pigs of both sexes by using 14C-malathion (label position 

unspecified) (Bucks et al. 1985). Daily doses of 22.7 mg were administered to the bald area behind the 

ear at 24-hour intervals for 15 days, with labeled doses on days 1, 8, and 15. In the group in which the 

application site was washed with soap and water 1 hour before daily application, absorption rates of the 

three radiolabeled doses were 1.63, 3.52, and 5.34% of the applied doses for 1, 8, and 15 days, 

respectively. This suggested a decrease of barrier function of the skin by washing. Without the washing, 

absorption rates were fairly steady at 2.28, 2.13, and 3.67% of the applied doses, respectively. In all 

cases, more than half of the excretion occurred within 24 hours. Absorption from a single dermal dose of 

15 μg of labeled malathion was 6.8% of the applied dose for nonwashed animals and 7.5% for washed 

animals, comparable to human data obtained by Feldmann and Maibach (1974). 

Absorption of malathion was examined in 32 healthy volunteers (17 male and 15 female, 18–61 years of 

age; mean age, 34.1 years) treated with one of four head lice preparations containing malathion (Dennis 

and Lee 1999). Typical doses of 0.1–0.2 g malathion were applied to the scalp, and urinary excretion was 

determined after alkaline hydrolysis. A total of 0.2–3.2% of the dose was excreted over 96 hours, 

indicating low rates of dermal absorption. 

14C-Malathion (label position unspecified) was used to estimate dermal absorption in humans and rats by 

using a curve-fitting model (Dary et al. 1994). In humans, absorption rate constants estimated from 

urinary excretion ranged from 0.007 to 0.028/hour (absorption half-time of 95–25 hours) for pure 

malathion and from 0.003 to 0.020/hour (absorption half-time of 232–35 hours) for 10% aqueous 

solution. In rats, the average absorption rate constant and absorption half-time were 0.029/hour and 

23.9 hours, respectively; however, comparison with human data is difficult due to a large variation among 

the latter. 

14C-Methoxy malathion was used to trace technical malathion and a 50% emulsifiable concentrate 

following a dermal application onto the shaved backs of male Sprague-Dawley rats at one-tenth the LD50

(410 mg/kg) (Abou Zeid et al. 1993). The 14C in blood was higher for the unformulated malathion than 

for the formulation; in the latter case, 14C in blood increased steadily over 7 days. Most of the excretion 

occurred via urine (>90%) in the first day, while some 14C appeared in the feces. Excretion during the 
MALATHION 110 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

first 3 days was greater for the emulsifiable concentrate formulation than for unformulated malathion, 

suggesting the effect of adjuvants. 

3.4.2 Distribution 

Most work on distribution relied on radio-labeled malathion. In general, such data represent the 

composite data for the parent chemical and metabolites, but in the case of malathion, metabolites are 

likely to dominate the chemical profile. This is true both in studies involving extraction and in 

autoradiographic work. When analytical techniques such as chromatography were employed, more 

specific information can be revealed for individual chemicals. Extremely rapid metabolism of malathion 

in certain tissues, but not in others, however, makes it difficult to gain a definitive picture of distribution 

of malathion and its metabolites. 

3.4.2.1 Inhalation Exposure 

No information was located in the literature on distribution of malathion or metabolites following 

inhalation exposure. 

3.4.2.2 Oral Exposure 

A few cases of intentional ingestion of malathion with fatal consequences provide some information on 

distribution of malathion and metabolites in humans. In four cases studied by Faragó (1967), aside from 

the stomach, intestine, and blood, malathion was found by thin layer chromatography in significant 

amounts in the liver and kidneys. In a case of a 53-year-old white female described by Morgade and 

Barquet (1982), malathion was found by column and gas chromatographic procedures in the spleen, 

adipose tissue, kidney, and brain, but not in the liver shortly after death (specific times of death and 

autopsy were not available). Adipose tissue had the most, 76.4 μg/g, whereas the kidney had 17.5 μg/g. 

Malaoxon was detected a very low levels in some tissues, although adipose tissue had 8.2 mg/kg. The 

metabolites malathion monocarboxylic acid and malaoxon dicarboxylic acid were identified in all tissues; 

the monocarboxylic acid was the more abundant, 221 μg/g in bile, 106 μg/g in kidney, and 103 μg/g in 

gastric content. Jadhav et al. (1992) used high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to examine 

six cases in which autopsies were conducted within 24 hours after death; tissues examined included the 
MALATHION 111 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

liver, kidney, lungs, heart, brain, spleen, and muscles. The highest concentration of malathion was found 

in the kidneys (294–614 μg/g), whereas the muscles had the least (8–40 μg/g). 

Plasma 14C level was measured in rats over 48 hours following gavage of a dose of 10 mg/kg of ethyl 

14C-malathion or in combination with 10 mg/kg carbaryl (Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1986). The 14C 

levels of malathion alone and in combination with carbaryl reached a peak in plasma of 12.5 and 

19.9 μg/mL 1 hour after dosing, and the absorption half-times were 1.82 and 1.91 hours, respectively. 

The α-phase half-lives of elimination were 18.5 and 14.5 hours and those for the β-phase were 7.16 and 

10.6 hours, for malathion alone and in combination with carbaryl, respectively. 

In an autoradiographic study, a single gavage dose of 3 mg/kg of methoxy 14C-malathion in corn oil was 

administered to male Sprague-Dawley rats (Saleh et al. 1997). Rats were frozen in dry ice/hexane after 

4 hours and sectioned for whole-body autoradiography. About 75% of the radioactivity electronically 

recorded in sagittal sections was in the stomach and 18% was in the small intestine; 7% was excreted in 

saliva. The authors concluded that a very small percentage of the dose was absorbed. This unusual 

finding could be partly related to the relatively large amount of the vehicle used (1 mL of corn oil to small 

nonfasted rats, weighing 80–120 g), and needs confirmatory work. 

Garcia-Repetto et al. (1995) analyzed the distribution of a single dose of malathion administered by 

gavage to male albino rats at the rate of 467 mg/kg by using olive oil as a vehicle (20 mg/mL). Rats were 

sacrificed under ether anesthesia and tissues were obtained. Malathion was extracted from tissues and 

quantified by gas chromatography. Data were reported for days 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 30. Malathion was 

detected in blood only on day 4 (3.58 μg/g). Malathion in adipose tissue was highest on day 4 (2.63 μg/g) 

and declined through day 12. Muscle showed 4.24 μg/g on day 4 and decreasing levels through day 16. 

In the liver, malathion increased to day 16 (1.13 μg/g) and declined to day 20. The brain level reached 

the peak on day 16 (0.88 μg/g). No malathion was detected on day 30. 

Transfer of malathion and/or metabolites to the fetus across the placenta was demonstrated in a study in 

rabbits (Machin and McBride 1989b). Gavage doses of 126 mg malathion/kg/day administered to the 

pregnant animals on gestation days 28 through 30 resulted in decreases between 54 and 79% in fetal 

plasma cholinesterase activity and between 60 and 66% in fetal brain cholinesterase 1 hour after the last 

dose. 
MALATHION 112 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

3.4.2.3 Dermal Exposure 

Methoxy 14C-malathion (5 mg) was applied in 320 μL on a 10-cm2

 area of dorsal skin of male SpragueDawley rats from which hair had been clipped 24 hours before, and 8 hours after the treatment animals 

were frozen in dry ice/hexane for autoradiography (Saleh et al. 1997). Electronic autoradiography 

showed that 28% of the total recorded radioactivity was at the application site and 29% was distributed 

over the remaining skin. Other areas with significant distribution were the small intestine (23%), large 

intestine (10%), and liver (5.4%). 

3.4.2.4 Other Routes of Exposure 

A single dose of 2.5 mg/kg of methoxy 14C-malathion in 0.3 mL of saline was intravenously administered 

to male Sprague-Dawley rats and the whole animal was frozen in a dry ice/hexane for autoradiography 

after 30 minutes (Saleh et al. 1997). As a percent of the radioactivity in sagittal sections, the highest 

radioactivity was found in the liver (38%), small intestine (21%), kidney (19%), lung (11%), and urinary 

tract (7%). 

Another whole-body autoradiographic study with ethyl-14C malathion injected in the tail vein of male 

Wistar rats (0.9 mg/kg) showed a rapid disposition of malathion (Muan and Nafstad 1989). Within 1–

3 minutes of dosing, label was found throughout, but was high in the kidney, liver, lung, heart, skin, 

muscles, and blood. Ten minutes after the intravenous dose, the radioactivity in the liver had decreased 

and the highest radioactivity was in the renal cortex, the medulla of the kidney, and the intestine. At 

12 and 24 hours after dosing, radioactivity was barely detectable. 

3.4.3 Metabolism 

Knowledge of malathion metabolism comes from analyses of metabolites in the urine of animals and 

humans exposed to malathion, in vitro biotransformation studies, and understanding of the acute mode of 

action of malathion. 

Malathion concurrently encounters three types of metabolic modifications in animals, one oxidative and 

another hydrolytic, and the elimination of a methyl group catalyzed by glutathione (GSH) S-transferase 

(Figure 3-3). The most important metabolite of the former biotransformation is malaoxon, the ultimate 
MALATHION 113 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Figure 3-3. Metabolic Pathways for Malathion

S

O

O

O

O

P

CH3O S

CH3O S

O

O

O

O

P

CH3O O

CH3O

S

O

O

O

O

P

CH3O O

CH3O

S

O

O

O

O

P

CH3O S

CH3O

S

O

O

O

O

P

CH3O S

CH3O

S

O

O

O

O

P

CH3O O

S CH3O

O

O

O

O

P

CH3O S

CH3O S

O

O

O

O

P

CH3O O

CH3O

P

CH3O S

CH3O O

P

CH3O O

CH3O O

malathion malaoxon

 O,O-DMPT

(dimethyl phosphorothioic acid)

 O,O-DMP

(dimethyl phosphoric acid)

malathion MCA (monocarboxylic acid) malaoxon MCA (monocarboxylic acid)

alpha-MCA beta-MCA beta-MCA alpha-MCA

malathion DCA (dicarboxylic acid) malaoxon DCA (dicarboxylic acid)

S

O

O

O

O

P

O S

CH3O S

O

O

O

O

P

O

CH3O

O

demethyl malathion demethyl malaoxon

mixed function oxidase

A-esterase

carboxylesterase carboxylesterase

GSH S-transferase

mixed function oxidase

P

CH3O S

CH3O SH

 O,O-DMPDT

(dimethyl phosphorodithioic acid)

? ?

hydrolase ? hydrolase

?

carboxylesterase carboxylesterase
MALATHION 114 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

neurotoxic molecule responsible for the acute toxicity. Among the latter reactions, hydrolysis of one of 

the two carboxylic ester linkages abolishes the potential of acute toxicity and is mainly responsible for the 

well-known low acute toxicity of malathion to mammals. 

Oxidative Metabolism. While lacking in detailed analysis with malathion, the oxidative reaction 

catalyzed by mixed function oxidase is considered a general one for phosphorothioate esters and involves 

cytochrome P-450. In the case of the well-studied phosphorothioate parathion, the reaction involves 

CYP2B (Wolf et al. 1990). Although malaoxon is toxicologically the most important product of this 

enzyme reaction, it is most likely only one of the products arising from the putative sulfur oxide 

intermediate. In a few dialkyl aryl phosphorothioates studied in detail, such as parathion and diazinon, 

the sulfur oxide intermediate undergoes a rearrangement to yield "oxon" on the one hand, and hydrolysis 

to yield dialkyl phosphorothioic and dialkyl phosphoric acid on the other (Nakatsugawa 1992). This 

scheme is likely to apply to malathion as well, and it would be expected that dimethyl phosphorothioic 

acid and dimethyl phosphoric acid arise as products from the rearrangement of the sulfur oxide 

intermediate. 

Probably reflecting the technical difficulty in the presence of carboxylesterase activity, the process of 

oxidative malathion metabolism has not been studied specifically. Oxidative metabolism of parathion 

demonstrated in the pig skin (Chang et al. 1994) suggests similar reactions for malathion. 

Carboxylester Hydrolysis. A group of urinary metabolites in malathion-exposed animals is produced by 

the hydrolysis of the succinate ester moiety. Included in this group are α- and β-malathion 

monocarboxylic acid (O,O-dimethyl-S-(1-carboxy-2-carbethoxy)ethyl phosphorodithioate and 

O,O-dimethyl-S-(1-carbethoxy-2-carboxy)ethyl phosphorodithioate, respectively), α- and β-malaoxon 

monocarboxylic acid (corresponding α- and β-anologs of malathion monocarboxylic acids), and 

malathion dicarboxylic acid. 

Enzymes involved in producing these metabolites are called carboxylesterases after the type of ester 

linkages they target. Multiple forms of carboxylesterases are widely distributed in mammalian tissues. 

Even the brain tissue has a detectable level of carboxylesterase activity as observed in female mice (Sakai 

and Matsumura 1968). In the rat, the liver contains the highest level of carboxylesterase among various 

organs. Total enzyme activities (in terms of nmol/minute) among the various organs were 370 for lung, 

4,720 for kidney, 24,000 for liver, and 7,490 for serum. Intestinal villi and brain homogenates revealed 

little activity. Three-fourths of the hepatic carboxylesterase were found in the microsomal fraction. In 
MALATHION 115 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

rats, however, carboxylesterase in the serum may play at least as important a role as the hepatic 

carboxylesterase (Talcott 1979). In humans, carboxylesterase is essentially absent in the blood, though it 

is quite active in the liver (see Section 3.5.3). 

Malathion monocarboxylic acid produced by partially purified rat liver carboxylesterase in vitro and that 

in the urine of male Duplin rats fed 1,500 mg/kg malathion were identified as α-monoacid, indicating that 

the initial hydrolysis to monocarboxylic acid occurs strictly at the α-position in this rat strain (Chen et al. 

1969). 

In other strains of rats, however, both α- and β-monocarboxylic acids are found in the urine of treated 

animals. In female Sprague-Dawley rats, a gavage dose of 1 mg/kg malathion yielded approximately 

similar amounts of α- and β-monocarboxylic acids over 24 hours, measured both in the blood and in the 

urine (Ryan and Fukuto 1985). Production of β-monocarboxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid were severely 

suppressed by pretreatment with 1 mg/kg of isomalathion or O,S,S-trimethyl phosphorodithioate. 

Mallipudi et al. (1980) prepared two chromatography fractions of malathion carboxylesterase from 

solubilized microsomes of Sprague-Dawley rat livers. When tested with malathion as the substrate, these 

enzymes yielded different ratios of α- and β-acid. With carboxylesterase in the fraction A 

(50,000-60,000 dalton), fraction B (110,000–130,000 dalton), and crude homogenate, the respective ratios 

were 1.5, 0.2, and 0.56. In comparison, the ratio for rat serum carboxylesterase was 1.17. In rabbit liver, 

both metabolites were produced by monomeric and oligomeric forms of carboxylesterases, with ratios of 

2.33 and 4.55, respectively (Lin et al. 1984a). 

Matsumura's textbook (Matsumura 1985) lists the ratio of α- and β-malathion monocarboxylic acids for 

pure horse liver aliesterase, rat liver microsomes, beef liver acetone powder, pig pancreas acetone 

powder, pig kidney acetone powder, partially purified pig liver esterase, housefly homogenate, and 

Tribolium beetle homogenate. The α/β ratio ranges from 0.07 to 5.0. 

Malaoxon is hydrolyzed by a carboxylesterase, and its acute toxicity increases when this enzyme is 

inhibited (Dauterman and Main 1966). The kinetics of carboxylesterase are complicated since the 

substrate malaoxon inhibits carboxylesterase (Main and Dauterman 1967). 

Malathion dicarboxylic acid is a major urinary metabolite of malathion, but the enzyme that yields this 

metabolite by hydrolyzing the second carboxylester linkage has not been studied. In rats, the dicarboxylic 
MALATHION 116 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

acid was produced more than monocarboxylic acid, with the ratio of mono/dicarboxylic acids decreasing 

with the decreasing dosage. In male Sprague-Dawley rats receiving 69–0.069 mg/day by gavage for 

3 days, the ratios of monocarboxylic acids to dicarboxylic acid were 0.66, 0.21, 0.14, and 0.08 for 69, 6.9, 

0.69, and 0.069 mg/day doses, respectively (Bradway and Shafik 1977). In this study, the carboxylic acid 

metabolites comprised the majority (60–90% range), with the remainder consisting of phosphate 

metabolites. Referring to historic data, the authors suggest that monocarboxylic acid may be the 

predominant of the carboxylic acid metabolites at higher doses and at the earlier period following 

exposure. 

In a urinary analysis of volunteers ingesting gelatin capsules containing 7.7 or 15.6 mg malathion 

(Krieger and Dinoff 2000), malathion monocarboxylic acids were more abundant than the dicarboxylic 

acid, and dimethyl phosphorothioic acid was the main alkylphosphate metabolite. 

Phosphorus Ester Hydrolysis. Urine of malathion-treated animals often contains significant amounts of 

dimethyl phosphorus esters such as dimethyl phosphoric acid, dimethyl phosphorothioic acid, and 

dimethyl phosphorodithioic acid. Pathways leading to these metabolites, however, have not been 

clarified. 

Dimethyl phosphoric acid is the anticipated metabolite in the hydrolysis of malaoxon. Such an enzyme 

resistant to the inhibitory action of organophosphates, or A-esterase, was detected in the serum of 

100 human subjects. The assay determined the free thiol-containing leaving group of malaoxon. 

Contribution of A-esterase to the detoxication of malaoxon appears less than for other neurotoxic 

organophosphates assayed (Sams and Mason 1999). Dimethyl phosphoric acid is also a potential product 

of the oxidative metabolism as previously mentioned. 

Dimethyl phosphorothioic acid would be assigned to the oxidative metabolism as the sole source in the 

case of related dimethyl phosphorothioate like methyl parathion since no hydrolytic enzymes have been 

found to yield this metabolite. Hydrolytic characteristics of malathion, however, makes it difficult to 

interpret the data. According to Mattson and Sedlak (1960), who cite an early German report by 

Mühlmann and Schrader (1957), "malathion is readily hydrolyzed by acid chiefly to O,O-dimethylphosphorothionic acid and by alkali chiefly to O,O-dimethylphosphorodithioate". The same authors also 

note that "phosphorodithioate is rather unstable and is converted at least partially to the 

phosphorothionate". In the absence of further information, the possibility may exist that dimethyl 

phosphorothioic acid is partially derived from malaoxon hydrolysis. 
MALATHION 117 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Dimethyl phosphorodithioic acid can only arise from malathion, and not from malaoxon. The enzymes 

responsible for this metabolism have not been studied. In a gavage study using doses of 0.069–69 mg/day 

in 10-fold increments for 3 days to 400–450 g male Sprague-Dawley rats, dimethyl phosphorothioic acid 

was the dominant phosphate metabolite, followed by dimethyl phosphorodithioic acid and dimethyl 

phosphoric acid (Bradway and Shafik 1977). The proportion of the latter two metabolites seems to shift 

with the dose, with dimethyl phosphoric acid dominating at lower doses and dimethyl phosphorodithioic 

acid being the dominant metabolite at the highest dose. 

Glutathione-linked Metabolism. Mouse liver homogenate contains a glutathione (GSH) S-transferase 

which demethylated malathion to yield demethyl malathion (Nomeir and Dauterman 1978). This may 

account for an earlier observation of a 10-fold enhancement of malathion metabolism by GSH with 

mouse liver homogenate in which esterases were suppressed by DFP (di-isopropyl fluorophosphate) 

(Bhagwat and Ramachandran 1975). A substantial yield of demethyl malathion in rat liver homogenate 

has also been reported though involvement of GSH is unknown (Matsumura and Ward 1966). 

Hepatocytes isolated from male Wistar rats were used to study the depletion of GSH by malathion, 

isomalathion, and trimethyl phosphorus esters (Malik and Summer 1982). Isomalathion was the most 

effective. GSH depletion by malathion was greatly increased when carboxylesterase was pre-inhibited by 

isomalathion, indicating the greater involvement of GSH-linked metabolism of malathion under those 

conditions. 

3.4.4 Elimination and Excretion 

Studies on elimination provide the rate of excretion of metabolites and identification of metabolites, 

mostly in urine (Rabovsky and Brown 1993). As is the case in studies of distribution, the use of 

radiolabeled malathion often yields a composite profile of malathion metabolites. No metabolic half-life 

information is available either for malathion or malaoxon. Many studies of malathion absorption provide 

information on urinary excretion, as discussed in Section 3.4.1. 
MALATHION 118 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

3.4.4.1 Inhalation Exposure 

No information was located regarding elimination of malathion following inhalation exposure. However, 

in the studies of occupational exposures discussed in Section 3.4.4.3 below, workers were most likely 

exposed by both the inhalation and dermal routes, but the contribution of each route is difficult to 

establish. 

3.4.4.2 Oral Exposure 

In a study by Krieger and Dinoff (2000), malathion metabolites were analyzed in the urine of a volunteer 

who ingested single doses of 7.7 or 15.6 mg of malathion in gelatin capsules. Monocarboxylic acids were 

more abundant than dicarboxylic acid, and dimethyl phosphorothioic acid was the main alkylphosphate 

metabolite; more than 95% was recovered in urine. In an earlier study of a subject who ingested a high 

amount of malathion (200 mL of 50% malathion), analysis of the second 24-hour urine sample also 

showed monocarboxylic acids as the major metabolites followed by dimethyl phosphorothioic acid 

(Bradway and Shafik 1977). An estimated half-life of 6.2 hours for the fast phase of elimination was 

reported for a 43-year-old woman who ingested malathion (Vasilic et al. 1999). 

In animals, elimination of ingested malathion occurs rapidly mainly via the kidney. For instance, male 

Holtzman rats eliminated 91.7% of radioactivity of a dose of 25 mg of 14C-ethyl malathion within 

24 hours (83.4% in urine, 5.51% in feces, and 2.77% as CO2); 7.75% remained in the gastrointestinal 

contents (Bourke et al. 1968). Urinary excretion at 8 hours was 44.1% of the administered dose. 

Similarly, in a study of pesticide combination on toxicokinetics, 10 mg/kg 14C-ethyl malathion given to 

fasted female Sprague-Dawley rats by gavage in 0.25 mL corn oil was excreted rapidly in the urine, 68% 

in 8 hours and 93% in 24 hours (Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1986). A thin layer chromatography (TLC) 

analysis of chloroform extracts from acidified 24-hour urine provided a urinary metabolite profile: 

malathion 0.01%, malaoxon 1.44%, malathion monoacid 0.42%, and malathion diacid 0.06% of the dose. 

Carbaryl coadministered at 10 mg/kg altered the profile and raised malaoxon to 7.5% and malathion 

dicarboxylic acid to 1.48%. No additional confirmation of identity of malaoxon was reported. 

In a study in male Sprague-Dawley rats, about 90% of 14C-methoxy malathion (280 mg/kg by gavage) 

was excreted into urine within 24 hours of ingestion (Abou Zeid et al. 1993). In another study in male 
MALATHION 119 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Sprague-Dawley rats in which the animals were gavaged with malathion at 0.00001–0.1 (69 mg) the LD50

dose, metabolites in urine comprised predominantly (up to 90%) dicarboxylic acid, followed by 

monocarboxylic acid; alkyl phosphates were minor components (Bradway and Shafik 1977). 

3.4.4.3 Dermal Exposure 

A study of dermal absorption of 14C-malathion (label position unspecified) in humans provides estimates 

of kinetic parameters of malathion elimination via the urine. Fitting urinary data to a model yielded 

elimination rate constants for humans, ranging from 0.094 to 0.129/hour (elimination half-time of 

0.74-5.4 hours) for pure malathion and 0.079–0.130/hour (elimination half-time of 8.7–5-3 hours) for 

10% aqueous malathion (Dary et al. 1994). 

Studies of occupationally exposed subjects have identified and quantified several malathion metabolites 

in the urine. In these cases, exposure is assumed to have been by both the inhalation and dermal routes, 

but the contribution of each specific route is unknown. 

In a study of date farm workers continually exposed to malathion in dusting and harvesting operations, 

mid-season Monday morning prework urine samples contained low or unmeasurable levels of malathion 

acids, indicating rapid metabolism and elimination (Krieger and Dinoff 2000). Estimated daily clearance 

of malathion metabolites provided a measure of daily dose. Depending on the task of the crew, the 

clearance ranged from 1 to 92 mg malathion equivalent/day. For loaders/applicators, the dose estimates 

were 0.4–1 mg malathion equivalent/kg/day. The profile for major urinary metabolites was: 

O,O-dimethylphosphorotioate (48–53%), malathion monocarboxylic acids (23–27%), and malathion 

dicarboxylic acid (13–16%). These levels of "subchronic" exposure did not result in depression of either 

plasma or RBC cholinesterases. Dermal doses (281 or 51 mg) of malathion self-administered on forearms 

produced metabolite profiles similar to that obtained from oral dosing (Krieger and Dinoff 2000). 

A study of workers and residents exposed to malathion during a spraying operation in Haiti showed 

urinary malathion monocarboxylic acid at various times after the operation ranging from 0.9 to 6.8 mg/L 

after the spraying week and from 0.047 to 0.13 mg/L after the weekend (Warren et al. 1985). Residents 

having negligible levels of monocarboxylic acids when they returned home showed an increase to 0.084–

1.4 mg/L over the weekend. In a group of residents who were tested 1 week after the operation, 

malathion monocarboxylic acids ranged from negligible to 0.31 mg/L, suggesting that malathion and/or 

metabolites may be more persistent in the environment than it had been previously thought. A study of 
MALATHION 120 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

agricultural workers (mixers and applicators) evaluated dermal exposure to malathion by monitoring 

urinary dimethyl phosphorothioic acid and O,O-dimethyl phosphorodithioate (Fenske 1988). Urinary 

metabolites monitored for 3 days following exposure showed that applicators excreted 17% of the applied 

dose estimated by fluorescent tracer technique, and mixers 23%. 

3.4.4.4 Other Routes of Exposure 

In a poisoning case involving suicidal intravenous injection of about 1.8 g of malathion, serum 

concentration of malathion in the range of 0.029–0.349 μg/ml between 6 and 24 hours postinjection 

indicated a half-life of ≤ 2.89 hours for serum malathion (Lyon et al. 1987). 

A single dose of 2.5 mg/kg of methoxy 14C-malathion in 0.3 mL of saline was intravenously administered 

to male Sprague-Dawley rats and the whole animal was frozen in a dry ice/hexane for autoradiography 

after 30 minutes (Saleh et al. 1997). As a percent of the recorded radioactivity of sagittal sections, the 

small intestine contained 21% of the radioactivity and the urinary tract contained 7%, leading the authors 

to conclude that the bile is a major route of excretion. 

3.4.5 Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK)/Pharmacodynamic (PD) Models 

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models use mathematical descriptions of the uptake and 

disposition of chemical substances to quantitatively describe the relationships among critical biological 

processes (Krishnan et al. 1994). PBPK models are also called biologically based tissue dosimetry 

models. PBPK models are increasingly used in risk assessments, primarily to predict the concentration of 

potentially toxic moieties of a chemical that will be delivered to any given target tissue following various 

combinations of route, dose level, and test species (Clewell and Andersen 1985). Physiologically based 

pharmacodynamic (PBPD) models use mathematical descriptions of the dose-response function to 

quantitatively describe the relationship between target tissue dose and toxic end points. 

PBPK/PD models refine our understanding of complex quantitative dose behaviors by helping to 

delineate and characterize the relationships between: (1) the external/exposure concentration and target 

tissue dose of the toxic moiety, and (2) the target tissue dose and observed responses (Andersen et al. 

1987; Andersen and Krishnan 1994). These models are biologically and mechanistically based and can 

be used to extrapolate the pharmacokinetic behavior of chemical substances from high to low dose, from 
MALATHION 121 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

route to route, between species, and between subpopulations within a species. The biological basis of 

PBPK models results in more meaningful extrapolations than those generated with the more conventional 

use of uncertainty factors. 

The PBPK model for a chemical substance is developed in four interconnected steps: (1) model 

representation, (2) model parametrization, (3) model simulation, and (4) model validation (Krishnan and 

Andersen 1994). In the early 1990s, validated PBPK models were developed for a number of 

toxicologically important chemical substances, both volatile and nonvolatile (Krishnan and Andersen 

1994; Leung 1993). PBPK models for a particular substance require estimates of the chemical substancespecific physicochemical parameters, and species-specific physiological and biological parameters. The 

numerical estimates of these model parameters are incorporated within a set of differential and algebraic 

equations that describe the pharmacokinetic processes. Solving these differential and algebraic equations 

provides the predictions of tissue dose. Computers then provide process simulations based on these 

solutions. 

The structure and mathematical expressions used in PBPK models significantly simplify the true 

complexities of biological systems. If the uptake and disposition of the chemical substance(s) is 

adequately described, however, this simplification is desirable because data are often unavailable for 

many biological processes. A simplified scheme reduces the magnitude of cumulative uncertainty. The 

adequacy of the model is, therefore, of great importance, and model validation is essential to the use of 

PBPK models in risk assessment. 

PBPK models improve the pharmacokinetic extrapolations used in risk assessments that identify the 

maximal (i.e., the safe) levels for human exposure to chemical substances (Andersen and Krishnan 1994). 

PBPK models provide a scientifically sound means to predict the target tissue dose of chemicals in 

humans who are exposed to environmental levels (for example, levels that might occur at hazardous waste 

sites) based on the results of studies where doses were higher or were administered in different species. 

Figure 3-4 shows a conceptualized representation of a PBPK model. 

A PBPK model for dermal exposure was developed by the California Office of Environmental Health 

Hazard Assessment (Rabovsky and Brown 1993). Unlike most PBPK models developed and validated by 

using laboratory animals, this model was unique as it directly dealt with human exposure cases. The 

model was used to estimate the exposure doses of southern California residents who may have been 

exposed to aerial sprays of malathion mixed with a corn-syrup protein bait. Urine samples were collected 
MALATHION 122 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Figure 3-4. Conceptual Representation of a Physiologically 

Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Model for a 

Hypothetical Chemical Substance 

Skin

Kidney

Richly

perfused

tissues

Slowly 

perfused 

tissues

Fat

Liver

Lungs

A

R

T

E

R

I

A

L

B

L

O

O

D

V

E

N

O

U

S

B

L

O

O

D

GI

Tract

Vmax Km

Urine

Chemicals in air

contacting skin

Inhaled chemical Exhaled chemical

Ingestion

Feces

Source: adapted from Krishnan et al. 1994 

Note: This is a conceptual representation of a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) 

model for a hypothetical chemical substance. The chemical substance is shown to be absorbed 

via the skin, by inhalation, or by ingestion, metabolized in the liver, and excreted in the urine or 

by exhalation.
MALATHION 123 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

within 48 hours of spraying during the Mediterranean fruit fly eradication campaign in the fall of 

1989 (Dong et al. 1994). 

Description of the Model. Cumulative values for malathion carboxylic acid metabolites were 

simulated by the model. When simulation approximated biomonitoring estimates, the sum of the amounts 

for all compartments will yield the total absorbed dose. The model assumed that a portion of the dermal 

dose diffuses into the skin whereas the rest is either lost to the atmosphere or remains on the skin. The 

model has seven body compartments (skin surface, skin perfused, fat, muscle, kidney-vessel rich group, 

intestine, and liver) and four external compartments (air, urine, feces, and acid metabolites). 

Typical kinetic and physiological parameters and constants used are listed in Table 3-6 (Rabovsky and 

Brown 1993). Similar values are also given for children of different ages (Dong et al. 1994). Hydrolytic 

constants were based on animal data (Mallipudi et al. 1980) and apparent Vmax was scaled by the body 

weight ratio to the 0.75 power. Oxidation constants were estimated from rodent data that showed 1–2% 

oxidation (Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1986). Tissue/blood partition coefficients were estimates from 

the malathion octanol/water partition coefficient (776.25). Of the total of 67 individuals who participated 

in the Los Angeles biomonitoring study (30 women, 20 men, and 17 children), 11 subjects with detectable 

malathion acid metabolites in their urine were included in the PBPK simulation. Urinalysis provided only 

the data for malathion dicarboxylic acid. Since the model required the data on total malathion carboxylic 

acid metabolites (mono- and di-carboxylic acids), this was estimated to be 3 times the amount of 

dicarboxylic acid based on available measurements. 

Validation of the Model. The model was later modified and applied to cases reported in Dary et al. 

(1994) and cases in Wester et al. (1983). The model is designed to estimate the absorbed doses of 

malathion in an exposed individual based on a single urine sample at a given time period after exposure. 

The validation study revealed that most of the predictions were within 2-fold of the measured values, with 

none exceeding 3-fold. The model would be more accurate with multiple samples collected within the 

first 24 or 36 hours of exposure (Dong et al. 1996). 

Risk Assessment. The model estimates dermal doses by using urinary metabolites collected from 

exposed human populations. The doses then can be used to assess health risks of the exposure, although 

elaborate risk assessment has not been published in these California epidemiological studies to which this 

PBPK model has been applied. 
MALATHION 124 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Table 3-6. Kinetic and Physiological Parameters and Constants 

Used in PBPK Human Malathion Deposition Model 

Values Adult (70 kg) Child (10 kg) 

Hydrolytic liver metabolism 

Apparent Vmax (moles x min-1) 4.89x10-4 1.12x10-4

Apparent Km (M) 1.35x10-4 1.35x10-4

Oxidative liver metabolism 

Apparent Vmax (moles x min-1) 2.0x10-5 4.65x10-6

Apparent Km (M) 2.10x10-4 2.10x10-4

Other kinetic parametersb

Permeability constant 

(skin surface to viable epidermis)(min-1) 

1.0x10-5–5x10-4

Evaporation constant 

(skin surface to air)(min-1) 

1x10-4–5x10-4

Fecal constant 

(intestine to feces)(min-1) 

0.1–0.25 

Tissue volumes (liter) 

Fat 10.0 1.420 

Intestine 2.4 0.343 

Kidney VRG 2.7 0.386 

Liver 1.5 0.404 

Muscle 30.0 6.185 

Skin 2.6 0.371 

Tissue perfusion rates (liter x min-1) 

Fat 0.2 0.073 

Intestine 1.2 0.276 

Kidney VRG 2.25 0.517 

Liver 1.5 0.380 

Muscle 1.2 0.276 

Skin 0.065–0.15 0.015 

Cardiac output 6.4–6.5 1.540 

Tissue/blood partition coefficientsa

Fat 775 

Intestine 15 

Kidney VRG 17 

Liver 34 

Muscle 23 

Skin 25 

a

These values pertain to adults and children. 

Source: Rabovsky and Brown 1993 
MALATHION 125 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Target Tissues. This model does not attempt to estimate the level of active toxic molecular species at 

the target tissues or at any other tissue. Instead, the goal of the model, for which validation and 

optimization have been conducted, is to predict the dose based on the end product of metabolism. While 

the model incorporates kinetic constants for metabolic processes, the main elements that controlled the fit 

of output with actual data appear to be skin permeability constants (Dong et al. 1996), and for the purpose 

of this model, other internal elements appear less important and hence less suited for predictions of target 

tissue levels of the toxicant. 

Species Extrapolation. Although some parameters and constants have been adapted from rodent data, 

the model has been formulated for human simulation from the outset and reverse extrapolation to animals, 

while useful, has not been tested. 

Interroute Extrapolation. This model has been optimized solely for the purpose of estimating dermal 

doses. As stated above under “Target Tissues”, internal elements have not been optimized. Further 

validation and adjustments will be needed for the model to be useful in oral or inhalation routes of 

exposure. 

3.5 MECHANISMS OF ACTION 

The typical acute neurotoxic action of malathion is cholinergic. It involves the inhibition of the neural 

acetylcholinesterase by its active metabolite, malaoxon (Ecobichon 1994). The inhibition occurs due to 

the similarity of malaoxon to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Mimicking acetylcholine, malaoxon 

first binds to the active serine residue of acetylcholinesterase, undergoes a double displacement reaction 

involving the serine hydroxyl group, and yields dimethyl-phosphorylated acetylcholinesterase. Since the 

phosphorylated acetylcholineterase is stable within the time frame of poisoning, the inhibition prevents 

the normally extremely rapid hydrolysis of neurotransmitter acetylcholine, prolonging the impulse 

transmission. 

The expression of toxic signs depends on which of the divisions of nervous systems is affected. Thus, 

commonly observed cholinergic signs of poisoning including salivation, lacrimation, perspiration, and 

constriction of the pupils are due to the stimulation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the 

parasympathetic autonomic synapse at exocrine glands and eyes. Other consequences of stimulating 
MALATHION 126 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

muscarinic cholinergic receptors include nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, tightness of the 

chest, incontinence, miosis, and breathing difficulty. The action on nicotinic receptors in the somatic 

motor endplates at the skeletal muscles leads to muscle fasciculations, generalized muscle weakness, 

cramping, flaccid or rigid paralysis, and ataxia. Bradycardia or tachycardia with accompanying decrease 

or increase in blood pressure may occur depending on the relative impact of cholinergic stimulation on 

the muscarinic parasympathetic neurons or on the nicotinic neurons that innervate the heart. Effects on 

cholinergic neurons in the central nervous system also yield a variety of effects including mental 

confusion, insomnia, headache, convulsions, coma, and depression of respiratory centers. 

Which effects may dominate depends on the sensitivity of the target enzyme at various synapses and the 

level of the ultimate toxic molecule, malaoxon, which may be produced at or near the nerve from 

malathion or transported from the site of malathion activation such as the liver, lung, or kidney. 

Generation and distribution of malaoxon is poorly understood, but undoubtedly depends on the route of 

exposure to malathion. 

3.5.1 Pharmacokinetic Mechanisms 

No special feature has been found in the absorption of malathion, which most likely undergoes passive 

diffusion. Barrier function of the epidermis may be reduced when the skin is washed, as shown by the 

increased absorption of 14C-labeled malathion (Bucks et al. 1985). Adjuvants in malathion formulation 

may also affect the rate of dermal absorption since different patterns of 14C distribution were observed 

between unformulated and formulated malathion (Abou Zeid et al. 1993). No information was located in 

the literature regarding pharmacokinetic factors in inhalation and ingestion of malathion. 

Distribution of absorbed malathion among components in the skin has been modeled and analyzed 

experimentally (Chang et al. 1994). Although this analysis revealed a high affinity compartment that 

serves as a reservoir for malathion in circulation, it has not clarified a variation in the percent absorption 

of widely ranging dermal doses. In the only autoradiographic study of distribution of malathion (Saleh et 

al. 1997), a suggestion has been made that the entire skin, rather than merely the site of dermal 

application, may serve as a reservoir of dermally applied malathion, but the conclusion has not been 

validated by others. The role of blood proteins in the distribution of absorbed malathion or its active 

metabolite malaoxon has not been examined. 
MALATHION 127 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Pharmacokinetics of malathion is uniquely influenced by the high degree of carboxylester hydrolysis in 

mammalian tissues, though other pathways of metabolism also operate, contributing to the ready 

excretion of absorbed doses. Aldridge et al. (1979) observed that about 10,000 mg/kg of purified 

malathion (an LD50 dose) caused little evidence of poisoning in female Lac:P rats for the first 6 hours of 

malathion ingestion, and most fatalities occurred 20–40 hours following the dose. Clearly, in the absence 

of impurities to inhibit carboxylesterase activity, rapid detoxification in rats precludes the buildup of an 

effective level of malaoxon at the target site for hours. 

In technical malathion, pharmacokinetics of malaoxon is a complex function of malathion level, 

carboxylesterase titer, concentration of carboxylesterase inhibitors including isomalathion and malaoxon, 

malathion dose level, and exposure frequency. A glimpse of this complexity may be seen in the multiple 

role that just one of the malathion impurities (isomalathion) plays, competing with malathion for 

glutathione (Malik and Summer 1982), and reducing the hydrolytic metabolism of both malathion and 

malaoxon by inhibiting carboxylesterase (Talcott et al. 1979b). The level of malaoxon will also affect the 

activity of carboxylesterase (Main and Dauterman 1967), which in turn affects the levels of malathion and 

malaoxon. Such interaction of malathion would be dose-dependent, but this relationship has not been 

examined. 

The source organ of malaoxon molecules that interact with the target has not been elucidated. While 

overall kinetic constants for the process of oxidative metabolism of malathion have been derived (Lechner 

and Abdel-Rahman 1986; Rabovsky and Brown 1993), rates of malaoxon production for individual 

organs and tissues remains unknown. The fact that the liver has the highest capacity to activate malathion 

to malaoxon cannot be taken as evidence that malaoxon that reaches specific targets originates in the liver 

in view of the complexity found in parathion (Nakatsugawa 1992). Thus, other organs of lesser activative 

capacity may be significant sources of malaoxon reaching the target, especially in view of the high 

hepatic level of carboxylesterase that can counter the activation in this organ (Talcott 1979). 

Pharmacokinetics of malaoxon in humans must reflect the absence of serum carboxylesterase (Main and 

Braid 1962; Talcott et al. 1982), which may be as important as the hepatic carboxylesterase in the rat. 

This is not the only difference between the species; the rat liver, but not the human liver, has a substantial 

capacity to demethylate malathion in addition to hydrolyzing at carboxylester linkages (Matsumura 

1966). 
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3.5.2 Mechanisms of Toxicity 

The acute toxicity of malathion is basically similar to that of other phosphorothioate insecticides as the 

inhibition of target neural acetylcholinesterase arises from the metabolic activation of the parent 

compound. It is unique among organophosphates, however, since it is not possible to define an 

unequivocal LD50 for a given population of a test species. Preparations of malathion contain varying 

composition and amounts of impurities, many of which inhibit carboxylesterase and potentiate the 

toxicity of malathion (Lin et al. 1984b; Pellegrini and Santi 1972; Talcott et al. 1977, 1979c; Toia et al. 

1980; Verschoyle et al. 1982). However, only isomalathion among the impurities inhibits human liver 

carboxylesterase (Talcott et al. 1979b). The existing literature is inadequate to describe the complex 

dynamics of malathion biotransformation following the initial exposure, but clearly, the toxicity of 

malathion is dependent upon the simultaneous reactions of the carboxylesterase hydrolyzing 

malathion/malaoxon and of the impurities inhibiting carboxylesterase. Conceivably, when impurities are 

low and carboxylesterase is very active, malaoxon may not build up to an effective level at the target as 

noted in the preceding section. The typical cholinergic mechanism of toxic action, however, likely 

accounts for the toxicity of most malathion formulations. 

Inhibition of the target acetylcholinesterase by organophosphorus insecticides and other neurotoxic 

organophosphorus esters involves phosphorylation of the serine moiety at the active site of the enzyme, 

the reaction that parallels the acetylation during the normal hydrolysis of acetylcholine. 

Besides the neural acetylcholinesterase, other serine hydrolases are also similarly inhibited. Most 

notably, acetylcholinesterase in the erythrocyte and cholinesterase (pseudocholinesterase) in serum are 

usually affected when the animal is exposed to a sufficient dose of malathion. Although the toxicological 

consequences of this inhibition are unknown, it is regarded as a useful marker of malathion exposure (see 

Section 3.8.2). 

In the case of dimethyl phosphorus esters such as malathion, esterase inhibition by phosphorylation 

appears more reversible than in the case of their higher alkyl homologs. This is due to dephosphorylation 

rather than the true reversal of reaction, and represents a step in a series of displacement reactions in the 

hydrolysis of malaoxon by acetylcholinesterase (O'Brien 1967). 

This step is sufficiently slow to suppress the normal action of acetylcholinesterase, but does occur at a 

measurable pace. For example, serum cholinesterase of New Zealand White rabbits was significantly 
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inhibited as early as 1 hour after being gavaged with 126 mg/kg of malathion, but showed a considerable 

recovery by the next day. Repeated dosings, however, caused a higher degree of inhibition with increased 

signs of poisoning (Machin and McBride1989). This indicates that there was a parallel effect on the 

neural acetylcholinesterase of the rabbits, and that there can be cumulative inhibition. 

In organophosphorus insecticides with slower dephosphorylation, the use of nucleophiles such as pyridine 

aldoxime methiodide is a useful treatment of poisoning. In the case of dimethylphosphorus esters like 

malathion, the benefit seems unpredictable. In the fatal case of a 45-year-old man who ingested 

50–90 mL of 50% malathion, for example, 3 grams of 2-pyridine aldoxime methochloride given within 

3 hours when erythrocyte cholinesterase activity was <10% of normal, was not beneficial (Crowley and 

Johns 1966). In contrast, however, in an attempted suicide case of a 14-year-old boy who ingested 

4 ounces of malathion and experienced severe cholinergic symptoms, cyanosis and coma, atropine 

treatment was not totally effective and pralidoxime chloride therapy was used. Within 5 minutes of 

intravenous infusion of 20 mL (500 mg) of this drug, restoration of muscle activities was noted. The boy 

recovered following repeated treatments with pralidoxime (Amos and Hall 1965). A poisoning victim 

may recover with only atropine without the use of oximes as was the case with a 10-year-old girl exposed 

to malathion apparently through dermal contact with a malathion formulation in the form of flakes and 

became semi-comatose (Parker and Chattin 1955). 

Although dephosphorylation does occur with dimethyl phosphorus esters like malathion, the step may not 

be complete as it competes with another reaction called “aging”, representing demethylation of 

phosphorylated acetylcholinesterase (O’Brien 1967). Aging is observed as the change of phosphorylated 

acetylcholinesterase that is resistant to the action of forced dephosphorylation by nucleophilic agents like 

pyridine aldoxime methiodide, mentioned above. 

In humans, inhibition of cholinesterases in RBCs and plasma is often a useful marker of exposure and 

inhibition of neural cholinesterase. In poisoning cases, blood cholinesterase seems to parallel the signs of 

poisoning. For instance, in the 1976 poisoning epidemic in Pakistan, blood cholinesterase activities were 

significantly lower in symptomatic workers than in those without symptoms, with signs of poisoning such 

as headache, blurred vision, or vomiting (Baker et al. 1978). The blood cholinesterase inhibition 

correlated well (r=-0.83) with the postspray cholinesterase activity, which was highest on Monday and 

fell as work progressed. Blood cholinesterase inhibition may occur in the absence of poisoning 

symptoms. In a study involving volunteers (Moeller and Rider 1962), oral administration of 0.11 mg 

malathion/kg/day for 32 days or 0.23 mg/kg/day for 47 days did not produce any significant depression of 
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plasma or RBC cholinesterase activity. However, administration of 0.34 mg malathion/kg/day for 

56 days caused a maximum depression of 25% in plasma cholinesterase approximately 3 weeks after 

cessation of treatment. A similar depression in RBC cholinesterase was observed, but occurred later. No 

clinical manifestations of toxicity were noted throughout the study. 

The high selective toxicity of malathion is due to its rapid hydrolysis by carboxylesterase in mammals 

and the general lack of this enzyme in most insect pests. This enzyme is inhibited by several of the 

impurities that accompany technical malathion as well as other organophosphorus esters including ethylp-nitrophenyl thionobenzenephosphonate (EPN) and triorthotolyl phosphate (TOTP). The effective dose 

of malathion preparations depends greatly on the carboxylesterase inhibition, which in turn is determined 

by the level of impurities. Experimental inhibition of most carboxylesterase by TOTP dramatically 

lowered acute LD50 of malathion preparations, from 1,600 to 20 mg/kg in one case and from 415 to 

7.5 mg/kg in another (Main and Braid 1962) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. 

3.5.3 Animal-to-Human Extrapolations 

Malathion exerts most of its toxic effects through cholinergic disruption both in humans and in other 

mammalian species. Data obtained with rodent models are clearly relevant to humans as they share basic 

physiology both in the function of the nervous system and in the metabolic pathways. Because of these 

similarities, basic clinical signs of poisoning are similar in humans and in rodents when they are exposed 

to sufficient doses of malathion. In details, however, extrapolation of animal data to humans becomes 

difficult due mainly to differences in pharmakokinetics. The situation is exacerbated by the unique 

dependence of malathion toxicity on the degree of hydrolysis by carboxylesterases. 

In humans, hepatic carboxylesterase activities appear similar to those in rat liver. Unlike rats, however, 

humans lack detectable levels of malathion carboxylesterase in the serum; the enzyme is also absent in 

human erythrocytes (Main and Braid 1962). Further confirmation of the general absence of malathion 

carboxylesterase in the serum of healthy humans was provided by Talcott et al. (1982). About 30% of 

blood donors had detectable levels of malathion carboxylesterase activity in serum, activity ranging from 

0.1 to 7.2 units/mL; no relation to age, sex, or race was noted. Positive correlations between serum ALT 

and malathion carboxylesterase were noted among 46 hospital patients. In addition, the two enzymes in 

the serum of a patient hospitalized for acetaminophen poisoning were observed to rise and decline in 

parallel, with the peak being reached on day 4. These data suggest that the low level of malathion 

carboxylesterase found in some human serum is a reflection of liver damage. The lack of malathion 
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carboxylesterase in healthy human serum may underlie a significant deviation of pharmacokinetics from 

the rodent model (Talcott et al. 1982). These authors concur with clinical literature that safety of 

malathion to humans may have been overestimated by acute toxicity data on rats. It has been suggested 

that rats may not be a proper model and that another species with less extrahepatic carboxylesterase 

activity may be more appropriate (Talcott 1979). 

3.6 TOXICITIES MEDIATED THROUGH THE NEUROENDOCRINE AXIS 

Recently, attention has focused on the potential hazardous effects of certain chemicals on the endocrine 

system because of the ability of these chemicals to mimic or block endogenous hormones. Chemicals 

with this type of activity are most commonly referred to as endocrine disruptors. However, appropriate 

terminology to describe such effects remains controversial. The terminology endocrine disruptors, 

initially used by Colborn and Clement (1992), was also used in 1996 when Congress mandated the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop a screening program for “...certain substances 

[which] may have an effect produced by a naturally occurring estrogen, or other such endocrine 

effect[s]...”. To meet this mandate, EPA convened a panel called the Endocrine Disruptors Screening and 

Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC), which in 1998 completed its deliberations and made 

recommendations to EPA concerning endocrine disruptors. In 1999, the National Academy of Sciences 

released a report that referred to these same types of chemicals as hormonally active agents. The 

terminology endocrine modulators has also been used to convey the fact that effects caused by such 

chemicals may not necessarily be adverse. Many scientists agree that chemicals with the ability to disrupt 

or modulate the endocrine system are a potential threat to the health of humans, aquatic animals, and 

wildlife. However, others think that endocrine-active chemicals do not pose a significant health risk, 

particularly in view of the fact that hormone mimics exist in the natural environment. Examples of 

natural hormone mimics are the isoflavinoid phytoestrogens (Adlercreutz 1995; Livingston 1978; Mayr et 

al. 1992). These chemicals are derived from plants and are similar in structure and action to endogenous 

estrogen. Although the public health significance and descriptive terminology of substances capable of 

affecting the endocrine system remains controversial, scientists agree that these chemicals may affect the 

synthesis, secretion, transport, binding, action, or elimination of natural hormones in the body responsible 

for maintaining homeostasis, reproduction, development, and/or behavior (EPA 1997). Stated differently, 

such compounds may cause toxicities that are mediated through the neuroendocrine axis. As a result, 

these chemicals may play a role in altering, for example, metabolic, sexual, immune, and neurobehavioral 

function. Such chemicals are also thought to be involved in inducing breast, testicular, and prostate 

cancers, as well as endometriosis (Berger 1994; Giwercman et al. 1993; Hoel et al. 1992). 
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In recent years, concern has been raised that many pesticides and industrial chemicals are endocrineactive compounds capable of having widespread effects on humans and wildlife (Crisp et al. 1998; Daston 

et al. 1997; Safe et al. 1997). Particular attention has been paid to the possibility of these compounds 

mimicking or antagonizing the action of estrogen, and more recently, their potential anti-androgenic 

properties. Estrogen influences the growth, differentiation, and functioning of many target tissues, 

including female and male reproductive systems, such as mammary gland, uterus, vagina, ovary, testes, 

epididymis, and prostate. Thus far, there is no evidence that malathion is an endocrine disruptor in 

humans at the levels found in the environment. 

A study following malathion spraying in the San Francisco Bay area found an increase in some anomalies 

at birth, but those that occurred most frequently than expected did not represent a biologically consistent 

pattern (Grether et al. 1987). A similar study of women who were pregnant during periods of malathion 

spraying to control an infestation by the Mediterranean fruit fly found no significant association between 

exposure to malathion and the incidence of spontaneous abortions, but there was a weak association 

between stillbirths and exposure accumulated up to 1 month before death as well as an increased 

incidence of gastrointestinal anomalies (Thomas et al. 1992). Exposure misclassification may have 

precluded drawing any firm conclusions in this report. An additional study of male workers exposed to 

malathion and several pesticides, including organochlorine pesticides, found decreased fertility among the 

workers, a higher percent of abortions and stillbirths among the wives of exposed males, and congenital 

defects in their offspring (Rupa et al. 1991b). The role of malathion, if any, cannot be determined. A 

case report described by Lindhout and Hageman (1987) discussed the possible association between 

dermal exposure of a pregnant women to a hair lotion containing malathion and the birth of a severely 

malformed child, but a causal link is difficult to establish. Decreased serum levels of ACTH, cortisol, and 

prolactin were reported in patients with severe intoxication following intentional ingestion of unspecified 

amounts of malathion (Güven et al. 1999). Transient alterations in thyroid hormones and TSH were also 

seen. The toxicological significance of these findings is unknown. 

Increased pituitary gland weight and serum prolactin levels and decreased pituitary levels of prolactin 

were reported in male Wistar rats administered approximately 225 mg/kg/day of malathion for 6 days 

(Simionescu et al. 1977). An intermediate-duration study found congestion in the zona reticularis of the 

adrenal glands from rats treated by gavage with 10 mg/kg/day of malathion (94% pure) for 15 weeks 

(Ozmen and Akay 1993). Serum cortisol and aldosterone levels were increased at 10 mg/kg/day, but not 

at 100 mg/kg/day. Serum T4, T3, testosterone, and 17β-estradiol levels were not significantly affected by 
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treatment with malathion and there were no histopathologic changes in the thyroid in the treated animals 

(Ozmen and Akay 1993). The adrenal congestion reported in rats treated with malathion may be a 

nonspecific effect since hyperemia and petechial hemorrhages in some organs is not an uncommon 

finding following organophosphate intoxication. No such congestion was seen in the chronic studies with 

much larger doses (see below). 

Chronic-duration studies in rats have not observed treatment-related gross or microscopic lesions in 

endocrine glands or reproductive organs (NCI 1978, 1979a), although increased relative and absolute 

thyroid and parathyroid weights were seen in female rats administered 415 mg/kg/day of malathion 

(97.1% pure) in the diet for 2 years (Daly 1996a); the NOAEL was 35 mg/kg/day. Similar lack of gross 

or microscopic alterations in endocrine organs were reported in a chronic study in mice, but an increased 

incidence of cystic endometrial hyperplasia was seen in mice administered 1,490 mg/kg/day malathion 

(95% pure) for 80 weeks (NCI 1978). 

Studies in male rats have demonstrated that acute exposure to malathion (40 mg/kg/day) can produce 

transient testicular alterations such as a reduction in the number of Sertoli and Leydig cells (Krause 1977; 

Krause et al. 1976). A higher dose of 163 mg/kg/day of malathion (unspecified purity) damaged the 

seminiferous tubules and produced an abnormal pattern of Sertoli cells (Ojha et al. 1992). A considerably 

higher gavage dose of 1,950 mg/kg of malathion (95% pure) given once to 8-week-old male Wistar rats 

reduced the number of germinal layers and produced degeneration and necrosis of gonocytes in the 

seminiferous tubules during the first 3 days after dosing and it also caused systemic toxicity 

(Piramanayagam et al. 1996). Testicular effects were also reported in a 12-week study (Balasubramnian 

et al. 1987b). In general, these studies suffer from incomplete reporting of the results such that no firm 

conclusions can be drawn. Some studies have observed reduced number of implants in female rats at 

doses (500 mg/kg/day on Gd 6, 10, and 14) that also caused maternal toxicity (Prabhakaran et al. 1993), 

but no such effects were observed at even higher doses in another study in rats (800 mg/kg/day on Gd 6–

15) (Lochry 1989). No effects on implantation were reported in rabbits treated with up to 100 mg/kg/day 

(Gd 6–18), but 50 mg/kg/day increased the mean number and percent resorptions (Siglin 1985). 

Exposure of rats to 50 mg/kg/day malathion for periods that included mating and gestation had no 

significant effects on reproductive parameters (Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1984), and no significant 

effects on reproductive performance or fertility indices were seen in a 2-generation study in rats 

(Schroeder 1990). Dermal exposure of rabbits to up to 1,000 mg/kg/day of malathion for 21 days did not 

induce significant changes in weight or gross or microscopical alterations in the ovaries, testes, or 

epididymis (Moreno 1989). 
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Overall, the available studies do not suggest that malathion is an endocrine disruptor in humans or in 

animals. 

3.7 CHILDREN’S SUSCEPTIBILITY 

This section discusses potential health effects from exposures during the period from conception to 

maturity at 18 years of age in humans, when all biological systems will have fully developed. Potential 

effects on offspring resulting from exposures of parental germ cells are considered, as well as any indirect 

effects on the fetus and neonate resulting from maternal exposure during gestation and lactation. 

Relevant animal and in vitro models are also discussed. 

Children are not small adults. They differ from adults in their exposures and may differ in their 

susceptibility to hazardous chemicals. Children’s unique physiology and behavior can influence the 

extent of their exposure. Exposures of children are discussed in Section 6.6 Exposures of Children. 

Children sometimes differ from adults in their susceptibility to hazardous chemicals, but whether there is 

a difference depends on the chemical (Guzelian et al. 1992; NRC 1993). Children may be more or less 

susceptible than adults to health effects, and the relationship may change with developmental age 

(Guzelian et al. 1992; NRC 1993). Vulnerability often depends on developmental stage. There are 

critical periods of structural and functional development during both prenatal and postnatal life and a 

particular structure or function will be most sensitive to disruption during its critical period(s). Damage 

may not be evident until a later stage of development. There are often differences in pharmacokinetics 

and metabolism between children and adults. For example, absorption may be different in neonates 

because of the immaturity of their gastrointestinal tract and their larger skin surface area in proportion to 

body weight (Morselli et al. 1980; NRC 1993); the gastrointestinal absorption of lead is greatest in infants 

and young children (Ziegler et al. 1978). Distribution of xenobiotics may be different; for example, 

infants have a larger proportion of their bodies as extracellular water and their brains and livers are 

proportionately larger (Altman and Dittmer 1974; Fomon 1966; Fomon et al. 1982; Owen and Brozek 

1966; Widdowson and Dickerson 1964). The infant also has an immature blood-brain barrier (Adinolfi 

1985; Johanson 1980) and probably an immature blood-testis barrier (Setchell and Waites 1975). Many 

xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes have distinctive developmental patterns. At various stages of growth 

and development, levels of particular enzymes may be higher or lower than those of adults, and 

sometimes unique enzymes may exist at particular developmental stages (Komori et al. 1990; Leeder and 
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Kearns 1997; NRC 1993; Vieira et al. 1996). Whether differences in xenobiotic metabolism make the 

child more or less susceptible also depends on whether the relevant enzymes are involved in activation of 

the parent compound to its toxic form or in detoxification. There may also be differences in excretion, 

particularly in newborns who all have a low glomerular filtration rate and have not developed efficient 

tubular secretion and resorption capacities (Altman and Dittmer 1974; NRC 1993; West et al. 1948). 

Children and adults may differ in their capacity to repair damage from chemical insults. Children also 

have a longer remaining lifetime in which to express damage from chemicals; this potential is particularly 

relevant to cancer. 

Certain characteristics of the developing human may increase exposure or susceptibility, whereas others 

may decrease susceptibility to the same chemical. For example, although infants breathe more air per 

kilogram of body weight than adults breathe, this difference might be somewhat counterbalanced by their 

alveoli being less developed, which results in a disproportionately smaller surface area for alveolar 

absorption (NRC 1993). 

No studies were located that specifically addressed effects of exposure to malathion in children. Children 

could be exposed to malathion from food and drinking water, but these risks are low and not of concern. 

Greater concern exists from postapplication residential exposure to turf treatments, from other home and 

garden uses of malathion, and as bystanders from special uses of malathion in public health mosquito 

abatement control and the USDA’s (U.S. Department of Agriculture) Boll Weevil Eradication Program. 

Because children spend more time outdoors than adults, they may be at a greater risk of exposure to 

malathion than nonoccupationally exposed adults by dermal contact with contaminated surfaces or by 

hand-mouth activity. Malathion is an organophosphate pesticide, and acute exposure to high amounts 

results in typical and easily recognizable signs of poisoning (Aaron and Howland 1998; Abou-Donia 

1995; Ecobichon 1994; Taylor 1996). As detailed in Section 3.5.2, Mechanisms of Toxicity, the primary 

target of malathion toxicity is the nervous system and secondary ocular, exocrine glands, gastrointestinal, 

cardiovascular, and respiratory effects can be observed as a result of the excess acetylcholine at nerve 

terminals innervating tissues and organs from these systems. The most common manifestations of 

poisoning with organophosphates in general are increased salivation and lacrimation, miosis and blurred 

vision, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, excessive bronchial secretions and dyspnea, 

bradycardia and low blood pressure, muscle fasciculations, muscle weakness in peripheral and respiratory 

muscles, and fatigue and mental confusion. Several reports have described these manifestations in 

children following oral poisoning with malathion (Ekin 1971; Healy 1959; Jušić and Milić 1978; Tuthill 

1958) and dermal exposure (Parker and Chattin 1955; Ramu et al. 1973), and it does not appear that there 
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are significant differences in the responses between children and adults. A case report of aplastic anemia 

in a 12-year-old child following inhalation of malathion fumes after fumigation of a home was described 

by Reeves et al. (1981), but this case seems to be unique and there is no evidence that malathion was the 

causal agent. A population-based case-control study in California found no significant association 

between the use of household pesticides during pregnancy and the risk of pediatric brain tumors (Pogoda 

and Preston-Martin 1997). 

It is not known whether or not children are more susceptible than adults to malathion toxicity. However, 

as previously mentioned, young animals are more susceptible to malathion than older animals. The single 

oral LD50 of 95% pure malathion in newborn male Wistar rats was 124.1 mg/kg, whereas in preweaning 

(14–16 days old) and adult (3–4 months) rats, LD50 values were 386.8 and 925.4 mg/kg, respectively (Lu 

et al. 1965). This difference was also observed for 4-day cumulative LD50 values (Lu et al. 1965). 

Similar findings were reported by Brodeur and DuBois (1967) and by Mendoza (1976) and Mendoza and 

Shields (1976, 1977) who also observed that the decrease in susceptibility more or less paralleled 

increases in the activities of esterases in various tissues. For example, using acetylthiocholine as 

substrate, a single dose of 8,000 mg/kg of malathion inhibited brain esterase by 85% in 18-day-old pups, 

while in 1-day-old pups, the same degree of inhibition was achieved with a dose of only 500 mg/kg 

(Mendoza and Shields 1977). More recent in vitro studies of Mortensen et al. (1998) showed that 

acetylcholinesterase activity in the rat brain increases during postnatal development and reaches a 

maximum at about 40 days of age, but the Km, substrate profiles, and in vitro sensitivities to selected 

organophosphates were not different in young versus adult animals. 

There is limited information regarding developmental effects of malathion in humans. A study of 

children born to women exposed to malathion via aerial spraying found some positive (and significant) 

associations for some anomalies, but the anomalies that occurred more frequently than expected did not 

represent a biologically consistent pattern (Grether et al. 1987). No significant association was found 

between low birth weight and increasing exposure to malathion. An additional study involving the same 

type of exposure found a statistically significant association between incidence of gastrointestinal 

anomalies in offspring and exposure to malathion during the second trimester of pregnancy (OR=4.14; 

CI=1.01, 16.6) (Thomas et al. 1992). No significant associations were observed for intrauterine growth 

retardation or other congenital defects reportable by the California Birth Defects Monitoring Program. 

García et al. (1998) compared paternal pesticide exposures between offspring with congenital 

malformations and controls. In a subgroup of 14 individuals exposed to malathion, regression analysis 

showed no significant associations with outcomes after adjusting for confounding factors. A case of a 
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woman who used a hair lotion containing 0.5% malathion during the 11th and 12th weeks of pregnancy 

and gave birth to a severely malformed child was described by Lindhout and Hageman (1987). The 

malformations resembled amyoplasia congenita, a condition in which skeletal muscle is almost 

completely replaced by fatty tissue. Although the causal link is difficult to establish, the mother and 

father were healthy and had two other children who were healthy. Studies in animals suggest that 

malathion is not a developmental toxicant at doses that do not induce maternal toxicity (Khera et al. 1978; 

Lochry 1989; Machin and McBride 1989a; Schroeder 1990; Siglin 1985). However, a study by Kalow 

and Marton (1961) found increased neonatal mortality (days 7 and 21 after birth) in rats following 

maternal exposure to 240 mg/kg/day malathion (95% pure) in the diet for at least 5 months starting before 

mating, but no information was provided regarding maternal effects. 

There is no information regarding possible transgenerational effects of malathion in humans. A study in 

male mice treated with 300 mg/kg of malathion (>99% pure) intraperitoneally did not observe an increase 

in chromosome aberrations in spermatogonia (Degraeve and Moutschen 1984). In the same study, the 

investigators also conducted a dominant lethal mutation assay and found that the frequency of pre- and 

postimplantation fetal lethality was not significantly increased over the control level. Salvadori et al. 

(1988) treated male mice dermally with multiple doses of 500 mg/kg/day of commercial malathion 

(unspecified purity) and found a significant increase in chromosome aberrations in primary 

spermatocytes. Malathion (250 mg/kg/day) also produced an increase in univalent chromosomes (lacking 

centromeres). However, as mentioned in Section 3.3, the significance of results of Salvadori et al. (1988) 

has been questioned by some investigators. 

There is no information regarding the pharmacokinetics of malathion in children or regarding the 

nutritional factors that may influence the absorption of malathion. A PBPK simulation of exposure to 

malathion during an urban pesticide application estimated that the highest dermally absorbed dose for 

adults and children (14–34 kg) were 1.3 and 0.4 mg, respectively (Dong et al. 1994). Analysis of urine 

samples from humans exposed to malathion suggests the involvement mainly of phase I metabolic 

enzymes in the biotransformation and elimination of malathion. The specific P-450 isozymes involved in 

phase I metabolism are not known, and thus, no conclusions can be drawn based on general differences in 

isozymes activities between adults and children. The hydrolysis of malathion/malaoxon to the 

biologically-inactive α-monoacids is catalyzed by carboxylesterases and at least in rats, the activities of 

these enzymes in various tissues increase postnatally, which explains in part the greater susceptibility of 

young animals to the acute toxicity of malathion compared to older ones (Brodeur and DuBois 1967; Lu 

et al. 1965; Mendoza 1976; Mendoza and Shields 1976, 1977). No information was located regarding 
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whether or not human carboxylesterases are developmentally regulated. One study was found reporting 

the presence of malathion in breast milk (5 ppb) from 1 of 11 Italian women with no known high 

exposure to malathion (Roggi et al. 1991). There is evidence in animals that it (or metabolites) can be 

transferred via breast milk to the offspring (Chhabra et al. 1993) and that it can cross the placenta 

(Machin and McBride 1989b; Mathews and Devi 1994). 

Characteristic clinical signs and symptoms of cholinergic stimulation along with malathion metabolites in 

the urine constitute biomarkers of effect and exposure to malathion in children and in adults. No studies 

were located regarding interactions of malathion with other chemicals in children. No information was 

located regarding pediatric-specific methods for reducing peak absorption following exposure to 

malathion or reducing body burden. In addition to supporting therapy, treatment of organophosphate 

poisoning involves mainly administration of atropine to counteract the muscarinic effects and of 

pralidoxime to reactivate the acetylcholinesterase activity; appropriate dose adjustments for children are 

recommended (Aaron and Howland 1998; Carlton et al. 1998; Osmundson 1998). 

3.8 BIOMARKERS OF EXPOSURE AND EFFECT 

Biomarkers are broadly defined as indicators signaling events in biologic systems or samples. They have 

been classified as markers of exposure, markers of effect, and markers of susceptibility (NAS/NRC 

1989). 

Due to a nascent understanding of the use and interpretation of biomarkers, implementation of biomarkers 

as tools of exposure in the general population is very limited. A biomarker of exposure is a xenobiotic 

substance or its metabolite(s) or the product of an interaction between a xenobiotic agent and some target 

molecule(s) or cell(s) that is measured within a compartment of an organism (NAS/NRC 1989). The 

preferred biomarkers of exposure are generally the substance itself or substance-specific metabolites in 

readily obtainable body fluid(s), or excreta. However, several factors can confound the use and 

interpretation of biomarkers of exposure. The body burden of a substance may be the result of exposures 

from more than one source. The substance being measured may be a metabolite of another xenobiotic 

substance (e.g., high urinary levels of phenol can result from exposure to several different aromatic 

compounds). Depending on the properties of the substance (e.g., biologic half-life) and environmental 

conditions (e.g., duration and route of exposure), the substance and all of its metabolites may have left the 

body by the time samples can be taken. It may be difficult to identify individuals exposed to hazardous 
MALATHION 139 

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substances that are commonly found in body tissues and fluids (e.g., essential mineral nutrients such as 

copper, zinc, and selenium). Biomarkers of exposure to malathion are discussed in Section 3.8.1. 

Biomarkers of effect are defined as any measurable biochemical, physiologic, or other alteration within an 

organism that, depending on magnitude, can be recognized as an established or potential health 

impairment or disease (NAS/NRC 1989). This definition encompasses biochemical or cellular signals of 

tissue dysfunction (e.g., increased liver enzyme activity or pathologic changes in female genital epithelial 

cells), as well as physiologic signs of dysfunction such as increased blood pressure or decreased lung 

capacity. Note that these markers are not often substance specific. They also may not be directly 

adverse, but can indicate potential health impairment (e.g., DNA adducts). Biomarkers of effects caused 

by malathion are discussed in Section 3.8.2. 

A biomarker of susceptibility is an indicator of an inherent or acquired limitation of an organism's ability 

to respond to the challenge of exposure to a specific xenobiotic substance. It can be an intrinsic genetic or 

other characteristic or a preexisting disease that results in an increase in absorbed dose, a decrease in the 

biologically effective dose, or a target tissue response. If biomarkers of susceptibility exist, they are 

discussed in Section 3.8.2 “Populations That Are Unusually Susceptible”. 

3.8.1 Biomarkers Used to Identify or Quantify Exposure to Malathion 

The most specific biomarkers for exposure to malathion are the parent compound itself and metabolites in 

tissues and body fluids. However, because malathion is rapidly metabolized and eliminated (see 

Section 3.4), the parent compound may only be found in cases of acute exposure to considerable amounts 

of the pesticide (Faragó 1967; Jadhav et al. 1992; Morgade and Barquet 1982; Vasilić et al. 1999). 

Studies of the general population and occupational exposures have detected malaoxon dicarboxylic acid 

(DCA), malathion monocarboxylic acid (MCA), dimethyl phosphorothioic acid (DMPT), O,O-dimethyl 

phosphorodithioate (DMPDT), and O,O-dimethylphosphate (DMP) as the main metabolic products in 

samples of blood and urine. In a survey of almost 7,000 people from the U.S. population conducted 

during 1976–1980, about 1.1% was found to have quantifiable levels of MCA in the urine and <1% had 

quantifiable levels of DCA (Kutz et al. 1992). MacIntosh et al. (1999b) conducted a longitudinal study of 

80 individuals from five contiguous counties in Maryland during 1995–1996 in which they measured 

DCA in up to six urine samples per individual at intervals of about 8 weeks over a 1-year period. They 

detected DCA in 6.6% of the samples, which was higher than what Kutz et al. (1992) reported; however, 
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the maximum concentration reported by Kutz et al. (1992), 250 μg/L, was 5 times higher than that found 

in the Maryland study, 51 μg/L. 

A study of 5 workers and 16 residents exposed to malathion during a spraying operation in Haiti 

measured urinary MCA at various times after the operation (Warren et al. 1985). All of the subjects were 

tested on Friday after daily spraying during the week and again on Monday after the weekend; eight 

residents were tested 1 week later. The residents were not at home during the spraying, but returned 

home the Friday after the operation was completed. Urinary MCA levels ranged from 0.9 to 6.8 mg/L 

after the spraying week and from 0.047 to 0.13 mg/L after the weekend. Residents showed negligible 

levels of MCA when they returned home, but levels increased to 0.084–1.4 mg/L over the weekend. In 

eight residents who were tested 1 week after the operation, MCA ranged from negligible to 0.31 mg/L, 

suggesting that malathion and/or metabolites may be more persistent in the environment than it had been 

previously thought. A study of 19 agricultural workers (mixers and applicators) evaluated dermal 

exposure to malathion by monitoring urinary DMTP and DMDTP and also used a fluorescent tracer 

technique to monitor exposure (Fenske 1988). Urinary metabolites were monitored for 3 days following 

exposure. The results showed that applicators excreted 17% of the applied dose and mixers excreted 

23%. Exposure was better correlated with excretion of metabolites for applicators (r=0.91) than for 

mixers (r=0.73). A more recent study of date dusters and harvesters in California showed that malathion 

metabolites could be detected in the urine as soon as 2–3 hours of work (Krieger and Dinoff 2000). On a 

molar basis, DMTP > MCA > DMP > DCA were the most prominent urinary metabolites. Samples of 

urine collected on Monday morning during mid-season had low or undetectable levels of MCA and DCA 

suggesting that malathion is quickly metabolized and eliminated in the urine. 

3.8.2 Biomarkers Used to Characterize Effects Caused by Malathion 

Diagnosis of organophosphate poisoning, including malathion, can be made by the presence of 

characteristic clinical signs and measurements of serum (plasma) cholinesterase and RBC 

acetylcholinesterase activities. Enzyme inhibition, however, is not specific for organophosphates since 

exposure to carbamate insecticides also results in cholinesterase inhibition. Nonspecific cholinesterase 

(pseudocholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase) is present in myelin, liver, and plasma, whereas 

acetylcholinesterase is present in the central and peripheral nervous systems and in RBC. Plasma 

cholinesterase activity can be inhibited by 20–25% without significant physiological consequences 

(Abou-Donia 1995). Malathion is a stronger inhibitor of plasma cholinesterase than of RBC acetylcholinesterase (Maroni et al. 2000). Plasma cholinesterase regenerates at a more rapid rate than RBC 
MALATHION 141 

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acetylcholinesterase, about 25% regeneration occurs in the first 7–10 days, and is regenerated by the liver 

in about 2 weeks (Abou-Donia 1995). After severe poisoning, plasma cholinesterase activity remains 

depressed for up to 30 days, which corresponds to the time that it takes the liver to synthesize new 

enzymes. Although a more sensitive indicator of exposure to organophosphates than RBC 

acetylcholinesterase, plasma cholinesterase is less specific since the levels may also be suppressed due to 

genetic factors and to a variety of conditions and diseases (Zimmerman and Henry 1984; Tafuri and 

Roberts 1987). The rate of decrease of RBC acetylcholinesterase correlates better with appearance of 

symptoms than the absolute value reached after exposure (Maroni et al. 2000). Reduction of RBC 

acetylcholinesterase after severe exposure lasts up to 100 days reflecting the time of production of new 

cells. RBC acetylcholinesterase levels are representative of acetylcholinesterase levels in the nervous 

system, and, therefore, may be a more accurate biomarker of the neurological effects of chronic low level 

exposure of humans to malathion (Midtling et al. 1985). Tafuri and Roberts (1987) proposed a 

classification of organophosphate poisoning as follows. Clinical signs and symptoms of intoxication may 

occur when plasma cholinesterase levels drop to below 50% of the normal value. Mild poisoning, with 

the patient still ambulatory, may occur when plasma cholinesterase levels are 20–50% of normal; 

moderate poisoning with inability to walk with levels 10–20% of normal; and severe poisoning with 

respiratory distress and unconsciousness with plasma cholinesterase levels <10% of normal. 

Several methods for measuring RBC acetylcholinesterase and plasma cholinesterase are available (see 

Chapter 7). Baseline data are often collected for workers, preferably three values, but these data would 

not be available for environmentally exposed people. Inferences made by comparing values of exposed 

subjects with a reference population may be erroneous since values at the upper limit of the normal range 

may be 200% higher than those at the lowest one (Maroni et al. 2000). Therefore, it is useful to conduct a 

long-term sequential determination of cholinesterase activity to confirm enzyme inhibition (Coye et al. 

1987). Plasma cholinesterase is preferred over RBC acetylcholinesterase since it recovers more quickly 

and an increase in activity is more likely to occur over shorter observation periods. 

3.9 INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER CHEMICALS 

Studies on the influence of chlorinated hydrocarbons on the toxicity of malathion showed that treatment 

of rats with hexachlorobenzene (HCB) from before mating to postnatal day 18 significantly decreased the 

acute toxicity of malathion (99.3% pure) in 18-day-old pups (Mendoza and Shields 1976). The LD50 for 

malathion in the pups increased from 1,415 to 3,317 mg/kg in HCB-exposed pups. This was correlated 

with a markedly reduced inhibition by malathion of cholinesterases and carboxylesterases in different 
MALATHION 142 

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organs. Townsend and Carlson (1981) examined the influence of a series of chlorinated and brominated 

benzenes on the toxicity of malathion (92% pure) in mice. Pretreatment of the mice orally for 7 days with 

the halogenated benzenes increased the LD50 for malathion (decreased toxicity), the greatest increase was 

seen with 1,2,4-tribromobenzene (from 1,370 to 2,053 mg/kg). In general, there was a good correlation 

between the effects on lethality and increases in in vitro carboxylesterase activity with malathion or 

malaoxon as substrate. Trisubstituted compounds were more protective than disubstituted, and 

brominated benzenes were more active than chlorinated ones. A study of combined application of 

hexachlorocyclohexane and malathion to the skin of guinea pigs for 30 days showed no significant 

influence of either chemical on morbidity or mortality induced by the other (Dikshith et al. 1987). 

The influence of the pesticide carbaryl on the developmental toxicity of malathion in rats was examined 

by Lechner and Abdel-Rahman (1984). Doses of 50 mg/kg/day of malathion (unspecified purity) 

administered for 3 months prior to mating and during gestation caused no significant teratogenicity or 

embrytoxicity upon examination of Gd 20. The only significant effects of the combination were increases 

in the number of litters with resorptions and in the percentage of resorptions which were greater than 

expected from the simple addition of individual contributions. The same group of investigators also 

examined the effects of an equimolar malathion/carbaryl combination on liver microsomal enzyme 

activities (aminopyrine demethylase, aniline hydroxylase, nitrobenzoate reductase, and uridine 

diphosphate-glucuronyl transferase) in a 7-day study in rats (Lechner and Abddel-Rahman 1985). 

Treatment with malathion had no significant effect on the activities of any of the enzymes. Carbaryl 

significantly increased the activity of uridine diphosphate-glucuronyl transferase and the same extent of 

increase was seen in the group treated with the combination of pesticides. A further study by the same 

group on the effect on serum enzymes and glutathione in rats showed that treatment with malathion 

(50 mg/kg once or for 21 days) had no effect on serum transaminases, glutamic dehydrogenase, leucine 

aminopeptidase, or β-glucuronidase activities. Malathion did not significantly affect blood glutathione 

levels. Groups treated with the combination of malathion and carbaryl showed responses not significantly 

different than those seen with the individual pesticides. 

Moeller and Rider (1962) conducted a controlled oral study with volunteers to examine the influence of 

EPN on malathion-induced cholinesterase activity inhibition. The pesticides were administered alone or 

in various combinations for up to 56 days. Administration of 0.11 mg malathion/kg/day for 32 days or 

0.23 mg/kg/day for 47 days did not produce any significant depression of plasma or RBC cholinesterase 

activity or induce clinical signs. Malathion at 0.34 mg/kg/day for 56 days caused a maximum depression 

of 25% in plasma cholinesterase approximately 3 weeks after cessation of treatment. A similar 
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depression in RBC cholinesterase was observed, but occurred later. No clinical signs were seen in the 

volunteers. Malathion and EPN in combination seemed to have additive effects, but no potentiation was 

apparent. The influence of EPN on the acute toxicity of malathion was determined in rats and dogs 

(Frawley et al. 1957). Malathion doses were 0, 600, 800, 1,000, 1,250, 1,600, and 2,000 mg/kg. There 

were no deaths in rats with the 600 mg/kg dose and all (10) rats died with the 2,000 mg/kg dose. Typical 

cholinergic signs were seen before death. Deaths generally occurred several hours after dosing. The 

combination malathion/EPN in a ratio of 25/1 showed about a 10-fold potentiation of malathion alone. In 

dogs (malathion doses of 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 mg/kg), there were no deaths 

with 2,000 or 4,000 mg/kg malathion alone and doses of 100 mg/kg or less of EPN were not lethal. 

However, a combination of 100 mg/kg malathion and 2 mg/kg EPN killed four out of four dogs, which 

suggested a potentiation factor of about 50-fold. Frawley et al. (1957) also studied the effect of malathion 

and the influence of simultaneous administration of EPN on blood cholinesterase activity in an 8-week 

feeding study in rats. No significant change in whole blood cholinesterase activity was observed by 

treatment with malathion alone. However, 500 ppm malathion (about 43.7 mg/kg/day) plus 25 ppm EPN 

(which caused moderate depression of cholinesterase activity) reduced cholinesterase activity to about 

30% of pretreatment values during treatment. In a 12-week feeding study in dogs, plasma cholinesterase 

activity was not significantly altered by malathion (0, 25, 100, or 250 ppm), but the high dose caused 

about 20% inhibition in erythrocyte activity after 6 weeks of treatment. Simultaneous administration of 

EPN greatly potentiated the effect of malathion, particularly on erythrocyte cholinesterase. The high 

malathion dose with 50 ppm EPN caused a maximum inhibition of about 95% after 8 weeks of treatment, 

whereas 50 ppm EPN alone inhibited the enzyme by not more than 5%. Su et al. (1971) measured the 

effects of carboxylesterase inhibition on the toxicity of malathion by feeding rats organophosphate 

insecticides (EPN, parathion, Folex®, TOTP, Guthion®) for 1 week and then administering malathion 

intraperitoneally. All insecticides significantly increased the acute toxicity of malathion (reduced the 

LD50) and the amount of increase was correlated with the inhibition of liver carboxylesterase (especially 

the enzyme that hydrolyzes diethylsuccinate), less with inhibition of serum carboxylesterase, and poorly 

with inhibition of brain, liver, and serum cholinesterase. Murphy and Cheever (1968) noted that 

administration of 10 ppm dioxathion in the diet for 30 days to rats or 30 ppm ronnel for 7 days did not 

significantly inhibit brain cholinesterase activity, but these diets greatly increased the inhibition of the 

enzyme by a single dose of malathion. Finally, equitoxic doses (based on the LD50 values) of aldrin and 

malathion or DDT plus malathion provided mutually protective action in rats, whereas synergistic effects 

(more than additive) were noted when 1/3 of the LD50 values of each chlordane, parathion, and malathion 

were administered to mice (Keplinger and Deichmann 1967). 
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The effects of metabolic enzyme inducers on the toxicity of malathion have been examined in several 

studies. For example, Brodeur (1967) observed that intraperitoneal administration of 50 mg/kg of 

phenobarbital (PB) to rats for 5 days before a single injection of malathion (unspecified purity) produced 

maximum protection against the inhibition of cholinesterase activity of malathion in brain, submaxillary 

gland, and serum; extension of the PB treatment for 25 days did not confer additional protection. The 

PB-induced reduction in anticholinesterase activity was paralleled by an increase in the intraperitoneal 

LD50 from 520 to 920 mg/kg. Further experiments showed that PB-induced resistance was due mostly to 

induction of a liver carboxylesterase and that inhibition of this enzyme by TOTP resulted in a complete 

loss of protection of PB against malathion (Brodeur 1967). In similar experiments in mice, three daily 

intraperitoneal treatments with 75 mg/kg of PB did not protect against the toxicity of malathion 

(unspecified purity); the control LD50 was 985 vs. 915 mg/kg in PB-pretreated mice (Menzer and Best 

1968). No enzymatic assays were conducted in the latter study. In a more recent study, Ketterman et al. 

(1987) produced differential induction of cytochrome P-450-dependent monooxygenases, microsomal 

carboxylesterases, and cytosolic glutathione-S-transferases, all systems that metabolize malathion. PB 

(100 mg/kg) given on days 1, 4, 6, and 7 significantly induced cytochrome P-450 and carboxylesterase 

activity, and pretreatment with 2(3)-tert-butyl,-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA), which greatly induced 

glutathione-S-transferases, did not protect against malathion (98.5% pure) toxicity. Ketterman et al. 

1987) suggested that the lack of protection may have been due to concurrent increases in both activating 

and detoxifying pathways. 

In addition to studies of interactions with other chemicals, a few studies have examined the influence of 

malnutrition on the toxic effects of malathion. For example, Bulusu and Chakravarty (1984) reported that 

administration of a single oral dose of malathion to rats kept on a low protein diets for 3 weeks induced 

more severe liver effects than those seen in rats maintained on a normal diet and given malathion. This 

conclusion was based on the findings of greater decreases in liver AST and ALT activities and greater 

increases in liver β-glucuronidase activity in rats maintained on lower protein diets and given malathion 

than in rats kept on normal diets and administered malathion. The authors speculated that a combined 

effect of malathion and low protein diets on membranes allowed cytoplamic AST and ALT to leak into 

the plasm, whereas disruption of lysosome membrane caused β-glucuronidase to be released into the 

cytoplasm. Similar results regarding β-glucuronidase activity were reported in a study in which the rats 

were maintained on low protein diets and treated with malathion for 3 weeks (Bulusu and Chakravarty 

1986). In rats, exposure to malathion during gestation days 6, 10, and 14 increased serum levels of 

cholesterol and triglycerides and the levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, and phospholipids in brain, liver, 

kidney, and uterus, and these effects were intensified in rats maintained on a low protein diet 
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(Prabhakaran and Devi 1993). In a study of similar design, the same group of investigators reported that a 

low protein diet plus malathion may have induced more severe embryotoxicity in rats than either 

treatment alone, but it is difficult to draw a definite conclusion from the data presented in the study 

(Prabhakaran et al. 1993). 

3.10 POPULATIONS THAT ARE UNUSUALLY SUSCEPTIBLE 

A susceptible population will exhibit a different or enhanced response to Malathion than will most 

persons exposed to the same level of malathion in the environment. Reasons may include genetic 

makeup, age, health and nutritional status, and exposure to other toxic substances (e.g., cigarette smoke). 

These parameters result in reduced detoxification or excretion of malathion, or compromised function of 

organs affected by malathion. Populations who are at greater risk due to their unusually high exposure to 

malathion are discussed in Section 6.7, Populations With Potentially High Exposures. 

Some of the most common signs and symptoms of organophosphate intoxication are bronchoconstriction 

and increased bronchial secretions; therefore, individuals with respiratory conditions such as asthma may 

be affected by exposure to malathion levels lower than would affect normal subjects. However, following 

aerial application of malathion in Santa Clara County, California, in 1981, a survey conducted to assess 

the acute health effects of the application found no significant increase in the number of asthma-related 

visits to a university medical school in the area; however, the authors cautioned that the numbers in the 

study may have been too small to provide definite conclusions (Kahn et al. 1992). 

Anticholinergic agents have been recommended for the treatment of wide variety of conditions, but 

therapeutic uses have been established mainly in four areas: atony of the smooth muscle and the intestinal 

tract and urinary bladder, glaucoma, myasthenia gravis, and termination of the effects of competitive 

neuromuscular blocking agents (Taylor 1996). Any individual using anticholinergic agents for 

therapeutic purposes may be at risk of suffering an increase in unwanted side effects due to possible 

addition of effects if exposed to organophosphate pesticides. 

Little information was located regarding possible polymorphism in enzymes involved in the metabolism 

or toxic actions of malathion. Talcott et al. (1982) evaluated malathion carboxylesterase activity in 

143 human blood serum samples and found an activity range that spanned almost two orders of 

magnitude (0.1–7.2 units/mL), but found no remarkable age-, sex-, or race-related activity differences. 

Without providing further details, Abou-Donia (1995) indicated that a genetically determined low level of 
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plasma cholinesterase is present in about 3% of the population, and therefore, these individuals are 

particularly sensitive to the effects of organophosphate pesticides. 

As detailed in Section 3.9, subjects exposed to other pesticides that also inhibit carboxylesterase activity, 

enzyme responsible for the detoxification of malathion in mammalian species, may be at higher risk of 

exceeding thresholds for the manifestation of adverse effects when exposed simultaneously to malathion. 

3.11 METHODS FOR REDUCING TOXIC EFFECTS 

This section will describe clinical practice and research concerning methods for reducing toxic effects of 

exposure to malathion. However, because some of the treatments discussed may be experimental and 

unproven, this section should not be used as a guide for treatment of exposures to malathion. When 

specific exposures have occurred, poison control centers and medical toxicologists should be consulted 

for medical advice. The following texts provide specific information about treatment following exposures 

to organophosphate pesticides: 

Goldfrank LR, Flomenbaum NE, Lewin NA, et al., eds. 1998. Goldfrank's toxicologic emergencies. 6th

ed. Stamford, CT: Appleton and Lange. 

Haddad LM, Shannon MW, Winchester JF, eds. 1998. Clinical management of poisoning and drug 

overdose. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Company. 

Viccellio P, Bania T, Brent J, et al., eds. 1998. Emergency toxicology. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: 

Lippincott-Raven Publishers. 

3.11.1 Reducing Peak Absorption Following Exposure 

The following information was extracted from the books listed above; specific chapters were written by 

Aaron and Howland (1998), Carlton et al. (1998), and Osmundsen (1998). Following dermal 

contamination with organophosphates, most texts recommend washing the skin with copious amounts of 

soap and water, which may be followed by a second washing with ethyl alcohol. Ocular exposures 

should have copious eye irrigation with normal saline or lactated Ringer’s solution (Aaron and Howland 

1998). Contaminated clothing including leather garments should be destroyed. After oral ingestion, 

activated charcoal is recommended for many organophosphates, although Carlton et al. (1998) note that it 

may lack efficiency with some organophosphates such as for malathion. Osmundsen (1998) points out 

that Ipecac should not be used for organophosphate poisoning. Cathartics may be unnecessary as 
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intestinal motility is greatly increased. Gastric lavage may be performed with the care to prevent 

aspiration, as organic solvent vehicles may precipitate pneumonitis. Treatment of inhaled 

organophosphates is mostly supportive as respiratory distress is a common effect of poisoning; intubation 

may be necessary to facilitate control of secretions. 

3.11.2 Reducing Body Burden 

No information was located regarding reducing the body burden of malathion, or organophosphates, 

following exposure. As mentioned in Section 3.4, malathion is eliminated relatively rapidly, such that 

short-term exposures will not result in accumulation of the pesticide. 

3.11.3 Interfering with the Mechanism of Action for Toxic Effects 

The following information has been extracted from the texts listed above. Administration of atropine and 

pralidoxime (2-PAM) seems to be a universally accepted treatment for organophosphate poisoning. It 

should be mentioned, however, that glycopyrrolate, a quaternary ammonium compound, has also been 

used instead of atropine (Bardin and Van Eeden 1990). Unlike atropine, glycopyrrolate does not cross the 

blood-brain barrier and, therefore, has fewer central nervous system effects. Atropine is a competitive 

antagonist at muscarinic receptor sites and since it crosses the blood-brain barrier, it also treats the central 

nervous system effects. Atropine is particularly helpful in drying excessive secretions especially from the 

tracheobronchial tree. Atropine does not antagonize nicotinic effects; therefore, 2-PAM is needed for 

treatment of muscle weakness and respiratory depression. Most texts recommend an initial dose of 1–

2 mg for an adult and 0.05 mg/kg for children, preferably by the intravenous route. This may be repeated 

every 15–30 minutes until signs of atropinization occur. 2-PAM is a quaternary amine oxime that can 

reverse the phosphorylation of acetylcholinesterase and thereby restore activity. It may also prevent 

continued toxicity by detoxifying the organophosphate molecule and has an anticholinergic effect 

(Carlton et al. 1998). 2-PAM and other oximes function by nucleophilic attack on the phosphorylated 

enzyme; the oxime-phosphonate is then split off, leaving the regenerated enzyme. 2-PAM should be 

administered as soon as the diagnosis is made. The initial dose is 1–2 g for adults and 25–50 mg/kg for 

children administered intravenously over 30–60 minutes. The dose can be repeated in 1 hour and then 

every 8–12 hours until clinical signs have diminished and the patient does not require atropine. Some 

patients may require multiple doses, as enzyme regeneration depends on plasma levels of the 
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organophosphate. A 2-PAM serum level of 4 μg/L is suggested as the minimum therapeutic threshold. 

2-PAM is considered a very safe drug with few side effects. 

3.12 ADEQUACY OF THE DATABASE 

Section 104(i)(5) of CERCLA, as amended, directs the Administrator of ATSDR (in consultation with the 

Administrator of EPA and agencies and programs of the Public Health Service) to assess whether 

adequate information on the health effects of malathion is available. Where adequate information is not 

available, ATSDR, in conjunction with the National Toxicology Program (NTP), is required to assure the 

initiation of a program of research designed to determine the health effects (and techniques for developing 

methods to determine such health effects) of malathion. 

The following categories of possible data needs have been identified by a joint team of scientists from 

ATSDR, NTP, and EPA. They are defined as substance-specific informational needs that if met would 

reduce the uncertainties of human health assessment. This definition should not be interpreted to mean 

that all data needs discussed in this section must be filled. In the future, the identified data needs will be 

evaluated and prioritized, and a substance-specific research agenda will be proposed. 

3.12.1 Existing Information on Health Effects of Malathion 

The existing data on health effects of inhalation, oral, and dermal exposure of humans and animals to 

malathion are summarized in Figure 3-5. The purpose of this figure is to illustrate the existing 

information concerning the health effects of malathion. Each dot in the figure indicates that one or more 

studies provide information associated with that particular effect. The dot does not necessarily imply 

anything about the quality of the study or studies, nor should missing information in this figure be 

interpreted as a “data need”. A data need, as defined in ATSDR’s Decision Guide for Identifying 

Substance-Specific Data Needs Related to Toxicological Profiles (Agency for Toxic Substances and 

Disease Registry 1989), is substance-specific information necessary to conduct comprehensive public 

health assessments. Generally, ATSDR defines a data gap more broadly as any substance-specific 

information missing from the scientific literature. 

As shown in Figure 3-5, there seems to be a fairly complete database on the effects of malathion in 

humans exposed by inhalation and dermal routes. However, most of this information is derived from 
MALATHION 149 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Figure 3-5. Existing Information on Health Effects of Malathion 
MALATHION 150 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

studies in which subjects were exposed during the manufacture of the material or during application (as 

applicators or bystanders), situations that involve inhalation and dermal exposure and generally unknown 

exposure levels. Furthermore, few inhalation and dermal studies provided information specifically for 

malathion. A single study of controlled inhalation exposure to malathion was available. The oral 

database is much more limited and consists mainly of case reports of accidental or intentional ingestion of 

high amounts of malathion formulations. This provided a considerable amount of data on acute systemic 

and neurological effects, less intermediate data, and no chronic data. No information was located 

regarding reproductive, developmental, or cancer effects in humans following oral exposure to malathion. 

In animals, the studies available for review provided information on systemic, immunologic, neurologic, 

reproductive, developmental, genotoxic, and cancer effects following oral administration of malathion. It 

should be mentioned, however, that information on many systemic end points was lacking from the oral 

studies. No studies were available on chronic systemic effects by the inhalation and dermal routes of 

exposure, regarding reproductive, developmental, genotoxic, or cancer following inhalation exposure, and 

regarding genotoxic and cancer effects after dermal exposure. 

3.12.2 Identification of Data Needs 

Acute-Duration Exposure. Limited acute inhalation data specific for malathion were provided by 

Reeves et al. (1981), Golz (1959), and Albright et al. (1983). Reeves et al. (1981) reported the case of a 

12-year-old girl who died from aplastic anemia 6 months after exposure to malathion. Golz (1959) 

conducted a controlled inhalation study in volunteers and reported nasal and eye irritation within 5–

10 minutes of exposure to 85 mg/m3

 of a malathion aerosol; no effects were reported at 21 mg/m3. 

Albright et al. (1983) described the case of a 65-year-old man who developed transient renal insufficiency 

with massive proteinuria 3 weeks after spraying intensively with malathion. Only one study was 

available with acute inhalation data in animals. In this study, four out of six rabbits died 24 hours after a 

6-hour exposure to 128 mg/m3

 of malathion aerosol generated from a formulation containing 6% 

malathion and a fuel oil mixture (Weeks et al. 1977). However, there were no deaths among rabbits 

exposed to 123 mg/m3

 generated from a 95% pure malathion formulation, an exposure concentration that 

induced a 38% inhibition of RBC cholinesterase activity. An exposure concentration of 65 mg/m3

 was a 

NOAEL and was used to derive an acute inhalation MRL. Acute oral data in humans come almost 

exclusively from case reports of accidental or intentional ingestion of high amounts of malathion 

formulations. Many cases resulted in deaths following ingestion of estimated doses of malathion between 

350 and 2,000 mg/kg (Faragó 1967; Jušić and Milić 1978; Morgade and Barquet 1982; Namba et al. 
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3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

1970; Zivot et al. 1993). Almost all cases presented the typical signs and symptoms of cholinergic 

stimulation (Amos and Hall 1965; Choi et al. 1998; Crowley and Johns 1966; Dive et al. 1994; Jušić and 

Milić 1978; Monje Argiles et al. 1990; Namba et al. 1970; Tuthill 1958; Zivot et al. 1993). 

Acute oral studies in animals provided information regarding death (Lu et al. 1965; Mendoza 1976; 

Talcott et al. 1977; Umetsu et al. 1977; Weeks et al. 1977), systemic effects (Krause 1977; Krause et al. 

1976; Lox 1983; Ojha et al. 1992; Piramanayagam and Manohar 2002; Piramanayagam et al. 1996; 

Simionescu et al. 1977), immunological effects (Casale et al. 1983; Rodgers et al. 1986; Rodgers and 

Xiong 1996, 1997b, 1997d), neurological effects (Casale et al. 1983; Ehrich et al. 1993; Mathews and 

Devi 1994; Vijayakumar and Selvarajan 1990; Weeks et al. 1977), reproductive effects (Krause et al. 

1976; Lochry 1989; Ojha et al. 1992; Prabhakaran et al. 1993; Siglin 1985), and developmental effects 

(Khera et al. 1978; Lochry 1989; Machin and McBride 1989a, 1989b; Mathews and Devi 1994). 

Although there appears to be an extensive database from animal studies, the quality of many studies 

precludes their use for risk assessment. Some of the limitations include poor reporting of the results 

and/or only one dose level tested. Well-conducted studies by Rodgers and colleagues identified the 

lowest effects levels for immunological alterations in mice (degranulation of mast cells) administered 

0.1 mg malathion/kg/day for 14 days (Rodgers and Xiong 1997d). An additional study from this series 

found increased serum histamine levels in rats and mice after a single dose of 10 mg/kg (Rodgers and 

Xiong 1997b); the NOAEL was 1 mg/kg. The physiological significance of these immunological effects 

is unknown and should be addressed in further studies in which the animals are challenged with 

pathogens. Therefore, it seems inappropriate at this time to base an acute oral MRL on subtle 

immunological alterations of unknown physiological significance. Worth noting also is a relatively low 

LOAEL of 4.4 mg/kg (the only dose level tested) for decreased hematocrit and platelet counts in rats 

administered the pesticide once by gavage in water (Lox 1983). It is interesting that an intermediateduration study by Lox and Davis (1983), also in rats given malathion in the drinking water, reported 

hematological and hepatic effects at very low doses (see below) not seen in any other gavage or feeding 

study. Therefore, additional studies should compare the effects of malathion on a wide range of end 

points given in water with those after administration mixed with food. The study design should clarify 

the role of the administration vehicle. The physiological significance of the LOAEL of 4.4 mg/kg from 

the Lox (1983) study is unknown and not appropriate for MRL derivation. 

Acute dermal data in humans include a report by Ramu et al. (1973) who described a fatality among a 

group of children who had their hair washed with a solution containing 50% malathion in xylene. Typical 

signs and symptoms of cholinergic stimulation were seen among the most severely intoxicated children. 
MALATHION 152 

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Parker and Chattin (1955) also described a case of a 10-year-old girl who had neurological manifestations 

of poisoning after having extensive dermal contact with a malathion formulation in the form of flakes. 

Also, laboratory studies in volunteers showed that a single exposure to 10% malathion (95% pure) 

induced contact sensitization in almost half of the subjects, and that 0.1 and 0.01% concentrations of 

99.3% malathion were able to evoke positive responses in previously sensitized individuals (Milby and 

Epstein 1964). Information on effects of malathion after acute dermal exposure in animals was limited a 

study of lethality in rats (Gaines 1960), a study of delayed-type hypersensitivity in mice (Cushman and 

Street 1983), and a report on subtle immunological alterations in rats and mice following a single dermal 

application of malathion (Rodgers and Xiong 1997c). Qualitative data (no dose level) on RBC and 

plasma cholinesterase were also available from a study in dogs (Vestweber and Kruckenberg 1972). 

Although the information available does not suggest that the toxicity of malathion is route-dependent, 

further well-conducted acute dermal studies seem necessary to establish dose-response relationships for a 

range of end points. This is important because considerable dermal exposure to malathion can occur for 

the residential handler and during post-application events. Furthermore, under certain exposure scenarios 

such as following aerial application of malathion over urban areas, dermal doses may be orders of 

magnitude higher than inhalation doses (Marty et al. 1994). 

Intermediate-Duration Exposure. Few intermediate-duration studies were located that described 

health effects in humans specifically exposed to malathion. However, it is reasonable to assume that 

many of the studies on cohorts exposed occupationally to malathion, or to pesticides in general, described 

in Section 3.2, included subjects who may have been exposed for intermediate durations. Limited 

information is available from a controlled inhalation study in volunteers that identified a NOAEL of 

85 mg/m3

 for body weight and neurological effects (cholinesterase activity) (Golz 1959); subjects were 

exposed to malathion aerosols 2 hours/day for 42 days. Limited data were also located in the studies 

available regarding effects in animals exposed to malathion in the air. A 13-week study in rats reported 

hyperplastic changes in the epithelium from the upper respiratory tract following intermittent exposure to 

100 mg/m3

 of malathion aerosol and significant reduction in RBC cholinesterase activity at 450 mg/m3

and higher (Beattie 1994). The LOAEL of 100 mg/m3

 was used to derive an intermediate inhalation 

MRL for malathion. 

A study in humans administered malathion in capsules for up to 56 days identified a NOAEL of 

0.34 mg/kg/day for hematological and renal effects; this dose level also constituted a LOAEL for 

neurological effects (plasma and RBC cholinesterase activity) (Moeller and Rider 1962). The NOAEL 

for neurological effects was 0.23 mg/kg/day and was used as the basis for derivation of an intermediate-
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duration oral MRL. Studies in animals provided information on lethality (NCI 1978, 1979a), systemic 

effects (Desi et al. 1976; Foster 1968; Krause et al. 1976; Lox and Davis 1983; Ozmen and Akay 1993), 

immunological effects (Banerjee et al. 1998; Desi et al. 1978; Rodgers and Xiong 1997c), neurological 

effects (Desi et al. 1976, 1978; Fischer 1988; Husain et al. 1987; Lamb 1994b), and reproductive and 

developmental effects (Balasubramanian et al. 1987a, 1987b; Kalow and Marton 1961; Krause et al. 

1976; Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1984; Ozmen and Akay 1993; Schroeder 1990). Of special interest is 

a 60-day study by Lox and Davis (1983), which reported hepatocyte degeneration in rats at the very low 

dose of approximately 0.15 mg/kg/day of malathion (99% pure) in drinking water (1 ppm in water). This 

is one of the few studies in which malathion was administered in the drinking water. Since no liver 

histopathology was described in any other intermediate-duration oral study with much higher malathion 

doses either in the food or by gavage, the findings of Lox and Davis (1983) should be interpreted with 

caution until such results can be replicated. Also of interest is the finding of increased peritoneal 

macrophage function in mice treated for 90 days with 0.1–10 mg/kg/day by gavage (Rodgers and Xiong 

1997c). However, as Rodgers and Ellefson (1992) pointed out, the physiological significance of the 

magnitude of this effect is unknown. An additional 28-day immunological study in mice reported that 

doses as low as 0.018 mg/kg/day of commercial-grade malathion increased the primary immune response 

to immunization with SRBC (Johnson et al. 2002). Dermal data in animals were limited to information 

on lethality (Dikshith et al. 1987), systemic effects (Boyes et al. 1999; Moreno 1989), and neurological 

effects (Boyes et al. 1999; Dikshith et al. 1987; Moreno 1989). Results regarding systemic effects after 

dermal exposure were insufficient to construct dose-response relationships, but additional studies may not 

be necessary since malathion is rapidly degraded in the environment and long-term dermal exposure is 

not expected to occur for the general population or for people living near waste sites. 

Chronic-Duration Exposure and Cancer. Limited information was found regarding health effects 

in humans after chronic-duration exposure to malathion. Information on effects of chronic exposure is 

derived mostly from studies of workers in which both the inhalation and dermal routes of exposure play 

significant roles. It should also be noted that although occupational exposure is generally assumed to be 

chronic, for some types of occupations (i.e., pesticide applicators), exposures are usually seasonal, 

involving only a few weeks or months per year. A study of workers exposed to organophosphates (not 

only malathion) for up to 29 years found a higher frequency of respiratory tract infections among the 

workers than in controls (Hermanowicz and Kossman 1984). The authors also observed marked 

impairments of neutrophil chemotaxis and significantly decreased neutrophil adhesion among the 

workers. A study at a pesticide manufacturer (primarily malathion) found an inverse relationship between 

hemoglobin concentration and duration of employment (Singaravelu et al. 1998). Studies of workers 
MALATHION 154 

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exposed to several pesticides have also documented inhibition of plasma and RBC cholinesterase, clinical 

signs, and neurophysiological alterations (Baker et al. 1978; Ernest et al. 1995; Peedicayil et al. 1991; 

StDlberg et al. 1978). A study of pesticide applicators also investigated the possible role of 

organophosphate insecticides and retinal degeneration, but a definite conclusion could not be reached 

(Kamel et al. 2000). Information is lacking on potential effects of long-term, low-level exposure to 

malathion on many end points. This information can only be obtained from evaluation of cohorts 

exposed only to malathion, but data from subjects exposed to a limited number of organophosphates 

would also be helpful. No studies were located that evaluated the effects of chronic inhalation or dermal 

exposure in animals, but because malathion is relatively rapidly degraded in the environment, no such 

exposures are expected to occur for the general population or for people living near waste sites. Several 

long-term bioassays have been conducted in rats and mice that provided information on noncancer effects 

(death, systemic, and neurological effects) (Daly 1996a; NCI 1978, 1979a; Slauter 1994). The lowest 

LOAEL was 29 mg malathion/kg/day for 29% inhibition of plasma cholinesterase in male Fischer-344 

rats in a study by Daly (1996a); the NOAEL was 2 mg/kg/day and was used to derive a chronic oral 

MRL. 

Several studies have examined the possible association between occupational exposure to pesticides and 

certain types of cancer, particularly non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) and leukemia. However, because 

workers are usually exposed to multiple pesticides, it is difficult to establish associations with specific 

pesticides. Still, information relevant to malathion is available in some of these studies. Exposure to 

malathion was associated with increased risk of NHL in a study of men in Iowa and Minnesota (Cantor et 

al. 1992), of women in Nebraska (Zahm et al. 1993), and of men in Canada (McDuffie et al. 2001). A 

retrospective cohort study of 32,600 employees of a lawn care company found no specific association 

between deaths due to NHL and exposure to malathion (Zahm 1997) and neither did a study of pesticide 

users from Iceland (Zhong and Rafnsson 1996). The study of men in Iowa and Minnesota also found an 

elevated risk of leukemia in men who used malathion as an animal insecticide for >10 days/year (Brown 

et al. 1990). A slight non-significant increased risk for multiple myeloma was observed among farmers 

who used malathion in an additional study among men in Iowa, but failure to use protective equipment 

was not associated with increased risk (Brown et al. 1993). In spite of some positive associations, there is 

no clear evidence that exposure to malathion causes cancer in humans. As previously mentioned, the 

magnitude of the excesses is generally small, exposure assessment is unreliable, and mixed exposure 

always occurs. 
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Malathion has been tested in oral bioassays conducted in rats (two strains) (Daly 1996a; NCI 1978, 

1979a) and mice (NCI 1978; Slauter 1994). The metabolite, malaoxon, also has been tested in rats (Daly 

1996b; NCI 1979b) and mice (NCI 1979b). No clear evidence of carcinogenicity for malathion was 

found in the bioassays conducted by NCI (NCI 1978, 1979a), but there was evidence of liver 

carcinogenicity in female Fischer-344 rats in the Daly (1996a) study and in male and female B3C6F1

mice in the Slauter (1994) study. In the two positive studies, evidence of carcinogenicity occurred at 

doses that were considered excessive (EPA 2000a, 2000b). There was no evidence of carcinogenicity for 

malaoxon in rats or mice (Daly 1996b; NCI 1979b), but upon reevaluation of the NCI (1979b) study, NTP 

concluded that there was equivocal evidence of carcinogenicity for male and female Fischer-344 rats 

based on reinterpretation of C-cell neoplasms of the thyroid (Huff et al. 1985). Further bioassays do not 

seem necessary. 

A recent review of the literature on pesticides and cancer by Zahm et al. (1997) identified several areas 

where data gaps exist. First, improvements in exposure assessment in epidemiologic studies are needed. 

Also, there is a need for validity and reliability studies of recall of pesticide use both for occupationally 

and nonoccupationally exposed populations. In addition, efforts should continue to try to gain access to 

information on inert ingredients of pesticide formulations since inert components are not necessarily 

biologically inert. Another data gap identified is the lack of studies on migrant and seasonal farm workers 

who often start exposure at an early age. The mechanism of malathion-induced carcinogenicity in 

animals is not known, but it does not appear to involve mutagenicity. Additional studies investigating 

noncholinergic mechanism of malathion toxicity and how these may potentially by involved in malathion 

carcinogenicity would be valuable. 

Genotoxicity. The genotoxicity of malathion has been investigated in many studies. Of four studies 

that monitored humans exposed to malathion occupationally or by intentional ingestion of malathion 

formulations, two found increased chromosomal aberrations in peripheral lymphocytes and micronuclei 

(Singaravelu et al. 1998; van Bao et al. 1974), whereas the remaining two found no evidence of 

micronuclei or chromosomal aberrations (Titenko-Holland et al. 1997; Windham et al. 1998). The 

majority of the studies in animals were conducted in mice and showed that malathion has the capacity to 

produce chromosomal changes, including chromosomal aberrations and micronuclei in bone marrow 

(Abraham et al. 1997; Amer et al. 2002; Dulout et al. 1982, 1983; Giri et al. 2002; Kumar et al. 1995). 

However, a negative effect for chromosomal aberrations in mouse bone marrow was reported by 

Degraeve and Moutschen (1984) and a weak positive effect was reported by Dzwonkowska and Hubner 

(1986) in hamster bone marrow. Effects on germ cells have been mixed. No chromosomal aberrations 
MALATHION 156 

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were reported in mouse spermatogonia by Degraeve and Moutschen (1984) and tests for dominant lethal 

mutation also were negative in that study. In contrast, Salvadori et al. (1988) reported chromosomal 

aberrations in mouse spermatogonia and Hoda et al. (1993) noticed a decrease in meiotic index in primary 

spermatocytes of mice treated with malathion. A study in Drosophila also showed a positive dominant 

lethal mutation (Kumar et al. 1995). 

In general, the results from standard gene mutation tests in bacteria did not show mutagenicity with or 

without activation or gave a weak positive response (Pednekar et al. 1987; Shiau et al. 1980; Wong et al. 

1989). Results from in vitro studies in mammalian cells, including human lymphocytes, showed that 

malathion appeared to produce cytogenetic damage as evidenced by chromosomal aberrations and sister 

chromatid exchanges (Balaji and Sasikala 1993; Garry et al. 1990; Nicholas et al. 1979; Nishio and Uyeki 

1981; Pluth et al. 1996, 1998; Sobti et al. 1982; Walter et al. 1980). There is weak evidence of in vitro

interaction of DNA bases by malathion (Wiaderkiewicz et al. 1986). 

Although it appears that malathion has been tested for genotoxicity in a wide variety of systems, the 

results have been mixed largely because of the different experimental designs and different malathion 

formulations tested. Studies in vitro should always monitor cell viability to clearly distinguish genetic 

effects from cytotoxicity. Also, it would be important to know the composition of the malathion mixture 

to be tested and to test each one of the components since humans are likely to be exposed to technical 

mixtures rather than to pure malathion. Additional studies are also necessary to examine the interaction 

of malathion and DNA. Continued studies on genomic sequence analysis combined with reverse 

transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of lymphocytes from malathion exposed 

subjects may be able to identify a mutation spectrum that may be fairly specific for malathion and that 

could eventually be used as a biomarker of exposure. 

Reproductive Toxicity. Limited information was located regarding reproductive effects in humans 

following exposure to malathion. A study of pregnant women exposed during periods of malathion 

spraying in California found a moderate association between stillbirths and certain exposure variables, but 

these associations were not consistent or statistically significant and, therefore, were attributed to chance 

(Thomas et al. 1992). An additional study of males involved in the mixing and spraying of a variety of 

organophosphates and insecticides found a significantly higher percent of stillbirths and abortions 

compared to unexposed couples, and also lower fertility among exposed males (Rupa et al. 1991b). 

However, the role of malathion, if any, is impossible to determine. No studies were located on 

reproductive effects of malathion in humans exposed orally or dermally. 
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3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

No information was available regarding reproductive effects in animals following inhalation exposure to 

malathion. Acute studies in male animals, mainly rats, administered malathion orally have reported 

transient alterations in spermatogenesis and alterations in the seminiferous tubule epithelium (Krausse 

1977; Krausse et al. 1976; Ojha et al. 1992; Piramanayagam et al. 1996), but none of these studies 

assessed reproductive function. A 12-week gavage study also reported reversible testicular alterations in 

rats given 45 mg/kg/day malathion (Balasubramanian et al. 1987b), but no morphological alterations were 

seen in the reproductive organs from male rats or mice in chronic bioassays (NCI 1978, 1979a). An 

intermediate-duration dermal study in male and female rabbits did not observe any significant gross or 

microscopic alterations in the reproductive organs following application of up to 1,000 mg/kg/day of 

malathion 6 hours/day, 5 days/week for 3 weeks (Moreno 1989). Malathion was not a reproductive 

toxicant when administered to females at doses that did not induce maternal toxicity (Lechner and AbdelRahman 1984; Mathews and Devi 1994; Prabhakaran et al. 1993; Siglin 1985). A 2-generation study in 

rats found no significant effects on reproductive performance, fertility indices, and gestation length 

(Schroeder 1990). The only significant finding in a chronic bioassay was an increased incidence of cystic 

endometrial hyperplasia in mice treated with approximately 1,490 mg/kg/day of malathion for 80 weeks 

(NCI 1978). The overall evidence in animals suggests that malathion is not a reproductive toxicant, but 

the less than optimal quality of some studies do not allow drawing a firm conclusion. The issue of 

testicular toxicity should be further explored in studies in animals exposed at various ages including 

exposure in utero and later tested for reproductive performance. Also, studies examining standard semen 

and sperm parameters in adult animals would provide valuable information. These studies should be 

conducted by the oral route of exposure since this route is the most relevant for exposure of the general 

population and there is no evidence suggesting that the toxicity of malathion is route-specific. 

Developmental Toxicity. Data on developmental effects of malathion in humans are limited. Two 

studies conducted in California after aerial spraying of malathion did not find consistent or significant 

developmental effects in the offspring from women who were pregnant during the spraying (Grether et al. 

1987; Thomas et al. 1992). Some positive associations were found in the former study between exposure 

and some anomalies, but no biologically consistent pattern was observed. Thomas et al. (1992) found a 

significant association for gastrointestinal anomalies and second trimester exposure, but the 

gastrointestinal tract is completely developed by the second trimester. An additional study of paternal 

exposure to malathion found no significant association between exposure and congenital malformations 

(García et al. 1998). No information was found regarding developmental effects in humans following 

oral exposure to malathion. The only data after dermal exposure are from Lindhout and Hageman (1987), 
MALATHION 158 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

who discussed a possible association between the use of a hair lotion containing malathion by a woman 

during weeks 11 and 12 of pregnancy and the birth of a severely malformed child. However, a causal link 

is difficult to establish. 

No information was located regarding developmental effects in animals following inhalation or dermal 

exposure to malathion. Transfer of malathion (and/or metabolites) to the fetus through the placenta and 

via maternal milk has been demonstrated indirectly (Chhabra et al. 1993; Mathews and Devi 1994). Oral 

studies in rats and rabbits have not shown embryotoxicity (Khera et al. 1978; Lochry 1989; Machin and 

McBride 1989a; Siglin 1985) or showed embryotoxicity at doses that also caused maternal toxicity 

(Prabhakaran et al. 1993). However, reduced fetal weight and crown-rump length were seen in mice in a 

study that provided no information on maternal effects (Asmatullah et al. 1993). A study by Kalow and 

Martin (1961) found increased neonatal mortality in rats treated for at least 5 months before pregnancy, 

but again, no information was presented on maternal effects, which seriously weakens the evidence. In a 

2-generation study, the only developmental effect noticed was a decrease in body weight gain in pups 

from the F1A and F2B litters during the lactation period at parental doses of 394 mg/kg/day of malathion 

for males and 451 mg/kg/day for females, with corresponding NOAELs of 131 and 153 mg/kg/day 

(Schroeder 1990). No teratogenic effects of malathion were reported in the studies evaluated (Khera et al. 

1978; Lechner and Abdel-Rahman 1984; Lochry 1989; Prabhakaran et al. 1993; Schroeder 1990; Siglin 

1985). Although most of the data suggest that malathion is not a developmental toxicant, there is still 

uncertainty regarding whether effects could occur at doses not causing maternal toxicity, largely because 

of limitations of experimental design or reporting in some studies. Therefore, a well-designed study is 

warranted. In addition, a developmental neurotoxicity study in rats in which pups are tested at various 

ages after being exposed in utero and/or via maternal milk would fill a data gap. The oral route should be 

preferred to complement the existing information and because there is no evidence that the toxicity of 

malathion is route-specific. 

Immunotoxicity. There is some information suggesting that exposure to malathion may affect the 

immune system in humans. Albright et al. (1983) described a case of possible immune complex 

nephropathy in a man who developed transient renal insufficiency with massive proteinuria after spraying 

intensively with malathion. Impairment of neutrophil chemotaxis was observed among a group of 

workers exposed to organophosphate pesticides, including malathion, for 0.1–29 years (Hermanowicz and 

Kossman 1984). Malathion was shown to be a contact sensitizer in a laboratory study with volunteers 

(Milby and Epstein 1964). A case of immediate IgE reaction to malathion and another of irritant reaction 

to malathion and to the bait was described among subjects who developed dermatitis following aerial 
MALATHION 159 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

application of malathion in Southern California (Schanker et al. 1992). No delayed hypersensitivity was 

seen among these cases. Another study of subjects in Southern California following aerial spraying of 

malathion found no significant increases in the number of visits for allergic problems to hospital 

emergency departments during the application period compared with the prespray period or the 

corresponding period the previous year (Kahn et al. 1992). No information was located regarding 

immunological effects in humans following oral exposure to malathion. 

Studies in animals suggest that malathion can induce both immune enhancement and immune depression 

at noncholinergic dose levels. A number of studies conducted by Rodgers and colleagues showed that 

malathion stimulated immune cell function. For example, relatively low (1–2 mg/kg) single oral or 

dermal doses of malathion (>99% pure) increased serum histamine levels in rats and mice (Rodgers and 

Xiong 1997b). Daily oral dosing for 14 days with 1 mg/kg/day of malathion stimulated macrophage 

function in mice (Rodgers and Xiong 1997d). Immunosuppressive effects were reported mostly in 

repeated dosing studies. Mice administered malathion in the diet for 3–12 weeks showed alterations in 

both humoral immune function and cell mediated immunity (Banerjee et al. 1998). Immune suppression 

was also seen in rats and rabbits exposed to malathion for intermediate-duration periods (Banerjee et al. 

1998). Cell mediated suppression was also observed in mice administered malathion for 90 days at 1 and 

10 mg/kg/day, but cell mediated enhancement was seen at 0.1 mg/kg/day (Rodgers and Xiong 1997c). 

Enhancement of antibody production was reported in female mice treated with 0.018 mg/kg/day in a 

28-day study (Johnson et al. 2002). The available studies in animals indicate that malathion modulates 

immune parameters at relatively low doses, but further research is needed to determine whether these 

observed responses place the animals at increased risk when challenged with pathogens. Rodgers and 

Ellefson (1992) suggested that malathion-induced mast cell degranulation may be due to inhibition of an 

esterase on the cell surface; therefore, further research should explore this possibility. The immune 

enhancing properties of malathion may be relevant for people with autoimmune disease as their condition 

may aggravate if exposed to malathion. As suggested by Rodgers and Xiong (1997b), it is also possible 

that the immune enhancement by malathion may be related to reports of possible contact hypersensitivity 

(Milby and Epstein 1964) or skin rashes and irritation after malathion applications for pest control (CDHS 

1991; Schanker et al. 1992). 

Neurotoxicity. Information in both humans and animals indicates that the nervous system is the main 

target of malathion-induced toxicity following acute exposure by any route. This is particularly evident 

after exposure to high doses of malathion, as has occurred, for example, in cases of accidental or 

intentional ingestion of malathion formulations (Choi et al. 1998; Dive et al. 1994; Jušić and Milić 1978, 
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3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Lee and Tai 2001; Matsukawa et al. 1997; Monje Argiles et al. 1990; Namba et al. 1970; Ramu et al. 

1973). As an organophosphate pesticide, malathion inhibits the activity of the enzyme 

acetylcholinesterase as well as that of plasma cholinesterase. The inhibition of acetylcholinesterase at 

various levels within the nervous system produces a characteristic set of signs and symptoms including 

respiratory distress, bradycardia, increased bronchial secretions, excessive salivation, lacrimation, 

pupillary constriction, fasciculations, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea (Aaron and Howland 1998; Carlton 

et al. 1998; Osmundson 1998). Most of these signs and symptoms have been observed in the cases listed 

above. In addition, abnormal electromyographic findings were reported in some studies of documented 

ingestion of malathion (Crowley and Johns 1966; Dive et al. 1994; Monje Argiles et al. 1990). A study of 

controlled administration of malathion in capsules to volunteers identified a NOAEL and LOAEL for 

inhibition of plasma cholinesterase of 0.23 and 0.34 mg/kg/day, respectively (Moeller and Rider 1962), 

and these findings were used to derive an intermediate oral MRL for malathion. Studies of workers 

exposed to several pesticides have also documented inhibition of plasma and RBC cholinesterase, and in 

some cases, the degree of enzyme inhibition has been correlated with the presence or absence of clinical 

signs (Ernest et al. 1995; Peedicayil et al. 1991; StDlberg et al. 1978). Information is lacking on potential 

effects of long-term, low-level exposure to malathion as well as on potential long-term effects of acute 

high exposure to malathion. This information can only be obtained from evaluation of cohorts exposed 

only to malathion, but data from subjects exposed to a few organophosphates would also be helpful. 

Studies in animals support the findings in humans. In addition to measurements of cholinesterase 

activity, a few studies have examined the effects of malathion on neurobehavioral parameters. An acute 

study that tested a functional observation battery in rats reported increased motor activity 21 days after a 

single gavage dose of 2,000 mg/kg of malathion (88% pure) (Ehrich et al. 1993), whereas a similarly 

designed study found decreased motor activity 14 days after dosing with 2,000 mg/kg malathion 

(96.4% pure) (Lamb 1994a). Similar inconsistencies were seen between two 90-day feeding studies (Desi 

et al. 1976; Lamb 1994b). Further studies are needed to clarify these inconsistencies. Chronic-duration 

studies have reported inhibition of plasma and RBC cholinesterase activity in both rats (Daly 1996a) and 

mice (Slauter 1994) and body tremors in female mice after 70 weeks of dosing with approximately 

2,980 mg/kg/day of malathion (NCI 1978). Should additional chronic studies be conducted, microscopic 

examination of nervous tissues from both peripheral and central nervous system may be conducted. Also, 

a subgroup of animals could be tested for possible subtle neurobehavioral alterations of long-term, lowlevel exposure. Finally, pilot studies should be designed to evaluate possible neurodevelopmental effects 

of gestational and lactational exposure to malathion. 
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Epidemiological and Human Dosimetry Studies. Information on the health effects of malathion 

in humans is derived from case reports of accidental or intentional exposure to malathion (Choi et al. 

1998; Crowley and Johns 1966; Dive et al. 1994; Faragó 1967; Jušić and Milić 1978; Monje Argiles et al. 

1990; Morgade and Barquet 1982; Namba et al. 1970; Ramu et al. 1973; Tuthill 1958; Zivot et al. 1993), 

epidemiological studies (Grether et al. 1987; Kahn et al. 1992; Thomas et al. 1992), studies of exposure to 

multiple pesticides including malathion (Brown et al. 1990, 1993; Cantor et al. 1992; Ernest et al. 1995; 

Hermanowicz and Kossman 1984; Peedicayil et al. 1991; Rupa et al. 1991b; Stålberg et al. 1978; Zahm 

1997; Zahm et al. 1993), and controlled exposure studies (Golz 1959; Milby and Epstein 1964; Moeller 

and Rider 1962). The most likely identifiable subpopulations exposed to malathion are pesticide 

applicators, farm workers, individuals involved in the production of malathion, and individuals exposed 

in homes after residential application. Well-designed epidemiological studies of exposed workers and 

follow-up evaluations of cohorts from the general population who may have been exposed during aerial 

application of the pesticide are needed. Specific assessment of cancer risks and examination of the effects 

of malathion on the nervous system and immune systems are needed. The nervous system is a known 

target of acute exposure, but little is known on possible long-term effects of acute exposure. Malathion 

seems to have modulatory effects on the immune system of animals at noncholinergic dose levels. 

Therefore, evaluation of the immune status of exposed humans would be important. Studies in animals 

have shown that impurities in malathion formulations play an important role in the toxicity of malathion 

and have inherent toxicity themselves. Identification of impurities and inert ingredients in commercial 

formulations as well as potential levels of exposure seems indicated. 

Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect. 

Exposure. Malathion metabolites (MCA, DCA, DMPT, DMPDT) have been measured in the urine from 

the general U.S. population and from workers exposed to the pesticide (Fenske 1988; Krieger and Dinoff 

2000; Kutz et al. 1992; MacIntosh et al. 1999b; Warren et al. 1985). In the general population, MCA was 

the most abundant and was found in only a small percentage of the samples (Kutz et al. 1992; MacIntosh 

et al. 1999b). Since malathion does not seem to accumulate in the body, the presence of malathion 

metabolites in the general population probably reflects continuous background exposure via the food 

rather than isolated exposures to significant amounts. Additional studies of the general population 

correlating malathion metabolite levels with health status as well as with dietary habits would provide 

useful information for risk characterization and risk assessment. 

Suggestive evidence of malathion-induced specific mutations in human T-lymphocytes exposed in vitro

was presented by Pluth et al. (1996, 1998). Further studies on this issue are needed to establish dose-
MALATHION 162 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

response relationships, to test other organophosphates to determine specificity, and to test cells from 

occupationally and accidentally (or intentionally) exposed subjects. 

Effect. There are no biomarkers of effect specific for malathion. As an organophosphate pesticide, 

malathion in sufficient amounts, produces typical signs and symptoms of cholinergic stimulation. Plasma 

and RBC cholinesterase levels are widely used as biomarkers of exposure to organophosphates, but alone, 

their levels do not predict whether adverse health effects will occur except in cases of significant 

inhibition (Maroni 2000). Because baseline data for plasma and RBC cholinesterase are not usually 

available for nonoccupationally exposed individuals, additional studies of normal values by age and sex 

are needed for assessing potential adverse effects. 

Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, and Excretion. Among the areas of absorption, 

distribution, metabolism, and excretion, the greatest data needs seem to lie in metabolism. The most 

unique feature of malathion toxicokinetics (i.e., the extremely rapid hydrolysis at the carboxylester 

linkages) is still poorly understood. Since carboxylesterase activities are the major determinant of the 

malathion and malaoxon levels in vivo, many aspects of this enzyme need to be studied. Although it is 

known that carboxylesterase exists in more than one form, details remain unknown. The question of 

whether the same carboxylesterase hydrolyze both malathion and malaoxon is still unanswered. It is also 

unknown whether the reported variable α/β ratio of monocarboxylic acid metabolites is due to the 

variation in the enzyme or to variable contributions of different isozymes. 

Less urgent toxicologically, but relevant, is the nature of the enzyme that yields dicarboxylic acid from 

either of the monocarboxylic acids. Beyond the isozyme question, kinetic data on these enzymes would 

also contribute to our understanding of toxicokinetics. Knowledge of Km and Vmax values of isozymes in 

various organs would greatly facilitate construction of useful PBPK models. Though the importance of 

malaoxon in the acute toxicity of malathion is unquestionable, generation, distribution, and metabolism of 

malaoxon has been little studied. This likely reflects the technical difficulty imposed by the 

overwhelmingly active carboxylesterase that prevents quantitation or even detection of malaoxon. Such 

difficulties may be overcome by inhibiting carboxylesterase in vitro as was demonstrated by the increase 

in cytochrome P-450 binding of malathion and malaoxon in the presence of bis-(p-nitrophenyl)phosphate, 

a carboxylesterase inhibitor (Stevens and Greene 1973). In vivo studies of distribution and metabolism 

may also benefit from similar strategies. Suppression of carboxylesterase in Sprague-Dawley rats in vivo

has been accomplished with TOTP. 
MALATHION 163 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

Defining the source of malaoxon responsible for the acute neurotoxicity of malathion will be critical to 

our understanding of human hazards. The source may not be a single organ (as was discovered for 

parathion) (Nakatsugawa 1992). Although the detoxification of malathion is mainly set by 

carboxylesterase, other biotransformation enzymes assume a much greater role when carboxylesterase is 

suppressed. Since the suppression occurs to varying degrees with all commercial formulations, there is 

also a need to define the nature and significance of the phosphatases and GSH S-transferase involved in 

the metabolism of malathion and malaoxon. Human hazards from malathion will be better understood 

through further studies of absorption of malathion. Here again, studies of absorption in isolation from the 

influence of carboxylesterase may reveal clearer data. In addition, relationships between physical 

properties such as partition coefficients and absorption of chemicals were explored in early literature 

without clear conclusions. The reported lack of clear correlation in early literature (Ahdaya et al. 1981; 

Shah et al. 1981), for example, may need to be reexamined. The technique employed seems inadequate to 

estimate such physical parameters accurately, relying on near-background level counts to estimate the 

concentration in the oil phase. More reliable partition coefficients have been published. Meaningful 

distribution studies may only be possible when better metabolic data and techniques have been secured. 

When the levels of malathion and malaoxon are obscured by the rapid metabolism, more data on just the 

distribution of both the parent insecticide and metabolites would reveal little additional information. 

Comparative Toxicokinetics. Absence of carboxylesterase in human blood is a conspicuous 

departure from the rat model, which has most often been employed. Comparative studies involving 

volunteers, rats, mice, and perhaps other mammals may reveal useful patterns. Interestingly, fairly wide 

differences between rats and mice are already apparent. Umetsu et al. (1977) tested the acute oral toxicity 

of malathion samples in female Sprague-Dawley rats and Swiss white mice fasted 6 hours before dosing. 

For a technical malathion, the LD50 for the rat was 1,500 mg/kg and for mice was similar at 1,850 mg/kg. 

For a 99.3% pure malathion, the LD50 values were 9,500 mg/kg for rats and 3,000 mg/kg for mice. For a 

sample purified by recrystallization, the respective values were 12,500 and 3,600 mg/kg. Comparison 

seems valid since all tests were done during the course of a single study using the same source of animals. 

Comparative data for metabolism, particularly for carboxylesterases in various tissues in various species 

against malathion and malaoxon will contribute greatly to our understanding of potential toxic effects on 

humans. 

Methods for Reducing Toxic Effects. There is good information on the procedures used to limit 

absorption and to interfere with the mechanism of action of organophosphates, including malathion, after 

acute exposures (Aaron and Howland 1998; Carlton et al. 1998; Osmundsen 1998). However, no 
MALATHION 164 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

information is available on dealing with long-term, low-level exposures. This may be due, in part, to the 

limited information on toxic effects associated with such exposures. If additional information becomes 

available indicating adverse health effects of long-term exposures, then studies examining methods for 

mitigating the effects of such exposures would become a data need. 

Children’s Susceptibility. Information on the effects of malathion in children is derived mainly 

from case reports of accidental ingestion of high amounts of commercial formulations (Ekin 1971; Healy 

1959; Jušić and Milić 1978; Tuthill 1958) and cases of dermal exposure (Parker and Chattin 1955; Ramu 

et al. 1973). In all of these cases, exposure to malathion resulted in the characteristic signs and symptoms 

of organophosphate poisoning: increased salivation and lacrimation, miosis, nausea, vomiting, abdominal 

cramps and diarrhea, excessive bronchial secretions and dyspnea, bradycardia and low blood pressure, 

and muscle fasciculations. One fatality occurred among the cases described by Ramu et al. (1973). A 

case report of aplastic anemia in a 12-year-old child following inhalation of malathion fumes after 

fumigation of a home was described by Reeves et al. (1981), but this case seems to be unique; besides, 

there is no evidence that malathion was the causal agent. These case reports suggest that there are no 

significant differences in the responses between children and adults. Studies in animals have shown that 

young animals are more susceptible to the toxicity of high doses of malathion and that this is related to 

activities of esterases in various tissues (Brodeur and DuBois 1967; Lu et al. 1965; Mendoza 1976; 

Mendoza and Shields 1976, 1977). 

Data on developmental effects of malathion in humans are limited. Two studies conducted in California 

after aerial spraying of malathion did not find consistent or significant developmental effects in the 

offspring from women who were pregnant during the spraying (Grether et al. 1987; Thomas et al. 1992). 

An additional study of paternal exposure to malathion found no significant association between exposure 

and congenital malformations (García et al. 1998). Most animal data suggest that malathion is not a 

developmental toxicant when administered at doses that are not maternally toxic (Khera et al. 1978; 

Lochry 1989; Machin and McBride 1989a; Schroeder 1990; Siglin 1985). However, some uncertainty 

still remains, largely because of limitations of experimental design or reporting in some studies. 

Therefore, a well-designed developmental study would be useful. Also, as previously mentioned, a 

developmental neurotoxicity study in rats in which pups are tested at various ages after being exposed in 

utero and/or via maternal milk would fill a data gap. There is no evidence that malathion has hormonelike effects. 
MALATHION 165 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

There are no adequate data to evaluate whether pharmacokinetics of malathion in children are different 

from adults. There is no information to evaluate whether metabolism of malathion is different in children 

than in adults since the specific P-450 enzymes involved in the metabolism are not known. Only one 

report was found regarding levels of malathion (or metabolites) in human milk (Roggi et al. 1991). There 

is evidence in animals that it (or its metabolites) can be transferred via breast milk to the offspring 

(Chhabra et al. 1993) and that it can cross the placenta (Machin and McBride 1989b; Mathews and Devi 

1994). Further information on the dynamics of malathion and metabolites during pregnancy and lactation 

would be useful. 

Biomarkers of exposure need to be further studied in order to better estimate human exposure at all age 

levels following acute or chronic exposure to malathion. There are no data on the interaction of 

malathion with other chemicals in children. Studies in animals have suggested that malnutrition, as may 

occur among some sectors of the general population, may exacerbate the toxicity of malathion (Bulusu 

and Chakravarty 1984; Prabhakaran and Devi 1993). Further studies on children from undernourished 

populations should be conducted to explore this issue. The information available indicates that methods 

to reduce peak absorption of malathion and to interfere with the mechanism of action used for 

intoxication in adults are applicable to children. 

Child health data needs relating to exposure are discussed in 6.8.1 Identification of Data Needs: 

Exposures of Children. 

3.12.3 Ongoing Studies 

The following ongoing studies concerning health effects associated with malathion have been identified 

in the Federal Research in Progress (FEDRIP 2002) database. 

Dr. R.L. Carr at the Mississippi State University has proposed to determine the effects on behavior and 

neurochemical function in animals exposed to chronic low levels of malathion and other insecticides. 

Laboratory rats will be exposed at birth and continue until weaning, a critical time of central nervous 

system development. The research is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

Dr. H.P. Misra at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute plans to investigate the mechanism of potential 

genotoxicity of malathion and pesticide mixtures in immune cells in vitro. Specific studies include 

(1) induction of apoptotic cell death by pesticides, (2) the role of p38 MAP kinase and NF-kappa B in 
MALATHION 166 

3. HEALTH EFFECTS 

mediating the toxic effects as a consequence of oxidative stress, and (3) the persistence of DNA damage 

induced by inhibition of repair enzymes. The cells used will be splenocytes and thymocytes from 

C57B1/6 mice. The research is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 
MALATHION 167 

4. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL INFORMATION 

4. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL INFORMATION 

4.1 CHEMICAL IDENTITY 

Information regarding the chemical identity of malathion is located in Table 4-1. 

Malathion is manufactured in the United States as a technical-grade concentrate that is >90% pure 

malathion and contains approximately 5% of impurities consisting largely of reaction byproducts and 

degradation products. As many as 14 impurities have been identified in technical-grade malathion. The 

identities of the impurities and their percent (w/w) in technical grade malathion were found to be as 

follows: S-1,2-ethyl-O,S-dimethyl phosphorodithioate (isomalathion; 0.2%), S-1,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)-

ethyl-O,O-dimethyl phosphorothioate (malaxon; 0.1%), diethylfumarate (DEF; 0.9%), O,S,S-trimethyl 

phosphorodithioate (0.003–1.2%), O,O,S-trimethyl phosphorothioate (0.04%), O,O,S-trimethyl 

phosphorodithioate (1.2%), O,O,O-trimethyl phosphorothioate (0.45%), diethylhydroxysuccinate 

(0.05%), ethyl nitrite (0.03%), diethyl mercaptosuccinate (0.15%), diethyl methylthiosuccinate (1.0%), 

O,O-dimethylphosphorothioate (0.05%), diethyl ethylthiosuccinate (0.1%), and sulfuric acid (0.05%). 

Malathion is formulated as an emulsifiable concentrate (EC), a dust (D), a wettable powder (WP), a 

ready-to-use (RTU) liquid, and a pressurized liquid. The quantity of active ingredient (ai) in EC and RTU 

formulations is variable and can contain up to 82 and 95%, respectively (Brown et al. 1993b; EPA 

2001a). 

4.2 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES 

Information regarding the physical and chemical properties of malathion is located in Table 4-2. 
MALATHION 168 

4. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL INFORMATION 

Table 4-1. Chemical Identity of Malathion 

Characteristic Information Reference

CAS Nomenclature Diethyl[(dimethoxyphosphino

-thioyl)thio]butanedioate

CAS 2001

Common name Malathion Howard and Neal 1992

Synonym(s) 1,2-Di(ethoxycarbonyl)ethyl 

O,O-dimethyl 

phosphorodithioate

Howard and Neal 1992

Registered trade name(s) Cekumal 

Fyfanon®

Malixol®

Maltox®

Farm Chemicals Handbook 

2000 

Howard and Neal 1992 

Farm Chemicals Handbook 

2000 

Howard and Neal 1992

Chemical formula C10H19O6PS2 Howard and Neal 1992

Chemical structure

O

O P S

S

O

O

O

O

Butanedioic acid, 

[(dimethoxyphosphinothioyl) 

thio]-, diethyl ester 

(malathion) 

Identification numbers: 

 CAS registry 

 NIOSH RTECS 

 EPA hazardous waste 

 OHM/TADS 

 DOT/UN/NA/IMCO 

shipping 

 HSDB 

 NCI

000121-75-5 

WM8400000 

NA 2783; Malathion 

665 

Howard and Neal 1992 

HSDB 2001 

HSDB 2001 

HSDB 2001 

CAS = Chemical Abstracts Services; DOT/UN/NA/IMCO = Department of Transportation/United Nations/North 

America/International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code; EPA = Environmental Protection Agency; 

HSDB = Hazardous Substances Data Bank; NCI = National Cancer Institute; NIOSH = National Institute for 

Occupational Safety and Health; OHM/TADS = Oil Hazardous Materials/Technical Assistance Data System; 

RTECS = Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substance
MALATHION 169 

4. CHEMICAL AND PHYSICAL INFORMATION 

Table 4-2. Physical and Chemical Properties of Malathion 

Property Information Reference

Molecular weight 330.36 Howard and Neal 1992

Color Colorless liquid (pure form) 

Deep brown to yellow

Matsumura 1985 

Budavari 1996; NIOSH 1997

Physical state Liquid Matsumura 1985

Melting point 2.9 EC Budavari 1996

Boiling point 

Boiling point pressure

156–157 EC 

0.7 torr

Budavari 1996

Density: 

 at 25 EC 1.23 g/cm3 Budavari 1996

Odor Garlic-like 

Mercaptan

NIOSH 1997 

Farm Chemicals Handbook 1999

Odor threshold:

Water 60 EC 

Air

1.0 mg/L 

13.5 mg/m3 (low) and 

13.5 mg/m3

 (high)

Fazzalari 1978 

Ruth 1986

Solubility:

Water at 20 EC 

Organic solvent(s)

145 mg/L 

Miscible with alcohols, esters, 

ketones, ethers, aromatics, 

and vegetable oil; limited 

solubility in paraffin 

hydrocarbons

Tomlin 1997 

Budavari 1996

Partition coefficients:

Log Kow

Log Kow

Log Koc

2.36 

2.89 

3.25

Hansch et al. 1995 

Chiou et al. 1977; Freed et al. 

1978 

Buyuksonmez 1999

Vapor pressure 

at 25 EC 

at 30 EC 

at 25 EC

5.03x10-6 torr 

3.38x10-6 torr 

7.9x10-6 torr

Watanabe 1993 

SRC 2000 

Kim et al. 1984

Henry’s law constant (25 

EC)

4.9x10-9 atm m3/mol Fendinger et al. 1990

Autoignition temperature No data

Flashpoint 163 ECa Farm Chemicals Handbook 1989

Flammability limits No data

Conversion factorsb No data

Explosive limits Containers of malathion may 

explode in a fire

U.S. Coast Guard 1984–1985

a

Pensky-Martens closed cup test 

b

The conversion factor for ppm to mg/m3 is: ppm = (mg/m3) (24.45 L/mole)/(g/mole).

MALATHION 171 

5. PRODUCTION, IMPORT/EXPORT, USE, AND DISPOSAL 

5.1 PRODUCTION 

The organophosphorus insecticide, S-1,2-di(ethoxycarbonyl)ethyl O,O-dimethyl phosphorodithioate 

(common chemical name: malathion), is commercially produced in the United States and abroad. 

Malathion is not known to occur as a natural substance (IARC 1983). It is produced commercially by the 

reaction of phosphorus pentasulfide (P2S5) with methanol in toluene solvent to produce an intermediate, 

dimethylphosphorodithioic acid (DMPDT), and a byproduct, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) (Sittig 1980). The 

DMPDT intermediate is isolated and then reacted with either diethylfumarate or diethylmaleate. The 

crude material is then stripped of solvent, washed, and filtered to produce technical-grade malathion. 

Malathion was first commercially produced in the United States in 1950 by American Cyanamid 

Chemical Company (USTC 1953) and was first registered in the United States in 1956. Manufacturing 

rights were transferred to Cheminova Agro, Inc. in 1991 (EPA 1999). Production volume data were not 

located for the 1950s and 1960s. The production of malathion was estimated to be 24 million pounds in 

1972 (Santodonato 1985; von Rumker et al. 1974) and 30 million pounds in 1978 (IARC 1983). No 

recent production volume data are available for malathion. 

As of 1999, there were 63 pesticide formulators of malathion for the United States markets. The 

63 formulators produce approximately 235 products that contain malathion. Some of the products contain 

other active ingredients, such as methoxychlor (EPA 1999). Table 5-1 lists the production year, number 

of facilities, the state where each facility is located, and the range (in pounds) for each domestic 

manufacturer that reported the production or formulation of malathion in 2000 (TRI00 2002). 

Manufacturers are required to report Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data to satisfy EPA requirements. 

The TRI data should be used with caution since only certain types of facilities are required to report. This 

is not an exhaustive list. 

5.2 IMPORT/EXPORT 

Data for import for 1977 and export volumes of malathion are limited. Import volumes reported were 

6,457 pounds for light (USITC 1978) and 143,260 pounds for 1982 (SRI 2000); no recent import volume 
MALATHION 172 

5. PRODUCTION, IMPORT/EXPORT, USE, AND DISPOSAL 

Table 5-1. Facilities that Produce, Process, or Use Malathion 

Statea

Number of 

facilities 

Minimum amount 

on site in poundsb

Maximum amount 

on site in poundsb

 Activities and usesc

AR 1 10,000 99,999 12 

GA 3 100,000 999,999 2, 3, 4, 7, 9 

IA 1 10,000 99,999 7 

MO 2 100,000 99,999,999 7, 9 

MS 1 100,000 999,999 7 

TX 3 10,000 999,999 9, 12 

Source: TRI00 2002 

a

Post office state abbreviations used 

b

Amounts on site reported by facilities in each state 

c

Activities/Uses:

1. Produce 

2. Import 

3. Onsite use/processing 

4. Sale/Distribution 

5. Byproduct 

6. Impurity 

7. Reactant 

8. Formulation Component 

9. Article Component 

10. Repackaging 

11. Chemical Processing Aid 

12. Manufacturing Aid 

13. Ancillary/Other Uses 

14. Process Impurity 
MALATHION 173 

5. PRODUCTION, IMPORT/EXPORT, USE, AND DISPOSAL 

 data are available. In 1978, U.S. exports of malathion were estimated to be 11,020,000 million pounds 

(SRI 2000). 

5.3 USE 

Malathion is a nonsystemic broad-spectrum organophosphorus (OP) contact, stomach, and respiratory 

insecticide and acaricide effective by direct contact, oral ingestion,and inhalation exposure that is used in 

agriculture and horticulture applications (HSDB 2001). Malathion is applied to a wide variety of crops 

including alfalfa, apple, apricot, asparagus, avocado, barley, bean (succulent and dry), beets (garden, 

table, and sugar), blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, 

chayote, cherry, clover, corn, cotton, cucumber, date dewberry, eggplant, potato, fig, flax, garlic, 

gooseberry, grape, grapefruit, guava, hay grass, hops, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, kumquat, leek, lemon, 

lettuce, lime, loganberry, macadamia nut, mango, melon, mint, mushroom, mustard greens, nectarines, 

oats, okra, onion, orange, pea, peach, pear, pecan, pepper, pineapple, pumpkin, radish, raspberry, spinach, 

wheat, squash, strawberry, tangerine, tomato, walnut, watermelon, wild rice, and yam crops. Malathion 

may also be used for an indoor stored commodity treatment and in empty storage facilities for barley, 

corn, oats, and wheat (EPA 2000d). It is also used by homeowners for ornamental flowering plants, 

ornamental lawns, ornamental turf, vegetable gardens, and fruit trees; at golf courses for ornamental 

flowers, shrubs, and trees; at Christmas tree plantations; and around uncultivated nonagricultural areas, 

outdoor garbage dumps, intermittently flooded areas, irrigation and sewage systems, pastures, and range 

land. Malathion is also used to control ectoparasites of cattle (Budavari 1996), flies, and human head and 

body lice (nonFIFRA pharmaceutical use). It is also used in regional pest eradication programs to control 

boll weevil, medfly (USDA), and mosquito (EPA 2000d). Malathion is generally applied as a spray using 

conventional ground or air equipment, and application rates depend on use (von Rumker et al. 1974). 

Data for the domestic use of malathion by volume was estimated to be 16.2 million pounds in 1972, and 

2–3 million pounds in 1995 and 1996 (EPA 2000e). The estimated total average use of malathion in the 

United States is 16.7 million pounds as the active ingredient. Of the 16.7 million pounds, approximately 

12 million pounds of active ingredient are used on agricultural crops and 90% of the 12 million pounds is 

used on cotton to control boll weevil (USDA); approximately 0.5 million pounds are used around 

buildings, roads, and ditches; approximately 0.3 million pounds are applied to post harvest corn, wheat, 

and oats; approximately 800,000 pounds are used for medfly control (USDA); and approximately 

472,000 pounds are used to control mosquitos (EPA 2000d). Other sources state that the total amount of 
MALATHION 174 

5. PRODUCTION, IMPORT/EXPORT, USE, AND DISPOSAL 

malathion used in 1994 in the United States was 3,377,681 pounds (Gianessi and Anderson 1997), with 

782,434 pounds in California (Annual Pesticide Use Report 1996) 

5.4 DISPOSAL 

Incineration in a furnace equipped with an afterburner and a scrubber is the recommended method of 

disposal for malathion (Sittig 1985). If incineration is not an available option, malathion may be disposed 

of by absorbing in vermiculite, dry sand, earth, or a similar material and then then being buried at a 

designated landfill site (Mackison 1981). Only small amounts of malathion may be land filled (United 

Nations 1985). Waste water treatment technologies using biological treatment and reverse osmosis have 

been investigated for malathion (EPA 1982). 

Another method of disposal that has been suggested for malathion is molten salt combustion using 

potassium chloride. This process is attractive because the destruction of malathion is >99% and the 

products of combustion can be used as a fertilizer (United Nations 1985). 
MALATHION 175 

6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

6.1 OVERVIEW 

Malathion has been identified in at least 21 of the 1,623 hazardous waste sites that have been proposed for 

inclusion on the EPA National Priorities List (NPL) (HazDat 2003). However, the number of sites 

evaluated for malathion is not known. The frequency of these sites can be seen in Figure 6-1. All of the 

1,623 sites are located within the United States; none of the sites are located in the Commonwealth of 

Puerto Rico. 

Malathion is an insecticide used for agricultural and nonagricultural purposes that is released to the 

environment primarily through spraying on agricultural crops and at agricultural sites, spraying for home 

and garden use, and spraying for public health use in both urban/residential and nonresidential areas; the 

insecticide is also released to the environment using fogging equipment. Once malathion is introduced 

into the environment, it is degraded by atmospheric photooxidation, hydrolysis, or biodegradation 

mediated by microorganisms found in most sediment, soils, and water. The oxon degradate of malathion, 

malaoxon, which is more toxic than malathion, is formed from the oxidation of malathion and may also 

be present as an impurity in the parent compound. Malathion and malaoxon can be transported from the 

site of application by precipitation, fog, and wind to other areas. Malathion is moderately mobile to very 

highly mobile in soils, creating the potential for it to move through the soil profile and into groundwater. 

However, because degradation of malathion occurs rapidly in the environment, the potential for malathion 

movement into groundwater is generally not significant and leaching of the chemical into groundwater is 

usually not observed. Volatilization of malathion from ground surfaces following aerial applications has 

been observed. Data from limited studies suggest that bioconcentration of malathion does not occur to a 

significant extent in most aquatic organisms tested because it is rapidly metabolized. Malathion is not 

widely dispersed or persistent in the environment, but is detected frequently in foods. Residue amounts 

of malathion have been detected in air, water, soil, fish, and agricultural crops consumed as food. 

The general population is not likely to be exposed to large amounts of malathion. Some exposure to 

residues of malathion is possible, however, as many studies show that malathion has been detected in 

foods and atmosphere samples. Populations living within or very near areas of heavy malathion use 

would have an increased risk of exposure to relatively larger amounts of malathion through dermal 

contact with contaminated plants, by inhalation of the mist formed from the applied insecticide, or by 
MALATHION 176 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

Figure 6-1. Frequency of NPL Sites with Malathion Contamination 

1

2

3

7

Frequency of

NPL Sites

Derived from HazDat 2003
MALATHION 177 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

ingestion of water or food-borne residues. Also at increased risk of exposure are persons utilizing 

malathion for extensive home and garden use, particularly if they consume contaminated, unwashed 

backyard produce. Those likely to receive the highest levels of exposure are those who are involved in 

the production, formulation, handling, and application of malathion, as well as farm workers who enter 

treated fields prior to the passage of the appropriate restricted entry intervals. Dermal contact appears to 

be the major route of exposure, while ingestion may also be an important route of exposure. Inhalation 

has not been shown to be a significant route of exposure to malathion. 

6.2 RELEASES TO THE ENVIRONMENT 

Malathion has been released to the environment mainly as a result of its use as an insecticide on food and 

feed crops, noncrop agricultural use, home and garden use, and public health use (for medfly and 

mosquito control). It is also released as a result of USDA special program usage such as the USDA Boll 

Weevil Eradication Program, which accounts for approximately 90% of malathion agricultural crop usage 

(EPA 2000a). Additionally, malathion is used as a pharmaceutical for humans. It is applied in the 

environment mainly by aerial, ground spraying, or fogging equipment, but is also used in bait type 

formulations (i.e., applied to food baits). The annual use of malathion in 1994 was reported to be 

3,377,681 pounds, of which 782,434 pounds were used in the state of California (Wilson et al. 1997). 

There are no known natural sources of the compound. Malathion has been identified in at least 21 of the 

1,623 hazardous waste sites on the NPL (HazDat 2003). 

According to recent Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data, malathion was discharged to air from four 

processing sites and to water from one processing site in the United States in 2000; no releases to soil 

were reported for that year (TRI00 2002). The TRI data should be used with caution because only certain 

types of facilities are required to report. This is not an exhaustive list. 

6.2.1 Air 

As a result of its use as an insecticide on cotton, sod/turf, ornamentals, berries, fruit trees, vegetables, and 

other crops; its use in regional pest eradication programs, including public health use for medfly 

quarantine and mosquito abatement; its noncrop agricultural site use; and its outdoor home and garden 

use, malathion is released directly to the atmosphere during application. It is applied primarily by 
MALATHION 178 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

spraying from aircraft or from ground spray or fogging equipment (EPA 2000a). Aerial application of 

malathion to agricultural fields and to residential or other target areas releases the insecticide to the air. 

Following repeated aerial applications of malathion, at a target rate of 23.8 mg/m2

, to urban/residential 

areas (1,500 km2

) of southern California between August 1989 and July 1990 to eradicate Mediterranean 

fruit flies (Medflies), the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) Environmental 

Monitoring Branch measured the mass deposition, air concentrations, and selected water concentrations 

of malathion and its primary oxidation product, malaoxon (Bradman et al. 1994). The mean mass 

deposition of the malathion (originally released to the air; for the first application only) at a target rate of 

23.8 mg/m2 was 22.1 mg/m2, with a range of 1.7–53.7 mg/m2 (Bradman et al. 1994). Following the 

release to air, the maximum mean concentrations (averaged for three sites) of malathion and malaoxon in 

the air were 61.6 ng/m3

 at 24 hours and 48.1 ng/m3 at 24–48 hours, respectively (Brown et al. 1993b). 

Malathion may also be released into the air as a result of volatilization from crop surfaces. As a result of 

summertime agricultural use in the Central Valley in California, malathion was released to the air by 

volatilization and was transported to higher elevation regions of the Sierra Nevada Mountains (LeNoir et 

al. 1999). In a study of the air, rain, and surface water associated with a subestuary of the Chesapeake 

Bay estuarine drainage system (in the Patuxent River watershed), which includes 57,000 km2

 of 

agricultural cropping areas, malathion was present in 30% of the air samples and 50% of the rain samples 

(used to determine wet deposition flux) collected in the spring and summer of 1995 (Harman-Fetcho et al. 

2000). 

No data were found on releases to the atmosphere from production facilities and disposal sites. Based on 

a measured Henry’s law constant of 4.89x10-9 atm/m3

 mol (Fendinger and Glotfelty 1990) and a 

measured vapor pressure of 3.38x10-6 mm Hg (USDA Pesticide Property Database), it is considered 

unlikely that malathion will be released to the air to any significant extent as a result of volatilization from 

either moist or dry soil surfaces or water surfaces at disposal sites. 

Malathion was detected in air at 1 of the 1,623 current or former NPL sites where malathion has been 

identified in some environmental medium (HazDat 2003). 

The most recent TRI data indicate that 11 sites in the United States processed malathion in 2000 (TRI00 

2002). The total of reported releases to air was 3,094 pounds, representing 99.7% of all environmental 
MALATHION 179 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

releases (Table 6-1). The TRI data should be used with caution because only certain types of facilities are 

required to report. This is not an exhaustive list. 

6.2.2 Water 

Malathion can potentially be released to surface waters by direct application; storm runoff from sprayed 

fields or urban/residential areas; atmospheric deposition following aerial application (wet deposition from 

rain and fog water); waste water releases from formulation, manufacturing, or processing facilities; and 

spills. 

Malathion has been released to shoreline beaches and surface waters in adjacent coastal marshes on the 

eastern coast of central Florida for mosquito control using aerial spraying and truck-mounted (ultra-low 

volume; ULV) equipment (Clark et al. 1993). 

Malathion has been detected in three rivers, which are the three largest tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay 

(Foster and Lippa 1996). Malathion was collected in 6–16% of the water samples collected from the 

Susquehanna, Potomac, and James Rivers in 1992–1993; mean aqueous concentrations of malathion in 

the three rivers were 6, 12, and 7 ng/L, respectively. Annual loads of malathion from the three respective 

tributaries to the Chesapeake Bay were determined to be 8–86, 3–25, and 3–18 kg/year, respectively 

(Foster and Lippa 1996). 

Malathion has been released to surface waters as a result of wet deposition following volatilization from 

crop surfaces and transport through the atmosphere. Reportedly as a result of summertime agricultural 

use in the Central Valley in California, and following volatilization from crop surfaces and transport 

through the atmosphere, malathion was released to surface waters by wet deposition in higher elevation 

regions of the Sierra Nevada Mountains; malathion was not detected in any of the dry deposition samples 

(LeNoir et al. 1999). Malathion was detected in the surface waters transecting the Central Valley to the 

Sierra Nevada Mountains at aqueous concentrations of 65–83 ng/L; the compound was not detected in 

surface water samples collected from the two highest (of eight) elevations studied. In a study of the air, 

rain, and surface water associated with a sub-estuary of the Chesapeake Bay estuarine drainage system (in 

the Patuxent River watershed), which includes 57,000 km2

 of agricultural cropping areas, the total wet 

deposition flux of malathion in the spring and summer of 1995 was determined to be 5,200 ng/m2

 (in the 

200 mm of rain that fell during the study period; Harman-Fetcho et al. 2000). The wet deposition flux of 
MALATHION 180 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

Table 6-1. Releases to the Environment from Facilities that Produce, Process, or 

Use Malathion 

Reported amounts released in pounds per yeara

Stateb

Number 

of 

facilities Airc Water

Underground 

injection Land

Total onsite 

released

Total offsite 

releasee 

Total on 

and off-site 

release

AR 1 1 No data No data No data 1 No data 1 

GA 3 41 5 No data No data 46 18 64 

IA 1 539 No data No data No data 539 No data 539 

MO 2 2,818 No data No data No data 2,818 No data 2,818 

MS 1 250 0 No data No data 250 No data 250 

TX 3 255 5 No data 0 260 250 510 

Total 11 3,904 10 No data 0 3,914 268 4,182 

Source: TRI00 2002 

a

Data in TRI are maximum amounts released by each facility. 

b

Post office state abbreviations are used. 

c

The sum of fugitive and stack releases are included in releases to air by a given facility. 

d

The sum of all releases of the chemical to air, land, water, and underground injection wells. e

Total amount of chemical transferred off-site, including to publicly owned treatment works (POTW).
MALATHION 181 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

malathion for the 24 measured rain events ranged from 8 to 1,800 ng/m2; malathion was detected in only 

50% of the collected samples. 

No information was found in the literature on the release of malathion to water by spillage, or on waste 

water releases from formulation, manufacturing, or processing facilities. In a study of pesticides in storm 

water runoff in the Sacramento River Basin in California, malathion was not detected; however, the limit 

of detection for the compound was 35 ng/L (Domagalski 1996). 

Malathion has been detected in surface water at 4 of the 1,623 current or former NPL sites where 

malathion has been identified in some environmental medium (HazDat 2002). Malathion has been 

detected in groundwater at 7 of the 1,623 current or former NPL sites where malathion has been identified 

in some environmental medium (HazDat 2003). 

The most recent TRI data indicate that 11 sites in the United States processed malathion in 2000 (TRI00 

2002). The total of reported releases to water was 10 pounds, representing 0.26% of all environmental 

releases (Table 6-1). The TRI data should be used with caution because only certain types of facilities are 

required to report. This is not an exhaustive list. 

6.2.3 Soil 

Malathion is primarily released to soils through direct deposition of spray droplets, which reach the soil 

surface following aerial spraying, ground spraying, and fogging applications. These releases to soil may 

occur following applications that are either made directly to soil (public health use in residential areas) or 

to crops. Releases to soil may also occur as a result of wet deposition of malathion. Approximately 

12.5 million pounds of malathion are applied to agricultural crops annually in the United States, with 

approximately 90% of it applied through the USDA Boll Weevil Eradication Program (EPA 2000a). In 

1997, over 10 millions pounds of malathion were released to areas of Texas and Alabama for this purpose 

(EPA 2000a). In the four counties closest to Sequoia National Park in California’s Central Valley, 

28,683 kg of malathion were applied to approximately 900,000 acres of harvested cropland in 1995, with 

the peak release period occurring in March (McConnell et al. 1998). Additionally, approximately 0.5 and 

3.4 million pounds are released to soil annually through applications to both agricultural sites (e.g., roads, 

ditches, and near buildings) and nonagricultural sites (medfly and mosquito control, golf courses, home 

and garden use), respectively (EPA 2000a). 
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 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

Following repeated aerial applications of malathion, at a target rate of 23.8 mg/m2, to urban/residential 

areas (1,500 km2

) of southern California between August 1989 and July 1990 to eradicate medflies, the 

CDFA Environmental Monitoring Branch measured the mass deposition, air concentrations, and selected 

water concentrations of malathion and its primary oxidation product, malaoxon (Bradman et al. 1994). 

Mass deposition of malathion ranged from 1,100 to 2,413 μg/ft2

; mass deposition of malaoxon ranged 

from 2.9 to 6.0 μg/ft2

 (Brown et al. 1993b). Based on measured values of mass deposition, daily 

malathion and malaoxon residue levels in soil were estimated for a single application. Based on a mixing 

depth of 1 cm, soil concentrations of the parent and its oxon degradate were estimated as 1.4 and 

0.01 μg/g, respectively; based on a mixing depth of 0.1 cm, the corresponding estimated concentrations in 

soil were 14.1 and 0.10 μg/g (Bradman et al. 1994). 

Malathion may also be released to the soils by improper handling of pesticide formulations during 

processing or handling, including from spills or the usage of poor storage and containment practices. In a 

study of 49 randomly chosen agrichemical facilities located throughout Illinois, malathion was detected in 

soil samples at 6 of the 18 sites that handled the compound (Krapac et al. 1995). Malathion was detected 

in 11 of the soil samples from the six sites, at a mean concentration of 125 μg/kg (ppm) and at a 

concentration range of 31–690 μg/kg; the common range of detections was 22–100 μg/kg. 

Malathion has been detected in soil at 11 of the 1,623 current or former NPL sites where malathion has 

been identified in some environmental medium (HazDat 2003). Malathion has been detected in sediment 

at 4 of the 1,623 current or former NPL sites where malathion has been identified in some environmental 

medium (HazDat 2003). 

The most recent TRI data indicate that 11 sites in the United States processed malathion in 2000 (TRI00 

2002); no releases to soil were reported for that year (Table 6-1). The TRI data should be used with 

caution because only certain types of facilities are required to report. This is not an exhaustive list. 

6.3 ENVIRONMENTAL FATE 

The malathion released to the atmosphere can be transported back to surface water and soil by wet 

deposition (Harman-Fetcho et al. 2000; McConnell et al. 1998). Malathion that is released to the 

atmosphere can also be transformed by indirect photolysis to its oxygen analog, malaoxon, by oxidation 

with photochemically produced hydroxyl radicals (Howard 1991). 
MALATHION 183 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

In surface waters, malathion degrades by hydrolysis and microbially mediated biodegradation (Mulla et 

al. 1981). Hydrolysis is considered to be the predominant degradation process, and occurs more rapidly 

at alkaline pHs, while the compound is stable to hydrolysis at acidic pHs (Wolfe et al. 1975). Malathion 

appears to be relatively stable to direct aqueous photolysis, but may be transformed in the water by 

indirect photolysis. Adsorption to sediment and suspended particulate matter is not expected to be a 

significant factor in the fate of the compound in the environment. 

In soil and sediments, the major degradation process of malathion is microbially mediated biodegradation, 

which occurs mainly through enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis (Mulla et al. 1981). The predominant 

pathway for the biodegradation of malathion has been reported to be carboxylesterase activity (Laveglia 

and Dahm 1977). Malathion degrades rapidly in soil, with reported half-lives ranging from hours to 

approximately 1 week (Gibson and Burns 1977; Howard 1991; Konrad et al. 1969). Half-life values in 

soil of 3–7 days have been reported for the degradate malaoxon (Bradman et al. 1994). Based on limited 

data, malathion does not appear to photodegrade on soils (Chukwudebe et al. 1989; EPA 2000a). Little 

malathion appears to volatilize from soil (EPA 2000a) and, while malathion is moderately to highly 

mobile in soils (EPA 2000a), leaching of malathion through the soil and into groundwater is unlikely due 

to the rapid degradation of the compound in the environment. 

6.3.1 Transport and Partitioning 

Data indicate that malathion may be transported in the air following application to either agricultural or 

urban/residential areas (LeNoir et al. 1999; Majewski et al. 1998). Malathion may be transported in the 

atmosphere as a vapor or adsorbed onto particulate matter (Bossan et al. 1995). In a review paper, Mulla 

et al. (1981) stated that the occurrence of malathion in the atmosphere is generally localized. However, in 

a non-U.S. study of malathion adsorbed to fly ash (particulate matter), Bosson et al. (1995) determined 

that adsorbed malathion is photodegraded when exposed to irradiation of >290 nm for up to 1.5 hours, but 

does not degrade when adsorbed to kaolin. These study results indicate that malathion adsorbed to kaolin 

may be transported over long distances, while malathion adsorbed to fly ash will be rapidly 

photodegraded and, therefore, will not be transported far in the atmosphere (Bosson et al. 1995). 

Additionally, malathion has been detected in the fog of remote pristine areas, indicating that long-range 

transport may occur under some conditions (Rice 1996). 

Transport of malathion residues in air may follow aerial applications or result from spray drift or 

postapplication volatilization; however, the latter source may not be significant for this compound. The 
MALATHION 184 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

Henry’s law constant for malathion is 4.89x10-9 atm/m3 mol (Fendinger and Glotfelty 1990), indicating a 

low potential for volatilization from either moist soil or water. The vapor pressure of malathion is 

3.38x10-6 mm Hg (USDA/ARS Pesticide Properties Database), indicating a low potential for 

volatilization of the compound from dry soil surfaces. Data provided in the EPA Reregistration 

Eligibility Decision (RED) for malathion indicate that the compound did not appreciably volatilize 

(#5.1% in 16 days) from a silt loam soil when applied in three different formulations to soil samples at 

various moisture contents (EPA 2000a). In a study of malathion volatilization from dry quartz sand, the 

compound was not observed to volatilize (Mulla et al. 1981). However, several researchers have 

suggested the possibility of the volatilization of malathion from nonnatural surfaces, such as metals, 

plastic playground equipment, cement, and paved areas, based on mass deposition study data (Bradman et 

al. 1994; Brown et al. 1993b). 

Based on the results of several studies, malathion may be removed from the atmosphere by wet deposition 

(Harman-Fetcho et al. 2000; McConnell et al. 1998). Dry deposition of malathion does not appear to 

occur; the compound is generally present in the atmosphere in a vapor phase rather than as a particulate, 

although it may exist adsorbed to particulate matter (Bossan et al. 1995; Mulla et al. 1981). Malathion 

and its oxon degradate, malaoxon (also present in the parent compound as an impurity), have both been 

detected in the water phase of fog (Rice 1996). Malathion has been observed in fogwater collected from 

pristine remote areas, indicating that it may be transported away from locations of use (Rice 1996). 

The water solubility of malathion is relatively high from an environmental fate perspective, at 145 mg/L 

(25 EC), leading to a high potential for its transport in surface water and groundwater (Mulla et al. 1981). 

Additionally, malathion generally does not adsorb significantly to soils, leading to a high potential for its 

leaching through soils and into groundwater. However, the actual presence of malathion in water will 

also depend on the persistence of the compound, which is generally longer at acidic pHs. Data from 

several studies summarized in a review paper indicate that malathion has been detected in both surface 

water and groundwater, and that its presence may be attributed to either direct application or 

contamination from indirect sources (Mulla et al. 1981). Based on information contained in a database 

for pesticides in groundwater that was compiled by EPA from monitoring data available for 1971–1991, 

malathion was detected in a total of 12 wells in three states (California, Mississippi, and Virginia), at 

concentrations ranging from 0.007 to 6.17 μg/L; monitoring data were reported for a total of 3,252 wells 

(EPA 1992). 
MALATHION 185 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

Malathion has been observed to be very highly mobile to highly mobile in sandy loam, sand, loam, and 

silt loam soils, with Freundlich Kd values of 0.83–2.47 (EPA 2000a). However, the corresponding Koc

values (151–183) for the four soils indicate that malathion may also be classified as moderately mobile in 

the soils. At the concentrations (not reported) tested in the batch equilibrium study, the soil adsorption 

isotherms were found to be linear, indicating that adsorption was independent of concentration (EPA 

2000a). It is noted, however, that malathion is rapidly degraded in the soil, with a half-life of <1 week 

(Mulla et al. 1981). Therefore, despite the potentially high mobility of the compound in soil, leaching of 

malathion through the soil into groundwater may not be a significant factor affecting the fate of the 

compound in the environment. 

Although data on the mobility of malathion in U.S. soils were relatively scarce in the literature, 

adsorption of malathion has been shown to be related to the soil organic matter content as well as the 

cation exchange capacity of the soil clay fraction. MacNamara and Toth (1970) reported that in a 

laboratory study of the adsorption of malathion to three clay mineral systems (kaolinite, illite, and 

montmorillonite) and a humic acid system, greater adsorption was observed in the humic acid system 

relative to the clay mineral systems. Among the clay mineral systems, the adsorption of malathion 

increased with the increasing cation exchange capacity of the soils; adsorption did not appear to be 

correlated with pH. These researchers also demonstrated that the adsorption of malathion was greater in 

soils with greater amounts of soil organic matter, and that the destruction of the soil organic matter 

fraction of soils led to decreased adsorption; the pH of the soil:solution test systems (pH 4.5– 6.7) was not 

observed to be correlated with adsorption (MacNamara and Toth 1970). Studies conducted on non-U.S. 

soils have also demonstrated that the adsorption of malathion is significantly correlated to the soil organic 

matter or organic carbon contents, with greater adsorption observed in soils with higher organic matter or 

organic carbon contents (Bell and Tsezos 1987; Khan and Khan 1986; Sujatha and Chacko 1991). 

The bioconcentration factor (BCF) for malathion in aquatic organisms has been reported for several types 

of organisms. In a review, Howard (1991) reported malathion BCF values of 7.36 for lake trout, 29.3 for 

Coho salmon, a range of 150–1,917 (mean of 869) for white shrimp (Paneaeous setiferus), and a range of 

200–1,667 (mean of 959) for brown shrimp (P. azkecus); malathion did not bioconcentrate in a freshwater 

fish (Motsugo; Pseudorasbora parva). In a Japanese study, it was reported that malathion 

bioconcentrated in the freshwater fish willow shiner (Gnathopogon caerulescens) with a mean BCF of 

34.4 (Tsuda et al. 1989). 
MALATHION 186 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

In the EPA RED for malathion, BCF values ranging from 23 to 135 were reported for whole bluegill 

sunfish, while a range of 4.2–18 was reported for the edible tissue of the fish (EPA 2000a). These results, 

reported to EPA by the malathion registrant, and those reported in Howard (1991) do not clearly indicate 

whether bioconcentration in aquatic organisms is an important fate process for malathion that would 

allow for the potential for biomagnification of malathion residues in the food chain. However, it was also 

reported to EPA that 96 and 73% of the malathion residues depurated from the whole and edible fish 

tissues, respectively, during a 14-day depuration period. Additionally, residue analysis indicated that the 

parent compound was partially metabolized in the fish, with 33.3–35.9% of the residues present as the 

degradate malathion monocarboxylic acid and 5.7% of the residues present as 1 of 22 other compounds 

including malathion dicarboxylic acid, malaoxon, demethyl malathion, monoethylfumarate, and 

oxalacetic acid (EPA 2000a). Additionally, in a review paper, Niimi (1987) reported that the half-life of 

malathion in the muscle tissue of carp was 1 day. These data indicate, despite the apparent tendency of 

malathion to partition into the tissues of aquatic organisms, that the potential for biomagnification in the 

food chain is likely to be low because malathion appears to be metabolized by the aquatic organisms. 

No data were found in the literature on the partitioning of malathion into and within plants. 

6.3.2 Transformation and Degradation 

In general, malathion is degraded in the environment through two main pathways, activation and 

degradation (Mulla et al. 1981). Activation of the compound involves oxidative desulfuration, yielding 

the degradate malaoxon, a cholinesterase inhibitor with greater toxic properties than its parent compound. 

Activation may be achieved by photooxidation, chemical oxidation, or biological activation, the latter of 

which occurs enzymatically through the activity of mixed function oxidases (Mulla et al. 1981). 

Degradation of malathion occurs through both chemical and biological means, with hydrolysis being the 

most important pathway for each (Konrad et al. 1969). Biological degradation through the hydrolytic 

pathway is mainly achieved through the enzymatic activity of carboxylesterases and phosphatases, and to 

a lesser extent through the activity of reductase (Laveglia and Dahm 1997; Mulla et al. 1981). Malathion 

may also be degraded through des- or dealkylation of the O-methyl or O-ethyl groups, mediated by a 

phosphatase/mixed-function oxidase system (Laveglia and Dahm 1977; Mulla et al. 1981). 
MALATHION 187 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

6.3.2.1 Air 

Pesticides may be transformed and degraded in the atmosphere due to photolysis and by reaction with 

ozone, hydroxyl, and nitrate radicals. Very little definitive information was found in the literature on the 

transformation and degradation of malathion in air. Bradman et al. (1994) stated that both malathion and 

malaoxon are unstable in the atmosphere and that reported half-lives for the two compounds in air range 

from a few hours to 1 day; however, a review of the original papers cited in Bradman et al. (1994) do not 

directly support this statement for malathion and malaoxon specifically (Atkinson et al. 1989; Goodman 

et al. 1988). In a review paper, Mulla et al. (1981) stated that although the effects of light (including 

ultraviolet [UV] radiation) on both malathion and its degradate malaoxon have been studied, little is 

understood of the transformation of the parent to malaoxon through photolysis. Howard (1991) reported 

an estimated atmospheric photooxidation half-life of 1.5 days based on the reaction of malathion with 

photochemically produced hydroxy radicals. Based on the scarce data available in the literature, it 

appears that malathion degradation in the atmosphere occurs mainly due to indirect photolysis (photooxidation) rather than resulting from direct photolysis. In a photodegradation study of malathion exposed 

to natural sunlight and UV irradiation (maximum wavelength of 360 nm) as thin films on glass, the 

compound was relatively stable to sunlight and exhibited only slight degradation (16%) by 25 hours under 

UV light; none of the six degradates were present at >0.01% (Chukwudebe et al. 1989). In a non-U.S. 

study of malathion adsorbed to fly ash (particulate matter), Bossan et al. (1995) determined that adsorbed 

malathion is photodegraded when exposed to irradiation of >290 nm for up to 1.5 hours, but does not 

degrade when adsorbed to kaolin. Malathion on fly ash decreased by up to 70% of the adsorbed 

compound following 40 minutes of irradiation. However, the study authors attributed the degradation of 

malathion on fly ash to the presence of metals and metal oxides in the fly ash. 

6.3.2.2 Water 

Malathion in water undergoes chemical and microbial degradation. The rate and extent of its degradation 

is dependent on the chemical and physical properties of the water system, particularly temperature and the 

solution pH, in addition to the composition of the microbial population present in the system. 

Malathion is degraded rapidly by hydrolysis at more alkaline pH levels, but is stable to hydrolysis at 

acidic pHs (Wolfe et al. 1975, 1977). In a review paper, Mulla et al. (1981) noted that malathion was 

instantaneously degraded by hydrolysis at pH 12; had a half-life of approximately 1 day at pH 11; was 
MALATHION 188 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

rapidly degraded at pHs 9 and 7.7, with respective half-lives of approximately 12–24 hours and >3 days; 

did not degrade at pH #6.2 by 3 days; and was hydrolytically stable in acidic solution (pH >2). A halflife of 6.21 days has been reported for malathion at pH 7 (EPA 2000a). Wolfe et al. (1975) reported a 

half-life of >1 year at pH 4. Chapman and Cole (1982) reported half-lives of 18 weeks at pH 4.5, 

5.8 weeks at pH 6.0, 1.7 weeks at pH 7.0, and 0.53 weeks at pH 8.0. In an unpublished study submitted 

to EPA, malathion was observed to degrade to some extent at pH 5, with approximately 20% degradation 

by 28 days (EPA 2000a). These data indicate that, in general, under conditions typically encountered in 

the environment, where pH is commonly 5–9, hydrolysis is expected to be a significant fate process at all 

but the more acidic pH levels (i.e., pH 5 and 6). 

It has been demonstrated that temperature also has an effect on the hydrolysis of malathion. The rate of 

hydrolysis of malathion has been reported to increase by a factor of 4 (4X) for each 10 EC increase in 

temperature (Mulla et al. 1981). A half-life of 1.3 days at pH 7.4 has been reported for malathion at a 

temperature of 37.5 EC, with a corresponding half-life of 10.5 days reported for that pH when the 

temperature was decreased to 20 EC (Freed et al. 1979a). It has also been demonstrated that the 

temperature of the water system has an effect on the hydrolysis products at alkaline pHs (Wolfe et al. 

1975, 1977). Observed hydrolysis products included malathion monoacids, O,O-dimethylphosphorodithioic acid, and diethyl fumarate. Wolfe et al. (1975, 1997) reported that two competing 

processes, carboxyl ester hydrolysis and O,O-dimethyl phosphorodithioic acid elimination, were 

occurring, with the former process being favored at lower temperatures. These researchers also reported 

that the α-monoacid was more prevalent than the β-monoacid (85:15), and that malathion monoacids are 

approximately 18 times more stable than the parent compound under similar alkaline conditions. Under 

alkaline conditions, the potential degradate malathion diacid was determined to be approximately 

200 times more stable than the parent compound under similar alkaline conditions (Wolfe et al. 1975). 

A study on the oxidation of malathion to malaoxon in oxygen-saturated water under acidic conditions 

demonstrated that oxidation by molecular oxygen is not a significant fate process in the environment 

(Wolfe et al. 1975, 1977). Malathion was stable in oxygen-saturated water under acidic conditions for up 

to 2 weeks. 

Malathion may also be transformed in the water by indirect photolysis, but appears to be relatively stable 

to direct photolysis based on the limited data available in the literature. Wolfe et al. (1975) demonstrated 

that malathion was photolytically stable in distilled water (pH 6) when exposed to irradiation with 

wavelengths of >290 nm, but degraded with an observed first half-life of 16 hours in natural water 
MALATHION 189 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

obtained from the Suwannee River which contained “a large amount of colored materials.” It is assumed 

that the referenced “colored materials” are derived from humic acids which, as known photosensitizers, 

can contribute to indirect photolysis in water systems. Aside from the early studies referenced here, very 

little other information on the photolysis of malathion in water was found in the literature. In a non-U.S. 

study, the rapid degradation of malathion in natural (estuarine) water exposed to ambient sunlight and 

temperature was reported; the half-life of malathion in estuarine water from the Ebre Delta area of Spain 

was 4.4–4.9 days (LaCorte et al. 1995). The contribution of photolysis to the overall degradation rate for 

the compound was not determined. In a study of malathion in river water, sea water, and groundwater in 

Hawaii, Miles and Takashima (1991) found that although degradation was rapid (mean half-life of 

4.7 days), photodegradation and biodegradation of the compound were not important; degradation 

proceeded mainly by an elimination reaction. Based on these data, the direct photolysis of malathion in 

water is not an important fate process. 

Microbial degradation of malathion in water has been studied in different types of water. A study was 

conducted to determine the degradation rate of malathion at 20 EC in sterile (autoclaved; pH 8.20) and 

unsterile (pH 8.05) filtered seawater and in a seawater/sediment (pH 7.3–7.7) microcosm (Cotham and 

Bidleman 1989). Reported half-lives were 3.3 days in sterile seawater, 2.4 days in unsterile seawater, and 

2 days in the seawater/sediment microcosm. When the values determined for the seawater systems were 

normalized to pH 8.0, the half-life of malathion was approximately twice as long in sterile seawater, at 

5.3 days, as in unsterile seawater (half-life of 2.6 days; Cotham and Bidleman 1989). These researchers 

noted that the more rapid degradation in the seawater/sediment system relative to the unsterile seawater 

system, which had a higher pH (leading to more rapid hydrolysis), indicates that microbial activity or 

interaction of malathion with the sediment was a contributing factor (in addition to hydroxide-catalyzed 

hydrolysis) to the degradation of the compound. Half-lives of 92–96 hours for malathion (1 mg/L) in 

seawater were reported by Bourquin (1977); significant malathion degradation was not observed in sterile 

seawater. Degradation products observed in the study were malathion monocarboxylic acid and 

malathion dicarboxylic acid; malaoxon was not detected as a degradation product. 

In a study of the degradation of malathion by isolated salt-marsh microorganisms, 11 of the 15 bacterial 

cultures were able to degrade malathion as a sole carbon source and the remaining 4 were able to degrade 

malathion by cometabolism when 0.2% peptone was added as an additional source of carbon (Bourquin 

1977). An isolated salt-marsh fungus was unable to degrade malathion without the addition of 0.2% 

peptone. The study author attributed the degradation of malathion by bacterial cultures to a 

carboxylesterase system that leads to the formation of the mono- and dicarboxylic acids, and a delayed 
MALATHION 190 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

demethylation reaction that leads to the formation of demethyl-malathion. Delayed phosphatase activities 

leading to phosphorylated derivatives, which act as cholinesterase inhibitors in fish, were also cited 

(Bourquin 1977). Complete mineralization of malathion was observed to be more rapid (initial 

appearance of CO2 at 2 versus 7 days) with a mixed microbial culture than with the individual cultures. 

A study was conducted to determine the ability of fungi to degrade malathion in aquatic environments 

using a species of fungus (Aspergillus oryzae) isolated from a freshwater pond (Lewis et al. 1975). 

Although the study authors stated that the rate of transformation of malathion in the lab could not be 

extrapolated to the field, it was determined, based on comparisons with data obtained previously, that 

malathion was degraded 5,000 times more rapidly by bacteria versus the fungus. The main degradate of 

the fungal degradation of malathion, β-malathion monoacid, was the same degradate produced by 

bacterial degradation of malathion (Lewis et al. 1975). 

6.3.2.3 Sediment and Soil 

In soils and sediments, microbial degradation (mainly through enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis) and 

hydrolysis are important degradation processes for malathion. Studies have demonstrated that this is 

particularly true at higher pH values and soil moisture contents (Miles and Takashima 1991). Malathion 

degrades rapidly in soil, with reported half-lives in soil ranging from hours to approximately 1 week 

(Gibson and Burns 1977; Howard 1991; Konrad et al. 1969). Bradman et al. (1994) reported a range of 

half-life values of <1–6 days for malathion and 3–7 days for malaoxon in soil based on data obtained 

from the literature. Miles and Takashima (1991) reported respective half-lives of 8.2 and 2 hours for 

malathion in Hawaiian soil in the laboratory and the field. 

In a review paper, Mulla et al. (1981) reported that biological degradation of malathion proceeds mainly 

through hydrolysis catalyzed by enzyme systems including carboxylesterases and phosphatases; 

malathion is also degraded by des- or dealkylation by means of phosphatase or mixed-function oxidase 

(MFO) enzyme systems. In a review paper on the degradation of organophosphorus insecticides in soil, 

Laveglia and Dahm (1977) stated that the predominant pathway for the biodegradation of malathion is 

carboxylesterase activity. Degradates observed in studies of the microbial degradation of malathion 

include malathion monoacid, malathion dicarboxylic acid, potassium dimethyl phosphorothioate, 

potassium dimethyl phosphorodithioate, and demethyl phosphorodithioate (Mulla et al. 1981). Other 

potential malathion degradates resulting from biodegradation by individual species of microorganisms 
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 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

include malaoxon, inorganic phosphate, thiophosphate, monomethyl phosphate, dimethyl phosphate, and 

diethyl maleate (Laveglia and Dahm 1977). 

Konrad et al. (1969) observed a more rapid initial degradation of malathion in sterile soils than in an 

inoculated aqueous system in which malathion did not undergo biodegradation until after a 7-day lag 

period, indicating that actual biodegradation of the compound requires acclimation by the microbial 

population. In a study on the degradation of malathion in sterile and nonsterile soils, these researchers 

also found that the degradation rate of malathion was more rapid in soils that exhibited more rapid initial 

adsorption of the compound (Konrad et al. 1969). The study authors concluded that the degradation of 

malathion in soil is directly related to the adsorption of the compound to the soil surfaces, which serves to 

catalyze the degradation process and allows for almost immediate degradation of the compound. Based 

on the results of the study, the researchers also concluded that (direct) biodegradation by soil 

microorganisms does not play an important role in malathion degradation in soils (Konrad et al. 1969). 

Other researchers have also concluded that the degradation of malathion in soil is mainly due to 

exoenzymes in some soils, and is a combination of microbial metabolism; exoenzyme activity, 

particularly in the organic matter fraction of the soil; and hydrolysis (Gibson and Burns 1977). 

In a study on the cometabolism of malathion in soil, Merkel and Perry (1977) found that the presence of 

certain cosubstrates (alkanes and 1-alkenes) increased the rate of malathion biodegradation in soil from a 

tobacco field and sediment from an estuary of the Neuse River in North Carolina. Compared with a 

control (unamended system), the addition of 1-heptadecene and n-heptadecane each increased the rate 

(2–3 times) of metabolically produced 14CO2 in the soil system; acetate, succinate, pyruvate, and citrate 

did not effectively serve as cosubstrates for the oxidation of malathion in either of the soils studied. 

Data on the photodegradation of malathion on soil were scarce in the available literature. In a 

photodegradation study of malathion exposed to natural sunlight and UV irradiation (maximum 

wavelength of 360 nm) as thin films on glass, the compound was relatively stable to sunlight and 

exhibited only slight degradation (16%) by 25 hours under UV light; none of the degradates were present 

at >0.01% (Chukwudebe et al. 1989). In the EPA RED for malathion, a photodegradation on soil half-life 

of 173 days was reported for a pH 6.5 sandy loam soil (EPA 2000a). Based on these limited data, 

photodegradation on soil is not likely to be a significant fate process for malathion in the environment. 
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 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

6.3.2.4 Other Media 

Limited data were found on the degradation of malathion in or on plants. In a Canadian study conducted 

to determine the persistence of malathion on strawberry plots, malathion decreased rapidly in strawberry 

flowers and immature fruits (Bélanger et al. 1990). In the first year of the study, malathion decreased to 

2.7% of the initial concentration within 2 days of application and was 1.5% within 7 days; in the second 

study year, malathion decreased to 4.35% of the initial concentration by 3 days. Mulla et al. (1981) 

reported that degradation of malathion in plants, as in soil and water, occurs mainly by means of 

hydrolysis at the P-S bond; carboxylesterase-mediated hydrolysis is also of great importance. 

6.4 LEVELS MONITORED OR ESTIMATED IN THE ENVIRONMENT 

6.4.1 Air 

In a study conducted in the fall of 1991 to determine the individual concentrations of 23 commonly used 

indoor pesticides, including malathion, in indoor ambient air and dust, air samples were collected from 

two rooms each of seven homes in New Jersey at two heights, 25 and 75 cm, to represent the breathing 

space of a child while crawling and standing, respectively, and dust samples were collected from vacuum 

cleaners (Roinestad et al. 1993). Malathion was not detected (respective detection limits of 1 and 

50 ng/m3

) in the air or dust collected from any of the seven homes. 

A study was conducted to determine the presence of 10 pesticides, including malathion, in the ambient air 

of the storage rooms (5 of which were located in buildings separate from the offices) and offices of 

10 commercial pest control firms in North Carolina during the summer (August) and winter (February) of 

1993; an inventory taken in February 1993 indicated that 5 of the 10 companies had malathion in storage 

at that time (Wright et al. 1996). Malathion was detected in 23 of the samples, at a mean concentration of 

0.77 μg/m3

 and at a range of 0.02–3.57 μg/m3, with the maximum concentration found during the summer 

in an office of a company in which the offices and storage rooms were located in one building. The 

compound was detected in the air of both offices and storage rooms during both the summer and winter, 

including in the air of a storage room that did not have malathion listed on the inventory. 

Airborne pesticide residues were determined from air samples collected along the Mississippi River from 

Louisiana to Minnesota during a 10-day period in June of 1994. Malathion, which is used minimally for 
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agricultural purposes within the 40-km zone near the river, was detected at all 10 sampling times during 

the 10-day study; the highest levels of detection corresponded with the major metropolitan areas near or 

along the sampling route. The maximum concentration (0.25 ng/m3

 detection limit) of malathion was 

4.6 ng/m3

 (near New Orleans, Louisiana), with a range of 0.14–4.6 ng/m3; the median concentration was 

0.23 ng/m3

 (Majewski et al. 1998). 

A review of published data was conducted to determine the presence of pesticides in atmospheric fog in 

both agricultural and nonagricultural areas of the United States (Rice 1996). The presence of malathion 

has been reported most frequently in the San Joaquin Valley of California during the dormant spraying 

season (January–February) when dense fog events occur frequently in the California’s Central Valley. 

Reported concentrations of malathion plus malaoxon (in a 1:0.9 ratio) in atmospheric fog over 

agricultural areas have ranged from 0.07 to 8.7 μg/L, with the maximum concentration observed in 

Monterey, California in January 1985; concentrations of 0.14–0.30 and 0.90–3.0 μg/L have been reported 

for malathion and malaoxon, respectively, for nonagricultural areas of Monterey, California. 

Concentrations of <0.0032 μg/L have been reported for malathion in fog over the Bering/Chukchi Sea, a 

pristine remote ecosystem (Rice 1996). 

A study was conducted to determine the wet deposition of current-use pesticides, including malathion, in 

the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in the Central Valley of California in the winter and spring of 1995 

and 1996; rain and snow samples were collected from two sites in Sequoia National Park (SNP) and one 

site in the Lake Tahoe Basin (McConnell et al. 1998). In the four counties closest to Sequoia National 

Park in California’s Central Valley, 28,683 kg of malathion were applied to approximately 900,000 acres 

of harvested cropland (mainly cotton) in 1995, with the peak release period occurring in March. 

Malathion was detected in 53% of the collected wet deposition samples from SNP, at <0.046–24 ng/L in 

samples from the lower SNP elevation and <0.045–6 ng/L in samples from the higher SNP elevation; 

malathion was present at <0.046–18 ng/L in the Lake Tahoe Basin samples. 

Following repeated aerial applications of malathion, at a target rate of 23.8 mg/m2

, to urban/residential 

areas (1,500 km2

) of southern California between August 1989 and July 1990 to eradicate medflies, the 

CDFA Environmental Monitoring Branch measured the mass deposition, air concentrations, and selected 

water concentrations of malathion and its primary oxidation product, malaoxon (Bradman et al. 1994). 

The mean mass deposition of the malathion originally released to the air (during the first application only) 

at a target rate of 23.8 mg/m2

 was 22.1 mg/m2, with a range of 1.7–53.7 mg/m2 (Bradman et al. 1994). 

The mean concentration of malathion in the air was 25.1 ng/m3

 during the aerial spraying period, 
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increased to a maximum of 61.6 ng/m3 within 24 hours of spraying, and was 3.3 ng/m3 within 96–

120 hours of spraying (Brown et al. 1993b). The mean concentration of malaoxon in the air was 

5.4 ng/m3

 during the spraying, was a maximum of 48.1 ng/m3 within 24–48 hours of spraying, and was 

4.5 ng/m3

 within 96–120 hours of spraying (Brown et al. 1993b). 

6.4.2 Water 

Several studies have been conducted to determine the presence and concentration of malathion in runoff 

waters as well as in surface waters of various river basins in agricultural areas of the United States. 

Malathion was not detected (detection limit of 35 ng/L) in storm water runoff (from rice fields and fruit 

orchards) within the Sacramento River Basin, California, following a storm event in January 1994 

(Domagalski 1996). In a study of pesticides in the streams of an agricultural and an urban area of 

Colorado, conducted from April 1993 to April 1994, 25 water samples were collected each from the 

Lonetree Creek Basin near Greely, Colorado (an agricultural land-use area), and the Cherry Creek Basin 

(urban area) near Denver, Colorado; 2 of the samples in the agricultural area and 7 of the samples in the 

urban area were collected during storm runoff events (Kimbrough and Litke 1996). Malathion was not 

detected (detection limit of 0.014 μg/L) in the water samples from the agricultural area, but was present in 

approximately 30% of the samples from the urban area, at a maximum concentration of 0.16 μg/L; 

statistical analysis of the data indicated that concentrations of malathion were significantly higher in the 

storm runoff event samples than in the nonstorm samples. 

In a study of pesticide fluxes in nine surface water bodies of the Mississippi River Basin, the 

concentrations of 26 pesticides, including malathion, were monitored between May 1991 and March 1992 

at nine sites, including three sites on the Mississippi River and six sites located near the mouths of major 

tributaries of the Mississippi (Larson et al. 1995). Malathion was detected (detection limit of 0.005 μg/L) 

at only two of the eight sites for which data were reported. In the White River Basin, the malathion flux 

as percentage of the total agricultural usage of malathion (0.98 metric tonnes or 980 kg) in the river basin 

was 0.12% (1.18 kg); in the Missouri River Basin, the malathion flux was <0.01% (8.5 kg) of the total 

agricultural usage (85 metric tonnes or 85,000 kg) in the river basin. 

A study was conducted in 1990 to determine the presence of pesticides and polycyclic aromatic 

hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the subsurface and microlayers of the Winyah Bay and North Inlet in South 

Carolina; samples were collected at seven locations every 2 months during the year-long study (Kucklick 

and Bidleman 1994). Malathion, used for mosquito control in the populated areas of coastal South 
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Carolina, was detected (detection limit of 0.5 ng/L) in the subsurface water at a maximum mean 

concentration of 32 ng/L, with a range in individual samples of below the limit of detection to 47 ng/L. 

In the surface microlayer (top #1 mm) samples, malathion was detected at a maximum mean 

concentration of 32 ng/L, with a range in individual samples of below the limit of detection to 57 ng/L. 

Monitoring studies have been conducted to determine the presence of numerous pesticides, including 

malathion, in groundwater in the United States. In a review of pesticides in groundwater monitoring data 

in the literature, Ritter (1990) reported that malathion occurrence in groundwater from normal agricultural 

use was reported in the literature for only one state. In a database of pesticides in groundwater that was 

compiled by EPA from data available for 1971–1991, results indicated that malathion was detected in a 

total of 12 wells in three states (California, Mississippi, and Virginia) at concentrations ranging from 

0.007 to 6.17 μg/L; monitoring data were reported for a total of 3,252 wells (EPA 1992). Forty-one landuse studies were conducted in 1993–1995 at a total of 1,034 agricultural and urban sites representing 

20 major hydrologic basins throughout the United States to assess the occurrence of 46 pesticides, 

including malathion, in shallow groundwater for the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) 

program; 31 of the studies were in agricultural areas and 10 were in urban areas (Kolpin et al. 1998). 

Malathion was detected (detection limit of 0.005 μg/L) at 0.2% of all sites, with detection frequencies of 

0.4% for sites where corn and alfalfa growth accounted for >20% of the crops grown there, and 1.7% for 

sites where orchards or vineyards accounted for >50% of the crops (Kolpin et al. 1998). 

6.4.3 Sediment and Soil 

To estimate soil concentrations following an aerial application of malathion, at a target rate of 

23.8 mg/m2

, to urban/residential areas (1,500 km2) of southern California between August 1989 and July 

1990 for the eradication of medflies, mass deposition data for malathion and its primary oxidation 

product, malaoxon, were obtained from the CDFA Environmental Monitoring Branch (Bradman et al. 

1994). Based on measured values of mass deposition, daily malathion and malaoxon residue levels in soil 

were estimated for a single application using two sample mixing depths. Based on a mixing depth of 

1 cm, soil concentrations of the parent and its degradate were estimated as 1.4 and 0.01 μg/g, 

respectively; based on a mixing depth of 0.1 cm, the corresponding estimated concentrations in soil were 

14.1 and 0.10 μg/g (Bradman et al. 1994). 

In a study of 49 randomly chosen agrichemical facilities located throughout Illinois, malathion was 

detected in soil samples at 6 of the 18 sites that handled the compound (Krapac et al. 1995). Malathion 
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 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

was detected in 11 of the soil samples from the six sites (a total of 822 samples were collected from the 

18 total sites in the study), at a mean concentration of 125 μg/kg (ppb) and at a concentration range of 

31–690 μg/kg; the common range of detections was 22–100 μg/kg. 

No monitoring data were found in the available literature for malathion detections in sediment. 

6.4.4 Other Environmental Media 

Monitoring studies have been conducted to determine the presence of malathion residues in/on food and 

feeds. Malathion residues were present, at 0.05–>2.0 ppm, in 249 of the 19,851 samples of food and 

animal feeds tested by the FDA in fiscal years 1982–1986; the selection of test samples was not random, 

but was geared toward choosing samples most likely to contain pesticide residues based on various 

factors (Luke et al. 1988). The malathion degradate malaoxon was detected in only two of the samples. 

In an FDA monitoring study of organohalogen and organophosphorus pesticide residues in 545 domestic 

surveillance samples of mixed feed rations conducted during fiscal years 1989–1994, malathion was the 

most commonly detected pesticide, occurring in 425 of the samples (in trace amounts in 53 of those 

samples) and accounting for approximately 53% of all pesticide residues detected (Lovell et al. 1996). 

Malathion was detected in the samples at a concentration range of 0.006–4 ppm, with a median 

concentration of 0.098 ppm. In a study conducted in 1977 to determine malathion residues on and in 

oranges following low-volume (100 gal/ac) and dilute applications (1,500 gal/ac) to orange trees in 

California, malathion residues on and in unwashed whole fruits were below the then current residue 

tolerance levels of 8 ppm (Carman et al. 1981). In the edible portion (pulp) of the fruits, malathion 

residues were 0.01–0.03 ppm 7 days after treatment and <0.01 ppm 30 days after treatment; the authors 

stated that the results indicated that the majority of the residues were present in or on the orange rinds. 

6.5 GENERAL POPULATION AND OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE 

There are insufficient data to determine the potential daily inhalation and dermal exposure levels for the 

general population, although estimates of daily exposure to malathion in air at two U.S. sites have been 

reported (Whitmore et al. 1994). Based on the results of that study and on the information presented in 

Sections 6.3 and 6.4, exposure levels for the general population are likely to be low by these routes. 

Inhalation exposure is not considered to be important for the general population, with the possible 

exception of those individuals living in or near areas where malathion is frequently sprayed or those 
MALATHION 197 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

individuals using a low pressure handwand for mosquito and household pesticide control (EPA 2000a). 

Since malathion is adsorbed through the skin, dermal contact is a more relevant pathway, compared with 

inhalation, for the general population, and may be of even greater importance for those who apply 

malathion for home and garden use. Dermal exposure to malathion for the general population may also 

be more important for persons living near sites where malathion is sprayed for public health usage or 

where off-target drift from Boll Weevil Eradication Programs occurs (EPA 2000a). However, dermal 

contact is most likely to occur in people who are occupationally exposed to malathion. 

As part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHNES II) conducted in 1976–1980, 

urine specimens from 6,990 people living in the United States were analyzed for selected pesticide 

residues to determine the occurrence of pesticide body burden residues in the general population and to 

estimate the extent of human exposure to pesticides in the general U.S. population. Residues of 

malathion monitored in the study included malathion dicarboxylic acid (DCA) and malathion alphamonocarboxylic acid (MCA). The degradates MCA and DCA were detected in samples from 1.1% and 

0.5% of the 6,990 study participants, respectively, at a maximum concentrations of 970 ng/mL (ppb) and 

250 ng/mL, respectively (Kutz et al. 1992). Based on the results of the study, it was estimated that 

1,800,000 and 800,000 persons in the general U.S. population would have quantifiable MCA and DCA in 

their urine samples, indicating recent exposure to malathion (Kutz et al. 1992). 

In a study of selected pesticide metabolites in urine, conducted in Maryland for a single year during 

1995–1996, MacIntosh et al. (1999a) found the malathion metabolite DCA in 6.6% of 347 samples, at a 

maximum concentration of 51.0 μg/L (and 51.0 μg/g creatinine). 

In a study conducted to determine human exposure to selected pesticides in drinking water, conducted in 

Maryland during 1995–1996, MacIntosh et al. (1999b) did not find malathion above the limit of detection 

(0.043 μg/L) in any of the drinking water samples. 

In the EPA’s Non-Occupational Pesticide Exposure Study conducted at two U.S. sites (Jacksonville, 

Florida and Springfield/Chicopee, Massachusetts) during 1986–1988, it was determined that 17–32% of 

the Jacksonville population was exposed to detectable levels of malathion in the indoor air during the 

three sampling seasons (summer, spring, winter) utilized at that site; 0–4% of the population was exposed 

to malathion in the outdoor air and 11–15% of the population was exposed to malathion in their personal 

space air (Whitmore et al. 1994). The maximum concentrations of malathion in the indoor air in 

Jacksonville for the three seasons ranged from 14.9 to 20.8 ng/m3

; maximum concentration ranges for the 
MALATHION 198 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

outdoor air and the personal space air were 0–0.3 and 9.2–16.8 ng/m3, respectively. At the Massachusetts 

site, 0–2% of the population was found to be exposed to malathion in the indoor air during the two 

sampling seasons (spring and winter) utilized at that site; 0–5% of the population was exposed to 

malathion in the outdoor air and 0–4% of the population was exposed to malathion in their personal space 

air (Whitmore et al. 1994). Measurements conducted in spring showed a mean concentration of 

malathion in the indoor air at the Massachusetts site of 5.0 ng/m3

, a mean of 0.8 ng/m3 was detected 

outdoors, and 0.5 ng/m3

 was found in personal air space; no malathion was detected in winter. Mean 

daily air exposure estimates were determined for each of the two sites so that the values could be 

compared with dietary exposure estimates; the respective mean air exposure estimates for the Florida and 

Massachusetts sites were 232 and 8 ng/day (Whitmore et al. 1994). Based on dietary exposure estimates 

made using data from FDA Total Diet Studies and dietary recall questionnaires, it was determined that 

dietary exposure to malathion residues was much greater than exposure to residues in air for the 

populations of both the Florida and Massachusetts sites. Dietary exposure to malathion residues for the 

periods 1982–1984, 1986–1987, and 1987 ranged from 4,510 to 4,701 ng/day for the Florida site 

population, and was 4,625 ng/day for the Massachusetts site population in 1982–1984 (Whitmore et al. 

1994). These results indicate that the inhalation route of malathion exposure is much less important than 

the ingestion route for the general populations of the two sites studied. 

In an assessment of exposure to malathion and malaoxon in areas of southern California that had received 

aerial applications of malathion for public health purposes, adult, infant, and child exposures through 

dermal and inhalation routes were estimated and compared with a select dietary exposures (including 

backyard vegetables and soil); estimates of the various exposures were made for both average and highend exposure scenarios. In general, estimated exposures to malathion residues increased with the extent 

of outdoor activity and with higher levels of consumption of backyard vegetables (Marty et al. 1994). 

The most important routes of exposure for adults were dermal exposure and ingestion exposure from 

consumption of contaminated, unwashed backyard vegetables, with respective estimated doses of 1–

246 and 30–80 μg/kg/day; the estimated inhalation dose for adults was only 0.01–0.1 μg/kg/day (Marty et 

al. 1994). 

The FDA Total Diet Studies (formerly referred to as Market Basket Studies) examine food for levels of 

pesticides. Estimates are then made of the mean intake of a pesticide per unit body weight (in μg/kg/day) 

using the amounts of pesticides found in foods and food consumption patterns; target groups include 6–

11 months, 2 years, 14–16 years female, 14–16 years male, 25–30 years female, 25–30 years male, 60–

65 years female, and 60–65 years male. Malathion was the second most frequently detected pesticide in 
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 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

the study conducted during June 1984–April 1986 (Gunderson et al. 1995a), occurring in 22% of the 

samples, and was the most frequently detected pesticide in the study conducted during July 1986–April 

1991, occurring in 20% of the samples (Gunderson et al. 1995b). For the period June 1984–April 1986, 

the mean daily intake estimates for malathion were 0.1333 μg/kg/day for the 6–11 months group, 

0.2548 μg/kg/day for the 2 years group, 0.0835 μg/kg/day for the 14–16 years female group, 

0.1159 μg/kg/day for the 14–16 years male group, 0.0699 μg/kg/day for the 25–30 years female group, 

0.0796 μg/kg/day for the 25–30 years male group, 0.0615 μg/kg/day for the 60–65 years female group, 

and 0.0719 μg/kg/day for the 60–65 years male group (Gunderson et al. 1995a). For the period July 

1986–April 1991, the mean daily intake estimates for malathion were 0.1139 μg/kg/day for the 6–

11 months group, 0.2184 μg/kg/day for the 2 years group, 0.0686 μg/kg/day for the 14–16 years female 

group, and 0.0965 for the μg/kg/day 14–16 years male group, 0.0598 μg/kg/day for the 25–30 years 

female group, 0.0704 μg/kg/day for the 25–30 years male group, 0.0567 μg/kg/day for the 60–65 years 

female group, and 0.0645 μg/kg/day for the 60–65 years male group (Gunderson et al. 1995b). FDA 

Total Diet Studies conducted in 1979–1980 and 1980–1982 estimated the average daily exposure to 

malathion was 14.0 μg/day (Gartrell et al. 1985) and 16.8 μg/day, respectively (Gartrell et al. 1985). 

Based on an EPA risk assessment of malathion conducted, in part, using the Dietary Exposure Evaluation 

Model (DEEM), acute dietary exposure to malathion (plus malaoxon) from food is not a concern for the 

majority (95th exposure percentile) of the U.S. population (EPA 2000a). Based on a calculated acute 

population adjusted dose (aPAD), at which no adverse health effects would be expected using the safety 

factor prescribed in the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), the population subgroup with the highest 

acute dietary exposure (at 38% of the aPAD) is children aged 1–6 (EPA 2000a). For chronic dietary 

exposure, the population subgroup with the highest exposure (at 1.6% of the cPAD) is also children aged 

1–6. However, values of <100% of the aPAD or cPAD are not considered to be of concern (EPA 2000a). 

The reported aPAD and cPAD values were 0.5 mg/kg/day (500 μg/kg/day) and 0.024 mg/kg/day 

(24 μg/kg/day), respectively. Based on these values and the results of the FDA’s Total Diet Studies, 

dietary exposure to malathion from food is also not important for the general population. EPA also 

determined that dietary risk of malathion exposure from drinking water was not important for the general 

population (EPA 2000a). 

Exposure of the general population to higher concentrations of malathion may result from contact with or 

ingestion of contaminated hazardous waste site media, principally soils and water. No information was 

found in the available literature regarding the size of the human population potentially exposed to 

malathion through contact with contaminated waste site media. 
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 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

NIOSH estimated that approximately 19,170 U.S. workers, employed in 18 occupations excluding farm 

work, are potentially exposed to malathion in occupational settings; of these, an estimated 1,909 are 

females (NIOSH 1981). Occupational exposure to malathion is mainly through the dermal route, but may 

also occur through inhalation. The OSHA workplace air environmental limit for malathion is 15 mg/m3

(NIOSH 2001). 

Agricultural workers and commercial applicators may also be exposed to malathion through occupational 

practices. Farm worker protection measures include routine cholinesterase monitoring of blood samples; 

similar monitoring is required in many states for commercial applicators who apply organophosphate 

insecticides (Fenske and Leffingwell 1989). For many crops, the restricted entry intervals for workers to 

enter fields treated with malathion following application are generally short (<1 day) relative to reentry 

intervals for other organophosphate pesticides (Swift 1976), although restricted entry intervals for certain 

activities such as hand pruning or harvesting of crops are often longer (0–6 days; EPA 2000a). 

In a Department of Commerce monograph on human exposure to malathion in the workplace, 

Santodonato et al. (1985) reported that the number of U.S. workers exposed during (initial) production of 

malathion is limited since production of the chemical was limited at that time to a single corporation 

(American Cyanamid), but increases greatly at the formulation stage since numerous companies utilize 

malathion in formulated products; the production of these products requires activities such as loading, 

blending/mixing, and packaging. While production of malathion is no longer limited to a single 

corporation, it is still not widely spread. 

Exposure levels for workers are affected by the type of work activity being conducted at the time of the 

exposure (Santodonato et al. 1985; Swift 1976). In a study of the exposure of formulating plant workers 

to ethion and malathion, the exposure to malathion of workers employed in various activities was 

determined; worker categories included mixers, baggers, and stackers (Wolfe et al. 1978). For all 

categories combined, the potential exposure to malathion was determined to be 150 mg/hour for the 

dermal route and 1.29 mg/hour via inhalation. For the dermal route, however, exposure was 

approximately 5–6 times greater for baggers (244 mg/hour) compared with either mixers or stackers (40–

50 mg/hour). For the inhalation route, potential exposure to malathion was also much greater for baggers 

(2.19 mg/hour) than for mixers (0.05 mg/hour) or stackers (0.50 mg/hour). None of the exposure levels 

identified in the study were considered to represent a very great hazard to the formulating plant workers 

(Wolfe et al. 1978). 
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Several researchers have found that worker exposure to malathion for a variety of activities (e.g., 

application operations, harvesting, field observation, formulating operations) using various formulation 

types (e.g., spray, dust, aerosol) is greater via the dermal route than through inhalation (Culver et al. 

1956; Culver et al. 1956; Durham and Wolfe 1962; Jegier 1964; Lin and Hee 1998; Wolfe et al. 1978, 

1967). Based on data reported in the literature, Santodonato et al. (1985) reported mean dermal exposures 

during malathion spraying of 2–67 mg/hour, and mean airborne concentrations of 0.6–6 mg/m3

, indicating 

a lower potential for exposure via inhalation relative to the dermal route. In a review of worker exposure 

data, Durham and Wolfe (1962) reported that exposure rates for workers applying malathion as an aerosol 

(liquid sprays) were 6.6 mg/70-kg man/hour via the dermal route and 0.3 mg/70-kg man/hour via 

inhalation. 

In a study of the persistence of pesticides on the hands of occupationally exposed workers, malathion was 

found to persist on the hands of three of eight farmers occupationally exposed to malathion; it was also 

found to persist for at least 7 days on the hands of a home gardener who grew fruits and vegetables treated 

with the compound, which was applied by the gardener without the use of protective gloves (Kazen et al. 

1974). In the study, malathion was not detected on the hands of three nonoccupationally exposed 

workers. 

In a study of occupational exposure to flea control products, including malathion, among pet handlers in 

California, Ames et al. (1989) found that not only the workers who applied the products, but also others 

(nonapplicators) who worked at the facilities where the products were used, were exposed to the 

chemicals. Of the 200 workers considered to be nonoccupationally exposed based on their duties, 31 of 

the workers reported that they were exposed to malathion in the workplace. 

In a study of malathion permeation through the gloves of workers exposed to the compound, Lin and Hee 

(1998) reported that the highest potential for exposure was associated with worker dermal contact with 

pure and technical-grade malathion and the emulsifiable concentrate formulations; these formulations 

generally contain 30–91% (w:w) malathion. Dermal exposure to malathion varied with the type of 

protective gloves worn by the workers in the study, with greater protection provided by Viton and Silver 

Shield gloves, and the least protection provided by nitrile gloves; for the first two types of gloves, 

exposure following permeation through the gloves was <0.02 mg, while permeation through the latter 

type of glove ranged from <0.02 to 283 mg (Lin and Hee 1998). Differences in permeation mass and 

time of breakthrough for the nitrile gloves was related to the carrier (e.g., m-xylene, distilled water) in the 
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formulated malathion product. These data indicate that in addition to the formulation type of the 

malathion product utilized and the activity performed by the worker, the type of protective materials or 

equipment used will affect the potential worker exposure levels. 

6.6 EXPOSURES OF CHILDREN 

This section focuses on exposures from conception to maturity at 18 years in humans. Differences from 

adults in susceptibility to hazardous substances are discussed in 3.7 Children’s Susceptibility. 

Children are not small adults. A child’s exposure may differ from an adult’s exposure in many ways. 

Children drink more fluids, eat more food, breathe more air per kilogram of body weight, and have a 

larger skin surface in proportion to their body volume. A child’s diet often differs from that of adults. 

The developing human’s source of nutrition changes with age: from placental nourishment to breast milk 

or formula to the diet of older children who eat more of certain types of foods than adults. A child’s 

behavior and lifestyle also influence exposure. Children crawl on the floor, put things in their mouths, 

sometimes eat inappropriate things (such as dirt or paint chips), and spend more time outdoors. Children 

also are closer to the ground, and they do not use the judgment of adults to avoid hazards (NRC 1993). 

Children within the general population living in areas far from where malathion is sprayed are not likely 

to be exposed to high levels of malathion. An exception to this may be at homes where malathion is used 

extensively for home and garden use, particularly if inappropriately high application rates (relative to 

label recommendations) are utilized and if backyard vegetables are not washed prior to consumption. 

Children playing on turf following the application of malathion by means of a handgun sprayer may be 

exposed to malathion via the dermal route at levels high enough to cause concern (EPA 2000a). 

For those children living in areas where malathion is sprayed for public health use or at homes where 

malathion is used extensively, children within the general population are likely to be exposed to 

malathion in the same ways that adults are, including through contact with sprayed plants, soil, or other 

surfaces; breathing contaminated air; eating contaminated foods; or drinking contaminated water. 

Additionally, small children are more likely than adults to be in close contact with yard dirt or playground 

dirt, lawns, and indoor (carpet) dust. Malathion residues bound to soil or dust particles in carpets or on 

bare floors may present an exposure route for infants and toddlers through dermal contact and oral 

ingestion. Children are known to participate in frequent hand-to-mouth activity and to have a tendency to 

put foreign objects into their mouths. As a result of this behavior, children may ingest malathion present 
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in soil and dust or through direct transfer of the chemical from their skin to their mouths. Children are 

also lower to the ground than adults and something that may exist at arm or hand level for an adult may 

be at mouth level for a child. 

Approximately 16–20% of the annual malathion use in the United States is attributed to general 

agricultural use, while 59–61% is attributed to use by the USDA in eradication programs (EPA 2000a). 

Approximately 0.5 million pounds of malathion are released to soil annually just through applications to 

agricultural sites (e.g., roads, ditches, and near buildings); this value excludes other agricultural uses (i.e., 

crops; EPA 2000a). Children living in agricultural areas may be exposed to higher pesticide levels than 

other children because of pesticides that may get tracked into the homes by household members, contact 

with pesticide spray drift, or from playing in the fields near where malathion has been sprayed. Dermal 

exposure is expected to be the most likely route of exposure once the pesticide has been applied, although 

oral ingestion through the direct transfer caused by hand-to-mouth activity or consumption of unwashed 

produce treated with malathion is also likely. Malathion is moderately to highly mobile in soil, however, 

indicating that it does not readily adsorb to soil particles. Additionally, it breaks down rapidly in soils, as 

does the primary oxidation product, malaoxon. Thus, the level of exposure that children will have to 

malathion is dependent on the time that has passed since the application of the compound. Also, exposure 

to certain levels of malathion or its residues does not mean that the compounds will be bioavailable at 

those levels. No U.S. data were found on exposure or body burden measurements made on children. 

Approximately 3.4 million pounds of malathion are released to soil annually through applications to 

nonagricultural sites; this includes malathion use for medfly and mosquito control, golf courses, and 

home and garden use (EPA 2000a). Malathion has been sprayed over large areas for public health usage, 

to eradicate medflies and to control mosquito populations; approximately 8–15% of the malathion used 

annually in the United States is attributed to public health use (EPA 2000a). This practice may lead to 

exposure of malathion to children through dermal contact and ingestion when they play on treated soil 

surfaces or in contaminated sand boxes and perform the frequent hand-to-mouth activity common in 

children. To estimate exposure concentrations following repeated aerial applications of malathion to 

urban/residential areas (1,500 km2

) of southern California for the eradication of medflies, mass deposition 

data for malathion and its primary oxidation product, malaoxon, were obtained from the CDFA 

Environmental Monitoring Branch (Bradman et al. 1994). Based on measured values of mass deposition, 

malathion and malaoxon exposure concentrations (acute and chronic) were estimated for typical and high 

or upper bound exposure levels. Estimated malathion acute and chronic exposure concentrations for a 

typical exposure for the top 0.1-cm depth of soil were 14.7 and 4.9 mg/g, respectively; the corresponding 
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values for malaoxon were 0.10 and 0.03 mg/g (Bradman et al. 1994). For outdoor surfaces, potentially 

including playground equipment, estimated malathion acute and chronic exposure concentrations for a 

typical exposure were 22.0 and 7.3 mg/g, respectively; the corresponding values for malaoxon were 

0.15 and 0.05 mg/g (Bradman et al. 1994). 

Malathion is widely used for residential (i.e., home and garden) purposes; approximately 10% of the 

malathion used annually in the United States is attributed to home and garden use (EPA 2000a). Children 

may be exposed to malathion used in the home or garden, or to malathion tracked into the home from 

outside by themselves or other household members. A Minnesota study monitored the urinary metabolite 

level of commonly used pesticides including malathion in 102 children, ages 3–13 years. The intrachild 

urinary metabolite levels were found to be greater than the detection limit 46% of the time for malathion 

(Adgate et al. 2001). In a nine-home pilot study to assess monitoring methods for use in determining 

pesticide exposure to children aged 6 months to 5 years old, malathion was not detected in any of the nine 

homes; however, the study authors indicated that the lack of detections may have been due to analytical 

limitations for the 7 of 30 targeted pesticides, including malathion, which were not detected in any of the 

homes (Lewis et al. 1994). 

Children may be exposed to malathion brought into the home by parents or other household members 

who are occupationally exposed. Malathion residues may be present on the skin, hair, clothing items and 

shoes of workers employed in industries, such as agriculture, where malathion is used or at sites where 

malathion is manufactured or formulated. Exposure to children may occur through dermal contact with 

contaminated items. Because children are likely to be in close contact with carpet or floors, transfer of 

contaminated dirt from work shoes to carpeting provides a means of exposure. Respiratory exposure 

from contact with occupationally exposed workers is not likely to be significant. 

In a study of pesticide exposure to children in the home in rural areas, samples of house dust were 

analyzed from a day care center and 10 homes, 5 of which were also the home of at least one farm worker 

(currently working in the field) and 8 of which reported home pesticide use (Bradman et al. 1997). While 

malathion was detected in one nonfarmworker home, at a concentration of 1.60 μg/g and a loading of 

2.40 μg/m2

, it was not detected in any of the homes with a farmworker as a resident. Malathion was also 

not detected in the day care center. 

Children may be exposed to malathion and its residues in the foods that they eat. In an early (1963–1967) 

study of pesticide residues in prepared baby foods in the United States, the average malathion 
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concentration was below the limit of detection (0.005 ppm); however, the pesticide was only monitored in 

a limited number of samples (Lispcomb 1968). In an FDA Total Diet Study conducted in 1980–1982 to 

determine the dietary intake of selected pesticides for infants and toddlers, the estimated average daily 

intakes of malathion residues were determined based on pesticide residue concentrations found in 11 food 

groups (Gartrell et al. 1986). The estimated average daily intake of malathion from infant diets was 

1.45 μg/day; malathion was found in the grain and cereal products and the oil and fats food groups at 

concentrations of 0.008–0.158 ppm. The estimated average daily intake of malathion from toddler diets 

was 2.64 μg/day; malathion was found in the grain and cereal products, fruit and fruit juices, oil and fats, 

sweets and adjuncts, and beverages food groups at concentrations of less than the limit of quantification 

(LOQ)–0.24 ppm. Data on the weight-adjusted intake of malathion by infants and toddlers were 

determined based on the results of the FDA Total Diet Studies for fiscal years 1978–1981/1982 (Gartrell 

et al. 1986). The reported weight-adjusted intakes of malathion ranged from 0.126 to 0.331 μg/kg body 

weight/day for infants and were 0.193–0.299 μg/kg body weight/day for toddlers for the four study years. 

Quantitative estimates of the exposure of infants and children to pesticides have been reported in the 

results of FDA Total Diet Studies conducted in the 1980s using the amounts of pesticide residues in foods 

thought to be in the diets of infants or children. Estimates of the mean intake of malathion per unit body 

weight were made for the 6–11 months age group, 2 year age group, and the 14–16 years female and 

14–16 years male age group. For the period June 1984–April 1986, the estimates were 0.1333 μg/kg/day 

for the 6–11 months group, 0.2548 μg/kg/day for the 2 year group, 0.0835 μg/kg/day for the 14–16 years 

female group, and 0.1159 μg/kg/day for the 14–16 years male group (Gunderson et al. 1995a). The daily 

intake values for the 6–11 months group and the 2 year group were similar to the values determined in the 

FDA Total Diet Study for the same period of time in 1982–1984 (Gunderson et al. 1995a). For the period 

July 1986–April 1991, the mean daily intake estimates were 0.1139 μg/kg/day for the 6–11 months group, 

0.2184 μg/kg/day for the 2 year group, 0.0686 μg/kg/day for the 14–16 years female group, and 

0.0965 for the μg/kg/day 14–16 years male group (Gunderson et al. 1995b). Malathion residues were not 

detected in any of the samples of infant formula (milk-based without iron, canned, ready-to-serve) 

analyzed in the study (Gunderson et al. 1995b). 

The FDA Total Diet Study results for fiscal years 1985–1991 include estimates of pesticide residue 

intakes associated with 33 types of representative infant foods, infant formula, and adult foods eaten by 

infants and children (e.g., raw and processed fruits, fruit juices, milk, peanut butter) that have been 

prepared for consumption (Yess et al. 1993). Malathion residues were found in infant foods at maximum 

levels of 0.001–0.008 ppm in cereals, combination meat or poultry dinners, fruits/fruit juices, and 
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vegetables; malathion residues were not detected in samples of infant formulas. Malathion was detected 

in adult foods eaten by infants and children at maximum concentrations of 0.004 ppm in grape juice, 

0.0005–0.0009 ppm in milk (including processed/canned and fluid), and 0.40 ppm in peanut butter. 

The FDA Regulatory Monitoring Program analyzes surveillance samples of whole, unwashed, unpeeled 

foods that may be eaten by infants/children to determine pesticide concentrations in 10,000 domestic and 

imported food samples (Yess et al. 1993). During the fiscal years 1985–1991, malathion was detected in 

domestic samples at a maximum concentration of 0.12 ppm in apples (in 7 of 2,464 samples) and 

0.036 ppm (in 9 of 862 samples) in oranges. In imported samples, malathion was detected at maximums 

of 0.60 ppm in bananas (in 10 of 1,097 samples), 0.02 ppm in orange juice (in 1 of 64 samples), and 

0.25 ppm in oranges (in 32 of 474 samples). Based on an EPA risk assessment of malathion conducted, 

in part, using the Dietary Exposure Evaluation Model (DEEM), acute dietary exposure to malathion (plus 

malaoxon) from food is not a concern for children aged 1–6 (EPA 2000a). Based on a calculated acute 

population adjusted dose (aPAD), at which no adverse health effects would be expected using the safety 

factor prescribed in the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), the population subgroup with the highest 

acute dietary exposure (at 38% of the aPAD) and the highest chronic dietary exposure (at 1.6% of the 

cPAD) is children aged 1–6 (EPA 2000a). However, values of <100% of the aPAD or cPAD are not 

considered to be of concern (EPA 2000a). The reported aPAD and cPAD values were 0.5 mg/kg/day 

(500 μg/kg/day) and 0.024 mg/kg/day (24 μg/kg/day), respectively. Based on these values and the results 

of the FDA’s Total Diet Studies, dietary exposure to malathion from food is not considered to be 

important for children aged 1–6. 

A potential source of exposure in infants is the presence of malathion in breast milk. Malathion was 

detected in breast milk (5 ppb) from 1 of 11 Italian women from the general population on the 5th day 

postpartum, but was not detected by the 11th day (Roggi et al. 1991). 

6.7 POPULATIONS WITH POTENTIALLY HIGH EXPOSURES 

The populations most at risk for exposure to relatively high levels of malathion are field workers who go 

into sprayed areas, particularly before the prescribed restricted entry intervals have passed. Also at 

greater risk for potentially high exposures are occupationally exposed workers who do not use adequate 

protective equipment that is appropriate for the type of malathion product being utilized. People who live 

in or near areas where malathion is sprayed for public health uses and those who consume unwashed 
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backyard vegetables treated with malathion may also be exposed to higher levels of the chemical relative 

to the general population. 

In an assessment of exposure to malathion and malaoxon in areas of southern California that had received 

aerial applications of malathion for public health purposes estimates of the various exposures were made 

for both average and high-end exposure scenarios. In general, estimated exposures to malathion residues 

increased with the extent of outdoor activity and with higher levels of consumption of backyard 

vegetables (Marty et al. 1994). The most important routes of exposure for adults were dermal exposure 

and ingestion exposure from consumption of contaminated, unwashed backyard vegetables, with 

respective estimated doses of 1–246 and 30–80 μg/kg/day (Marty et al. 1994). 

It has been reported that malathion was oxidized to malaoxon following its release in 1990 in the Los 

Angeles Basin of California for control of the Mediterranean fruit fly; concentrations of malaoxon in air 

were greater than those of parent malathion (Wolfe and Sieber 1993). Because malathion is less toxic in 

the parent (thiono) form than in its oxon form, exposure to malathion residues are potentially more 

harmful in situations that favor the formation of the degradate malaoxon. Such a case may occur when a 

dust formulation is utilized on plant or tree leaves, which allows for the formation of a catalytic surface 

where oxidation to malaoxon may take place, particularly in the presence of a high level of atmospheric 

oxidant such as ozone and in times of low humidity; these conditions are thought to be favorable to the 

buildup of the oxon (Wolfe and Sieber 1993). These data indicate that the restricted entry intervals that 

do not account for such cases may lead to higher potential exposures to workers who enter a field with 

such conditions too early after spraying. 

6.8 ADEQUACY OF THE DATABASE 

Section 104(i)(5) of CERCLA, as amended, directs the Administrator of ATSDR (in consultation with the 

Administrator of EPA and agencies and programs of the Public Health Service) to assess whether 

adequate information on the health effects of malathion is available. Where adequate information is not 

available, ATSDR, in conjunction with the National Toxicology Program (NTP), is required to assure the 

initiation of a program of research designed to determine the health effects (and techniques for developing 

methods to determine such health effects) of malathion. 

The following categories of possible data needs have been identified by a joint team of scientists from 

ATSDR, NTP, and EPA. They are defined as substance-specific informational needs that if met would 
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reduce the uncertainties of human health assessment. This definition should not be interpreted to mean 

that all data needs discussed in this section must be filled. In the future, the identified data needs will be 

evaluated and prioritized, and a substance-specific research agenda will be proposed. 

6.8.1 Identification of Data Needs 

Physical and Chemical Properties. The physical and chemical properties of malathion are 

sufficiently well characterized to allow assessment of the environmental fate of the compound to be made 

(Budavari 1996; Buyuksonmez 1999; Chiou et al. 1977; Fazzalari 1978; Freed et al. 1979a; Hansch et al. 

1995; Howard and Neal 1992; Kim et al. 1984; Matsumura 1985; Ruth 1986; Tomlin 1997; Watanabe 

1993). 

Production, Import/Export, Use, Release, and Disposal. Malathion is commercially produced 

in the United States and abroad. Malathion has been commercially produced in the United States since 

1950. No production volume data were located for the 1950s and 1960s; production was estimated to be 

24 million pounds in 1972 (Santondonato et al. 1985; von Rumker et al. 1974) and 30 million pounds in 

1983 (IARC 1983). Recent production volume data for the United States were not located. Data on 

import volumes are limited; import volumes for 1977 were 6,457 pounds (USITC 1978) and 

143,260 pounds in 1982 (SRI 2000). U.S. exports of malathion were estimated to be 11,020,000 pounds 

in 1978 (SRI 2000). More current information on the production volume, import, and export of malathion 

is needed to make and accurate assessment of the potential for human exposure to the pesticide. 

Releases to air, land, and water occur primarily through the use of malathion as an insecticide. The media 

of most importance for human exposure are air and soil. According to the Emergency Planning and 

Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986, 42 U.S.C. Section 11023, industries are required to submit 

chemical release and off-site transfer information to the EPA. The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), which 

contains this information for 2000, became available in June of 2000. This database is updated yearly and 

provides a list of industrial production facilities and emissions. 

The recommended methods of disposal of malathion are incineration in a furnace equipped with an 

afterburner and a scrubber (Sittig 1985). If incineration is not an option, malathion may be disposed of by 

absorbing in vermiculite, dry sand, earth, or similar material and then burying in a designated landfill 

(Mackison 1981). Only small amounts of malathion may be land filled (United Nations IRPTC 1985). 

Waste water treatment technologies have been investigated for malathion using biological treatment and 
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reverse osmosis (EPA 1982). Another method of disposal that has been suggested for malathion is 

combustion in molten potassium chloride. The destruction of malathion is 99% and the products of 

combustion can be used as a fertilizer (United Nations IRPTC 1985). 

Environmental Fate. There is a lack of data on the degradation (fate and persistence) of malathion 

in soil under both aerobic and anaerobic acidic conditions, as well as on the degradation of malathion on 

dry surface soils where hydrolysis is less likely to occur. Further studies with malathion are needed to 

assess these particular situations. Monitoring data for pesticide disposal and other hazardous waste sites 

are also lacking and would be useful in determining the prevalence of malathion residues at these sites. 

As very little definitive information was found in the literature on the transformation and degradation of 

malathion in air, additional studies are needed on this topic, including on the transformation of the parent 

to malaoxon through photolysis and on the subsequent degradation of malaoxon. Several researchers 

have suggested the possibility of the volatilization of malathion from nonnatural surfaces, such as metals, 

plastic playground equipment, cement, and paved areas, based on mass deposition study data (Bradman et 

al. 1994; Brown et al. 1993b). More information is needed on the potential volatilization of malathion 

from nonnatural surfaces such as pavements and playground equipment. Additionally, information is 

needed on the potential for photodegradation of malathion and malaoxon on such surfaces in order to 

characterize the fate of malathion in the environment when it is used over widespread areas for public 

health purposes. Information on the physical properties and the fate and persistence of the malathion 

degradate malaoxon (which is also present in malathion as an impurity) would be particularly useful in 

assessing the human health risks from malathion use, as the oxon is considered to be more toxic than the 

parent compound (EPA 2000a). 

Bioavailability from Environmental Media. Malathion can be absorbed following inhalation or 

dermal contact with contaminated media, and by ingestion of contaminated water or food, particularly of 

unwashed backyard vegetables (Bradman et al. 1994; Brown et al. 1993b; Durham and Wolfe 1962; EPA 

2000a; Kutz et al. 1992; MacIntosh et al. 1999a; Whitmore et al. 1994). Dermal contact with malathion 

present in soil or on treated crops and ingestion of malathion present on backyard vegetables or soil 

particles are exposure routes that may be of concern. No information was found in the available literature 

on the bioavailability of malathion following ingestion of soil or dermal contact with contaminated media; 

such data are needed to determine potential exposures to humans. 

Food Chain Bioaccumulation. The majority of the data available on the bioaccumulation of 

malathion suggest that, while malathion may be bioconcentrated, it is rapidly metabolized or depurated 
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from the tissue of aquatic organisms and is, therefore, not likely to be biomagnified in the food chain such 

that it would pose human exposure threats (EPA 2000a; Howard 1991). However, bioconcentration 

factor data available in the literature did not definitively show that such a concern would be unfounded. 

Additional data to verify (or refute) the assumption that food chain bioaccumulation of malathion is not 

an important fate process would be helpful in assessing human exposure risks from ingestion of 

contaminated fish or other aquatic organisms. Data on the uptake and potential concentration of 

malathion residues by plants were not found in the literature. Because malathion is utilized for home 

garden purposes, there is a potential for malathion to be taken up by vegetable and other produce plants. 

Although malathion is water soluble, malathion residues incorporated into the plants may be difficult to 

remove through washing or other food preparation processes and the consumption of such may provide a 

route for exposure. Additional data are needed on the ability of food plants to uptake malathion residues 

from the soil or through aboveground plant parts that come into contact with the insecticide through direct 

application. 

Exposure Levels in Environmental Media. Malathion has been detected in the ambient air 

(Bradman 1994; Brown et al. 1993b; Majewski et al. 1998; Wright et al. 1996), precipitation (McConnell 

et al. 1998), fog (Rice 1996), surface water (Kimbrough and Litke 1996; Kucklick and Bidleman 1994; 

Larson et al. 1995), groundwater (EPA 1992; Ritter 1990), soil (Krapac et al. 1995), and in/on food and 

feeds (Carman et al. 1981; Lovell et al. 1996; Luke et al. 1988). Estimates of human intake of malathion 

have been made for ingestion of foodstuffs (EPA 2000a; Gartrell et al. 1985, 1986; Gunderson et al. 

1995a, 1995b). Limited estimates of dermal and inhalation exposure have been made for the general 

population (Marty et al. 1994; Whitmore et al. 1994). Improved estimates of exposure from air, water, 

and soil as well as from treated nonnatural surfaces (such as pavements, sidewalks, and playground 

equipment) are needed to assess human exposure to malathion, particularly for exposures resulting from 

home and garden use and public health uses. Estimates of exposure to malaoxon, the production of which 

is favored in the environment under some conditions, are particularly important for assessing the human 

health risks related to malathion use. Information concerning concentrations of malathion in the air, 

water, and soil at the NPL hazardous waste sites known to be contaminated with malathion are needed to 

assess the exposure of populations living in the vicinity of these sites. 

Exposure Levels in Humans. The malathion residues malathion dicarboxylic acid (DCA) and 

malathion alpha-monocarboxylic acid (MCA) may be detected in human urine samples following recent 

exposure to malathion (Fenske and Leffingwell 1989; Kutz et al. 1992; MacIntosh et al. 1999a). These 

compounds are specific for malathion when there is a history of exposure. Limited studies have been 
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conducted to determine the occurrence of pesticide body burden residues in the general population and to 

estimate the extent of human exposure to pesticides in the general U.S. population (Kutz et al. 1992); to 

determine the exposure of human populations at two U.S. sites to malathion via dermal and inhalation 

routes and compare these with estimated dietary exposure in the same populations (Whitmore et al. 1994); 

to determine malathion exposure to adults, infants, and children in areas receiving aerial applications of 

malathion for public health purposes (Marty et al. 1994); and to determine exposure levels in 

occupationally exposed persons (Ames et al. 1989; Lin and Hee 1998; Wolfe et al. 1978). However, a 

population that is potentially exposed to malathion through home and garden use of the compound also 

exists. Within occupationally exposed populations, subgroups of persons who may be exposed to higher 

levels of malathion exist; these include workers who don’t wear adequate protective materials/equipment 

and workers who may enter too early into treated areas that have conditions favorable to the buildup of 

malaoxon. Information on the body burdens and intake of malathion residues for these populations and 

subgroups would be useful in assessing the exposure levels of persons with potentially high exposures to 

malathion. This information is necessary for assessing the need to conduct health studies on these 

populations. 

Exposures of Children. The exposure of children to malathion through ingestion of foodstuffs eaten 

by infants and children has been estimated fairly extensively for various age groups including infants, 

toddlers, and teenagers (EPA 2000a; Gunderson et al. 1995a, 1995b), and weight-adjusted intakes have 

been calculated (Gartrell et al. 1986). However, only limited studies have been conducted to estimate the 

extent of the exposure of children to malathion residues through dermal and inhalation pathways or 

through the ingestion of contaminated soil (Bradman et al. 1994). Data on the body burden measurements 

of malathion made on children are needed to determine exposures to children, particularly to those 

children living in or near areas where malathion is sprayed for public health purposes or used in the home 

and garden. Also, additional studies on the exposure of children to malathion on natural outdoor surfaces 

such as fields and turf, and on nonnatural outdoor surfaces such as sidewalks and playground equipment 

in areas where malathion is widely sprayed are necessary to determine the health risks to children living 

in such areas. Studies are also needed to determine breast milk contamination by malathion in order to 

assess exposures to nursing infants. 

Child health data needs relating to susceptibility are discussed in 3.12.2 Identification of Data Needs: 

Children’s Susceptibility. 
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Exposure Registries. No exposure registries for malathion were located. This chemical is not 

currently one of the compounds for which a subregistry has been established in the National Exposure 

Registry. The substance will be considered in the future when chemical selection is made for 

subregistries to be established. The information that is amassed in the National Exposure Registry 

facilitates the epidemiological research needed to assess adverse health outcomes that may be related to 

exposure to malathion. 

6.8.2 Ongoing Studies 

Information on ongoing studies related to the physical and chemical properties; the production, use, 

release, and disposal; the environmental fate and exposure; and the bioavailability of malathion was 

scarce. The Federal Research in Progress (FEDRIP 2002) database provides additional information 

obtainable from a few ongoing studies that may fill in some of the data needs identified in Section 6.8.1. 

With the exception of one study being funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), all of the studies 

identified in the FEDRIP database are being funded by the USDA. The majority of the studies identified 

in the database abstracts that mentioned malathion tend to be for research that deals with identifying 

alternative compounds, including chemically based alternatives and biopesticides, that are of lower risk or 

safer to use compared with malathion. Other studies focus on finding improved methods of application, 

which would lead to the safer, more accurate, and more timely application of pesticides, including 

malathion. Related studies focused on studying aspects of the boll weevil, a target pest for which 

malathion is used in USDA eradication programs, in order to find more environmentally sound and more 

cost effective ways (including decreased usage of pesticides) of achieving the goal of boll weevil 

eradication. The use of ultra-low volume (ULV) applications for control of boll weevils or mosquitoes 

are mentioned in several of the research abstracts, as is the implementation of integrated pest management 

(IPM) programs. Some of the studies focus on the use of safer and more efficacious biological and 

chemical compounds to be used for the control of riceland mosquito populations that have exhibited a 

high tolerance to malathion. 

A literature search in an additional database identified a few studies related to the use, disposal, exposure, 

and environmental fate of malathion. 

Researchers at Mississippi State are conducting a study funded by Agricultural Research Service 

(ARS)/USDA to identify methods to improve the efficiency of the production of channel catfish in 

aquaculture. Because malathion use (as ULV applications) for boll weevil eradication in the local study 
MALATHION 213 

 6. POTENTIAL FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE 

area is potentially problematic for the catfish industry, the study includes experiments intended to 

determine the bioaccumulation of malathion in catfish tissue. Additional experiments in the study focus 

on the malathion degradation in aquarium and pond water. 

Scientists at the University of Hawaii are conducting research funded by Cooperative State Research, 

Education, and Extension Service (CSREES)/USDA to help in obtaining minor use and specialty use 

pesticide clearances and to assist in the maintenance of current pesticide registrations. Proposed uses for 

individual pesticides are evaluated and prioritized based on several factors including safety to man, nontarget organisms and the environment. Uses being studied for malathion include application of the 

insecticide on multiple fruit, nut, and vegetable crops as well as ornamentals. 

Scientists at Cornell University are conducting research funded by CSREES/USDA to elucidate 

mechanisms of degradation and identify degradation products of various pesticides using various 

analytical methods. The main objective of the study is to develop a new kinetic model that will allow the 

researchers to evaluate the Anodic Fenton Treatment system, a newly developed technology for 

degrading/mineralizing pesticides and pesticide wastes (such as rinsate). The study will include the 

assessment of the toxicity, at both the molecular and cellular level, of the post-treatment aqueous effluent. 

Researchers at the University of Maryland are measuring the concentrations of pesticides including 

malathion and combustion-derived polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the air and water of the 

Chesapeake Bay. The object of the study is to understand the transport processes as well as the chemicalbiological mechanisms that influence pesticide volatilization and transport. This includes studying the 

impacts of deposited volatiles and development of means to reduce volatile emissions. The study will 

also include an evaluation of the spatial and temporal trends in atmospheric transport and deposition of 

pesticides and combustion-derived chemicals to the Chesapeake Bay. 

Scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station will examine pesticide exposure through 

non-dietary routes at commercial agricultural operations, public facilities, and in the home environment. 

The potential routes of non-dietary exposure to be examined include: dermal exposure by touching and 

handling contaminated items; non-dietary ingestion arising from hand to mouth contact with 

contaminated surfaces; continuous dermal exposure as a result of wearing contaminated clothing; and 

respiratory exposure from the inhalation of airborne contaminants. 

MALATHION 215 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

The purpose of this chapter is to describe the analytical methods that are available for detecting, 

measuring, and/or monitoring malathion, its metabolites, and other biomarkers of exposure and effect to 

malathion. The intent is not to provide an exhaustive list of analytical methods. Rather, the intention is 

to identify well-established methods that are used as the standard methods of analysis. Many of the 

analytical methods used for environmental samples are the methods approved by federal agencies and 

organizations such as EPA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Other 

methods presented in this chapter are those that are approved by groups such as the Association of 

Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) and the American Public Health Association (APHA). 

Additionally, analytical methods are included that modify previously used methods to obtain lower 

detection limits and/or to improve accuracy and precision. 

7.1 BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES 

In mammals, malathion is metabolized by hydrolytic cleavage of one or both succinate esters and by 

hydrolysis of the succinate moiety from the dialkylthiophosphate (see Section 3.4.3, Metabolism). The 

primary metabolites found in biological fluids following exposure to malathion are malathion 

dicarboxylic acid (DCA) and malathion monocarboxylic acid (MCA). The DCA and MCA carboxylic 

acids represent more than 80% of the total metabolites excreted in urine. In addition, smaller amounts of 

two other metabolites, O,O-dimethyl phosphorothionate (DMTP) and O,O-dimethyl phosphorodithioate 

(DMDTP), are also found. Metabolites may also arise from malaoxon, a metabolite of malathion. 

The principal method used for the detection of malathion and metabolites in biological samples is gas 

chromatography (GC) using an electron capture detector (ECD), a nitrogen/phosphorous detector (NPD), 

a flame photometric detector (FPD) in phosphorous mode, or a mass spectroscopy detector (MS). The 

detection of malathion using GC-flame-ionization-dection (FID) is reported to have low sensitivity and 

results are generally not reproducible (Lin and Hee 1998). Confirmation of GC analysis is typically 

accomplished using gas chromatography with mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The preparation of samples 

for GC analysis typically involves sample extraction with an organic solvent (e.g., hexane or diethyl 

ether) and purification of the extract (e.g., by column chromatography or further extraction). The major 

metabolites of malathion, DCA and MCA, require derivativization prior to GC analysis. 
MALATHION 216 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

Exposure to organophosphorous pesticides is generally assessed by monitoring:blood cholinesterase 

(ChE) inhibition and urinary metabolite excretion. Assay of blood cholinesterase activities is the most 

common and reliable biological indicator of human exposure to organophosphorous pesticides (OPs). 

The OPs inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in red blood cells (RBCs) and pseudocholinesterase (PChE) 

in serum or plasma. Depending upon the degree of exposure, type of OPs, and AcChE/PChE, the 

reduction in PChE and AChE activity can last for several days. Malathion and its activated product, 

malaxon, are not good inhibitors of cholinesterases. Several analytical methods have been developed to 

determine AChE and PChE in blood. Results obtained from the methods are generally comparable, but 

differ widely in accuracy, sensitivity, and precision. Analytical methods for the detection of metabolites 

of malathion in urine are more sensitive than those used to determine AChE and PChE in blood. Because 

of the increase in sensitivity, the methods are capable of revealing exposures that may be insufficient to 

bring about a toxic response. However, since alkyl phosphates such as malathion are rapidly metabolized 

in the body and their metabolites are excreted in urine within a short time (24–36 hours), urine samples 

for analysis must be collected quickly. Table 7-1 summarizes the analytical methods used to detect 

malathion and its metabolites as well as cholinesterase activity in biological tissues and fluids. 

Malathion has been determined in human serum using a hexane extraction procedure and detection using 

GC-FPD (Fournier and Sonnier 1978). It was necessary to perform serum assays within 48 hours of 

patient exposure since malathion is quickly hydrolyzed in human tissues. The limit of detection was 

reported as 0.2 mg/L. 

The quantity of malathion, DCA, and MCA in rat and human urine has been measured using GC-FPD 

(Bradway and Shafik 1977). Sample preparation required an extensive clean-up procedure involving 

extraction with diethyl ether, centrifugation, acidification, and additional extractions. The extracted DCA 

and MCA was then derivatized by ethylation or methylation and purified by column chromatography on 

silica gel using an ethyl acetate/benzene eluent. The percent recoveries for MCA and DCA from samples 

of rat urine were 99–104% for MCA and 98–101% for DCA. The lowest limits of detection in rat and 

human urine were 0.005 mg/L for MCA and 0.002 mg/L for DCA; the detection limits were found to be 

dependent upon detector sensitivity and the presence of interfering peaks in the GC. This procedure is 

commonly used, but difficulties have been reported with extraction and derivativization (Ito et al. 1979). 

Significant background interference in GC analysis can occur when inorganic phosphates are present 

(Moody et al. 1985). Derivatives of DMTP and DMDTP have been measured in human urine using GCFPD in phosphorous mode (Fenske and Leffingwell 1989). Urine samples were subjected to alkaline 

hydrolysis to convert DCA and MCA to DMTP and DMDTP, which were derivatized with 
MALATHION 217 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

Table 7-1. Analytical Methods for Determining Malathion or Biomarkers of 

Exposure in Biological Samples 

Sample 

matrix Preparation method 

Analytical 

method 

Sample 

detection 

limit 

Percent 

recovery Reference 

Human 

blood 

Collection of blood samples, 

0.1 M phosphate buffer 

(pH=8.0) 

Spectrophotometer (at 

410–412 nm) 

No data No data Ellman et al. 

1961 

Human 

blood 

Collection of blood samples, 

tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, 

sodium chloride, HCl, 

centrifuge 

Colorimeter 

analysis (at 

412 nm) 

No data No data Knaak et al. 

1978 

Blood Microtiter assay using 

acetylthiocholine, AChE, 

Ellman assay reaction 

mixture 

Microtiter 

assay; 

absorbance 

measurement 

(at 405 nm) 

No data No data Doctor et al. 

1987 

Human 

serum 

Extraction with hexane GC-FPD 0.001 mg/L No data Fournier and 

Sonnier 1978 

Human 

urine 

Extract with diethyl ether, 

centrifuge, acidify, extract 

with hexane, alkylate with 

BF3-methanol, purify on 

silica gel (elution with 

benzene/ethyl acetate 

GC-FPD 0.002 mg/L 

(DCA) 

0.005 mg/L 

(MCA) 

98–101% 

for DCA 

98–104% 

for MCA 

Bradway and 

Shafik 1977 

Human 

urine 

Hydrolysis of MCA and 

DCA with 1.0 N KOH, 90 

C, 4 hours, extraction with 

hexane, derivatization with 

PFBB 

GC-FPD 

(phosphorous 

mode) 

0.014 mg/L 

(DMTP) 

0.025 mg/L 

(DMDTP) 

88% (total 

malathion) 

120% 

(DMTP) 

70% 

(DMDTP) 

Fenske and 

Leffingwell 

1989 

Human 

urine 

Solid-phase extraction, 

methanolic HCl extraction, 

derivatization with 

diazomethane, 

Isotope 

dilution Ion 

Trap GC-MS 

6.5 ng/mL 

(DCA) 

4.4 ng/mL 

(MCA) 

106–114% 

(DCA) 

50–60% 

(MCA) 

Draper et al. 

1991 

Human 

urine 

Acidify to pH 3.7, extract 

twice with CH2Cl2/diethyl 

ether (1:4), centrifuge and 

concentrate 

Isotope 

dilution 

HPLC/MS/MS 

0.5 μg/L 

(DCA) 

75% Baker et al. 

2000; Beeson 

et al. 1999 

DCA = malathion dicarboxylic acid; DMDTP = O,O-dimethyl phosphorodithionate; DMTP = O,O-dimethyl phosphorothionate; 

FPD = flame photometric detection; GC = gas chromatography; HCl = hydrochloric acid; HPLC = high performance liquid 

chromatography; KOH = potassium hydroxide; M = Molar; MCA = malathion monocarboxylic acid; MS = mass spectrometry; 

PFBB = pentafluorobenzyl bromide 
MALATHION 218 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

pentafluorobenzyl bromide. However, the procedure is not specific for malathion since DMTP and 

DMDTP are common to several types of organophosphorous insecticides. The detection limits were 

0.014 mg/L for DMTP and 0.025 mg/L for DMDTP. Ion-exchange resins and anion-exchange solidphase extraction have been used to isolate metabolites of malathion from urine (Lores and Bradway 1977; 

Muan and Skare 1989). The MCA, DCA, DMDTP, and DMTP metabolites were derivatized with 

diazomethane and assayed using GC-nitrogen-phosphorus-detection (NPD). A detection limit of 2 μg/mL 

for each metabolite was reported. A later modification of this procedure utilized isotope dilution ion trap 

GC-MS to detect the diazomethane derivatives to improve the detection limits. The lowest limits of 

detection for DCA and MCA were 0.006 and 0.004 mg/L, respectively. 

A recent method for identifying and quantifying malathion diacid in urine samples collected from 

nonoccupationally exposed populations utilizes isotope dilution high-performance liquid 

chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS); the method has the advantage of not 

requiring derivatization of DCA ( Baker et al. 2000; Beeson et al. 1999). Using this method, urine 

samples are acidified (10% sulfuric acid) to a pH of 3.7 and extracted with methylene chloride and ethyl 

ether (1:4). The organic extracts are combined and concentrated for HPLC injection and MS/MS 

analysis. The analytical limit of detection was 0.0005 mg/L and the recovery was 75%. The advantages 

of this technique are the high specificity and sensitivity that are achieved by chromatographically 

separating out unwanted contaminants that could interfere with the mass analysis and the use of isotope 

dilution to correct for sample recoveries. 

The most commonly used assay for determining ChE activity is that of Ellman et al. (1961). In this 

method, RBCs are suspended in a buffer (e.g., 10 μL blood in 6 mL of 0.1 M phosphate buffer). For 

assay of only RBC ChE, the suspension is treated with quinidine sulfate to inhibit PChE. Total esterase 

activity is determined in the samples with no addition of quinidine sulfate. The production of thiocholine 

formed in the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine is measured by coupling of the reactive thiol with 

5,5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoate) (DTNB) to give a thionitrobenzoate (TNB). The TNB is a yellow anion 

and its formation can be measured spectrophotometrically. The production of TNB is rapid and the 

concentration of DTNB used in the assay does not inhibit the enzyme. Absorbance is typically measured 

at 410–412 nm, but other wavelengths have been used. Because a nonlinear reaction of the thiol reagent 

with reduced glutathion of RBCs is possible, a sample blank is required. This method has been adapted 

to assay cholinesterase in other tissues such as lung, brain, liver, stomach, heart, and muscle. An 

adaptation of the Ellman assay is a microtiter assay method for AChE that has been developed by Doctor 

et al. (1987). The AChE samples to be assayed are added to microtiter plates and enzymatic hydrolysis is 
MALATHION 219 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

initiated by adding Ellman reaction mixture (DTNB). The hydrolysis reaction is terminated by the 

addition of an AChE inhibitor (1,5-bis(4-allyldimethylammoniumphenyl)-pentan-3-one dibromide. The 

absorbance of the microtiter can be measured continuously by reader at 405 nm filter. 

Several modified versions of the Ellman assay have been developed, including an automated procedure 

that is used by the State of California to monitor exposure of field workers (Knaack et al. 1978). In this 

method, samples of whole blood and plasma are diluted with tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane 

(0.05 Molar) and sodium chloride (0.114 Molar) buffer adjusted to pH 7.7 with hydrogen chloride. The 

samples are centrifuged at 1,600 rpm for 4 minutes to separate RBCs from plasma, which are then 

analyzed for esterase activity using a continuous flow Technicon Analyzer. Prediluted whole blood or 

plasma samples are passed through a 37 EC dry bath incubator for 1.17 minutes. The sample is then 

passed through a 12-inch dialyzer equipped with a Type C membrane and the released thiocholine is 

passed through a solution of DTNB color reagent. The thiocholine DTNB mixture is sent to a delay coil 

for color development prior to being passed through a 15x1.5 mm flow cell. 

7.2 ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES 

The principal method that is used to analyze environmental samples for malathion is GC. Detectors that 

are used include FPD in phosphorous mode, ECD, and MS. Another method that has also been used 

successfully is GC with tandem ion trap MS/MS. Table 7-2 summarizes the analytical methods used to 

detect malathion and its metabolites in environmental samples. 

Malathion has been detected in air using GC equipped with FPD and a nitrogen-phosphorous detector and 

with GC-MS. The lowest limit of detection reported was in the 0.5–1.0 ng/m3

 range. Several methods of 

sample collection have been reported and include collection on resin and filter paper (Brown et al. 

1993b), a combined filter-sorbent tube sampler (OSHA Versatile sampler; Kennedy et al. 1994), a glass 

wool-Tenax TA tube (Roinestad et al. 1993), a polyethylene-backed adsorbent paper (Brown et al. 1991), 

and air samplers equipped with Ortho 42 tubes (Wright et al. 1996). Sample preparation typically 

involves desorption of analytes from the tubes using an organic solvent (e.g., acetone, acetone-toluene, 

and acetone-hexane-toluene) (Brown et al. 1993b). Recoveries were reported to be in the 90–100% 

range. The 100% recovery of malathion was reported by Kennedy (1994) during a study of indoor 

household air. Sample preparation was accomplished by desorption of malathion from a collection tube 
MALATHION 220 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

Table 7-2. Analytical Methods for Determining Malathion 

in Environmental Samples 

Sample 

matrix Preparation method 

Analytical 

method 

Sample 

detection 

limit 

Percent 

recovery Reference 

Air (indoor) Adsorption onto sample tube 

containing 25 mg TENAX TA 

and desorption with acetone 

GC-MS with 

chemical 

ionization 

1.0 ng/m3

 100% Roinestad et al. 

1993 

Air Collection on glass cartridges 

containing XAD-2 resin, 

extract with acetone 

GC-FPD (in 

phosphorous 

mode) 

No data No data Brown et al. 1993 

Air Adsorption on OVS, 

desorption with acetonetoluene (1:9) 

GC-FPD (in 

phosphorous 

mode) 

0.05 μg/mL 94% Kennedy et al. 

1994 

Air (indoor) Brian Model Air Sampler 

(Ortho 42 tubes), extract with 

toluene:hexane:acetone 

(1.0:0.5:0.5) 

GC with NPD 

and GC-FPD 

(in 

phosphorous 

mode) 

No data 90% Wright et al. 1996

Water Extracted with hexane GC-FPD 0.06 μg/L 117% Zweig and Devine 

1969 

Water Adsorption onto a 

macroreticular resin (Amberlite 

XAD-2), desorb with acetonehexane (15:85) 

GC-NPD (or 

GC-FID) 

20 pg 

(0.02 ng/L) 

96–103% Label et al. 1979 

Water Absorption into a microfiber 

(SPME), desorb directly in GC 

injector 

GC-NPD 0.04 ng/mL 

(40 ng/L) 

No data Beltran et al. 1998

Water Adsorption onto a 

macroreticular resin (Amberlite 

XAD-2), desorption with diethyl 

ether, concentrate, hydrolyze 

to DMDTP, complex with 

Bi(III), and extract with CCl4

Colorimetric 0.023 mg/L 95% Clark and Qazi 

1980 

Water SFE-CO2+0.3 mL methanol, 

50 °C, 350 bar 

GC-MS No data 85% Barnabas 1994 

Water SPE elution with methylene 

chloride-methanol (80:20) 

GC-MS (ion 

trap) 

0.12 μg/L 51% Eitzer and 

Chevalier 1999 

Soil Soxhlet extraction with 

acetone-hexane 

GC-ECD No data 79% Kramer et al. 

1999 

Soil Microwave assisted extraction 

with acetone-hexane 

GC-ECD No data 75% Kramer et al. 

1999 

Soil Subcritical water extraction 

with deionized water 

GC-ECD No data 9% Kramer et al. 

1999 

House dust Soxhlet extraction with 6% 

diethyl ether in n-hexane 

GC-ECD; 

GC-MS 

50–1,500 

ng/g 

75% Lewis et al. 1994 
MALATHION 221 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

Table 7-2. Analytical Methods for Determining Malathion 

in Environmental Samples 

Sample 

matrix Preparation method 

Analytical 

method 

Sample 

detection 

limit 

Percent 

recovery Reference 

House dust Soxhlet extraction with 6% 

diethyl ether in n-hexane 

GC-FPD (or 

NPD) and 

GC-MS 

50 ppb 92% Bradman et al. 

1997 

Handwipe 

(children) 

Wiping hands with sterile 

gauze with propanol, extract 

with diethyl ether in n-hexane 

GC-FPD 50 ppb 92% Bradman et al. 

1997 

Soil SFE-CO2+5% methanol, 

50 °C, 250 bar, 15 minute 

static, 30 minute dynamic 

GC-MS No data 76.3–

96.7% 

Camel 1997 

Food 

(grains) 

SFE-CO2, 40 °C, 450 bar, 

dynamic 

GC-FPD No data >80% Camel 1997 

Food (fruits, 

vegetables, 

and milk) 

Extract with acetonitrileethanol (95:5, v/v), SPE (EnviCarb) using acetonitriletoluene (3:1, v/v) 

GC with 

tandem ion 

trap MS/MS 

ppb No data Sheridan and 

Meola 1999 

Fruit Extract the flower or fruit with 

acetone, partition with 

water/hexane, column 

chromatography on Florisil 

using 20% acetone in hexane 

(v/v) 

GC/ECD 0.0005 ppm 

(0.05 ppb) 

>95% Belanger et al. 

1990 

Potato SFE-CO2, 60 °C, 320 bar, 

2 minute static, 10 minute 

dynamic 

GC-MS No data 72–94% Camel 1997 

Vegetable, 

fruit 

Extraction with ethyl acetate GC-FPD 

(phosphorous 

mode) and 

GC-MS 

5–20 μg/kg 105% Aguera 1993 

Edible fat SFE (CO2-3% acetonitrile; 

60 °C; 27.58 Mpa) column 

chromatography on florisil 

GC-FPD 

(phosphorous 

mode) 

No data 80–85% Hopper 1999 

Milk (whole, 

skim, infant 

formula) 

Extraction with acetoneacetonitrile, centrifuge, 

partition with 

dichloromethane/water, solid 

phase extraction with 

acetonitrile, chromatography 

on a C18 (SPE) cartridge 

GC-FPD 

(phosphorous 

mode) 

No data 86–103% Erney 1995 

DMDTP = O,O-dimethyl phosphorodithionate; ECD = electron capture detector; FID = flame ionization detector; FPD = flame 

photometric detection; GC = gas chromatography; LC = liquid chromatography; MS = mass spectrometry; NaCl = sodium chloride; 

NPD = nitrogen/phosphorus detector; OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Administration; OVS = OSHA versatile sample; 

SFE = supercritical fluid extraction; SFE-CO2 = supercritical fluid extraction with carbon dioxide; SPE = solid phase extraction; 

SPME = solid-phase micro extraction; ppb = parts per billion; ppm = parts per million; v/v = volume/volume
MALATHION 222 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

using acetone. The solution was concentrated and analyzed using GC-MS with chemical ionization 

(Kennedy et al. 1994). The limit of detection was reported as 0.5 ng/m3

. 

In water, malathion can be analyzed using colorimetric analysis, GC-FPD, GC-NPD, and GC-MS. The 

isolation of malathion from water generally requires sample extraction followed by purification of the 

extract to remove substances that may interfere with detection methods. Several methods have been 

developed for the extraction of malathion from water samples involving extraction with an organic 

solvent (Zweig and Devine 1969); collection on a resin column followed by elution with an organic 

solvent (Clark and Qazi 1979; LeBel et al. 1979); and solid-phase extraction and elution with an organic 

solvent (Eitzer and Chevalier 1999). Beltran et al. (1998) demonstrated that solid-phase micro extraction 

(SPME) can be used to identify organophosphorous pesticides in water samples without the use of 

organic solvents. Organophosphorous compounds can be extracted from water onto a polymeric 

(polydimethylsiloxane or polyacrylate) collection filter according to their affinity for the filter coating and 

are subsequently thermally desorbed from the coating directly in the GC injector. The limit of detection 

for malathion was 0.04 ng/mL (Beltran et al. 1998). In another study, the mean percent recovery of 

malathion from water using SPME was found to be very low, suggesting that the technique may require 

further investigation to optimize partitioning of pesticides to the collection fiber (Kramer et al. 1999). 

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), a process using carbon dioxide liquified above 31 EC at high 

pressure, provides efficient extraction of pesticides and their metabolites in a variety of matrices without 

the use of large quantities of organic solvents (Camel 1997). A modified SFE using methanol-CO2 was 

used to obtain recoveries of 84.6% for malathion from water (Barnabas et al. 1994). 

Analytical analysis of soils, sand, sediments, and indoor house dust has been performed using GC-ECD, 

GC-FPD, GC-NPD, and GC-MS; analysis of food, milk (whole and infant formula), and edible fat has 

been accomplished using GC-FPD, GC-ECD, GC-MS, and tandem GC-MS/MS. Sample preparation 

methods vary widely since extraction and cleanup methods are dependent upon the sample matrix. For 

soils and sediments, soxhlet extraction is the standard extraction technique used in most EPA methods 

(Smith 1994). Pesticide residues in house dust have been determined using soxhlet extraction (6% diethyl 

ether in hexane). Recoveries of malathion were reported to be 75–92% with a limit of detection of 

0.05–1.5 mg/ng (Bradman et al. 1997; Lewis et al. 1994). In a recent study of organophosphorous 

pesticides, Kramer et al. (1999) examined various extraction techniques and compared their percent 

recoveries. For malathion, soxhlet extraction was found to have slightly higher recoveries (79%; average 

of three extractions) than microwave assisted extraction (75%; average of five extractions). Standard 
MALATHION 223 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

procedures for the extraction of milk and fat involve the complete extraction of the fat and extensive 

cleanup by column chromatography on Florisil prior to analysis (AOAC 1990; FDA 1999). To simplify 

these procedures, Erney (1995) developed a method that utilizes solid-phase extraction for the cleanup. 

Using this method, recoveries of 86–103% were obtained for malathion in whole and skim milk, and in 

infant formula (Erney 1995). In a recent study, SFE was used successfully to extract organophosphorous 

pesticides from edible fats. Although the method was determined to be less effective than standard 

procedures for the recovery of some analytes, the recovery of malathion was 80–85% (Hopper 1999). 

The use of GC with ion trap mass spectrometry (MS/MS) has been investigated by Sheridan and Meola 

(1999) for analysis of food matrices. Because MS/MS is highly selective, it is capable of making clear 

compound identification of even complex matrixes at the parts-per-billion range and is less susceptible to 

interfering coextractives than selective detectors (e.g., ECD and FPD). Using GC-MS/MS, malathion 

was detected in strawberries at 0.01 ppm. In contrast, detection of malathion using a selective detector 

was 0.009 ppm (Sheridan and Meola 1999). 

Analysis of handwipe samples taken from children has been accomplished using GC-FPD or GC-NPD. 

Detection limits were reported as 50 ppb (μg/L) with an average recovery of 92% (Bradman et al. 1997). 

7.3 ADEQUACY OF THE DATABASE 

Section 104(i)(5) of CERCLA, as amended, directs the Administrator of ATSDR (in consultation with the 

Administrator of EPA and agencies and programs of the Public Health Service) to assess whether 

adequate information on the health effects of malathion is available. Where adequate information is not 

available, ATSDR, in conjunction with the National Toxicology Program (NTP), is required to assure the 

initiation of a program of research designed to determine the health effects (and techniques for developing 

methods to determine such health effects) of malathion. 

The following categories of possible data needs have been identified by a joint team of scientists from 

ATSDR, NTP, and EPA. They are defined as substance-specific informational needs that if met would 

reduce the uncertainties of human health assessment. This definition should not be interpreted to mean 

that all data needs discussed in this section must be filled. In the future, the identified data needs will be 

evaluated and prioritized, and a substance-specific research agenda will be proposed. 
MALATHION 224 

7. ANALYTICAL METHODS 

7.3.1 Identification of Data Needs 

Methods for Determining Biomarkers of Exposure and Effect. Organophosphate pesticides, 

such as malathion, inhibit cholinesterases. Methods exist for the measurement of erythrocyte and plasma 

cholinesterase levels (EPA 1980d; Nabb and Whitfield 1967). However, there are some problems with 

the reliability of these methods because normal erythrocyte cholinesterase values vary widely (Midtling et 

al. 1985; Tafuri and Roberts 1987) and plasma cholinesterase can be suppressed by a variety of diseases 

(Zimmerman and Henry 1984; Tafuri and Roberts 1987). Further studies to improve the reliability of 

cholinesterase levels might be useful in establishing this as a reliable measure of organophosphate 

exposure. 

Methods for Determining Parent Compounds and Degradation Products in Environmental 

Media. Analytical methods exist to measure low levels of malathion in air (Brown et al. 1993b; 

Kennedy et al. 1994; Roinestad et al. 1993; Wright et al. 1996); water (Beltran et al. 1998; Clark and Qazi 

1979; Eitzer and Chevalier 1999; LeBel et al. 1979; Zweig and Devine 1969); soil; carpet dust; milk; 

infant formula; fats and oils; and foods (Bradman et al. 1997; Erney 1995; Hopper 1999; Kramer et al. 

1999; Lewis et al. 1994; Sheridan and Meola 1999). These methods can be used to identify potentially 

contaminated media that may be sources of human exposure. Several analytical methods exist for the 

detection of malathion. Gas chromatography coupled with sensitive phosphorous detectors and GC-MS 

are the most commonly used methods of detection. The detection limit is typically in the low parts-perbillion for air (Kennedy et al. 1994), water (Eitzer and Chevalier 1999) and soil; carpet dust; milk; infant 

formula; and foods (Bradman et al. 1997; Lewis et al. 1994; Sheridan and Meola 1999). Studies are 

needed to investigate improved methods of isolation from complex matrixes, selectivity of detection, 

precision, and accuracy. 

7.3.2 Ongoing Studies 

No information was located concerning ongoing studies for improving methods of analysis of malathion 

metabolites, or other biomarkers of exposure and effect for malathion in biological materials. 
MALATHION 225 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

The international, national, and state regulations and guidelines regarding malathion in air, water, and 

other media are summarized in Table 8-1. 

ATSDR has derived an acute inhalation MRL of 0.2 mg/m3

 for malathion based on a NOAEL of 

65 mg/m3

 for inhibition of erythrocyte cholinesterase activity in rabbits (Weeks et al. 1977). The LOAEL 

was 123 mg/m3

. An uncertainty factor of 100 was used (10 for animal to human extrapolation and 10 for 

the protection of sensitive human groups). A conversion factor was used to adjust from intermittent 

exposure to continuous exposure (6/24hours). 

ATSDR has derived an intermediate inhalation MRL of 0.02 mg/m3

 for malathion based on a LOAEL of 

100 mg/m3

 for upper respiratory tract effects in rats (Beattie 1994). An uncertainty factor of 1,000 was 

used (10 for animal to human extrapolation, 10 for the use of a LOAEL, and 10 for the protection of 

sensitive human groups). A conversion factor was used to adjust from intermittent exposure to 

continuous exposure (5/7x6/24 hours). 

ATSDR has derived an intermediate oral MRL of 2x10-2 mg/kg/day for malathion based on a NOAEL of 

0.23 mg/kg/day for inhibition of plasma and red blood cell cholinesterase activities in humans (Moeller 

and Rider 1962). The LOAEL was 0.34 mg/kg/day. An uncertainty factor of 10 was used for the 

protection of sensitive human groups. 

ATSDR has derived a chronic oral MRL of 2x10-2 mg/kg/day for malathion based on a NOAEL of 

2 mg/kg/day for inhibition of plasma and red blood cell cholinesterase activities in male rats administered 

malathion in the diet for 2 years (Daly 1996a). The LOAEL was 29 mg/kg/day. An uncertainty factor of 

100 was used (10 for extrapolation from animal to humans and 10 for the protection of sensitive 

populations). 

EPA (IRIS 2003) has derived an RfD of 2x10 -2 mg/kg/day for malathion based on a NOAEL 

0.23 mg/kg/day for inhibition of plasma and red blood cell cholinesterase activities in humans (Moeller 

and Rider 1962). The LOAEL was 0.34 mg/kg/day. An uncertainty factor of 10 was used for the 

protection of sensitive human groups. 
MALATHION 226 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

INTERNATIONAL 

Guidelines: 

 IARC Carcinogenicity classification Group 3a

 IARC 2001 

NATIONAL 

Regulations and 

Guidelines: 

 

a. Air 

 ACGIH TLV-TWAb

 10 mg/m3 ACGIH 2000 

 NIOSH REL (TWA) 

IDLH 

10 mg/m3

250 mg/m3

NIOSH 2001 

 OSHA PEL (8-hour TWA) 

 General industry (total dust) 15 mg/m3

OSHA 2001a 

29CFR1910.1000 

Table Z-1 

 PEL (8-hour TWA) 

 Construction industry (total 

 dust) 

15 mg/m3

OSHA 2001b 

29CFR1926.55 

Appendix A 

 PEL (8-hour TWA) 

 Shipyard industry (total dust) 15 mg/m3

OSHA 2001c 

29CFR1915.1000 

Table Z 

b. Water 

 DOT Marine pollutant DOT 2001a 

49CFR172.101 

Appendix B 

 EPA Drinking water guideline 0.2 mg/L HSDB 2001 

 Health advisories 

 1 Day (10-kg child) 

 10 Day (10-kg child) 

 DWEL 

 Lifetime 

0.2 mg/L 

0.2 mg/L 

0.7 mg/L 

0.1 mg/L 

EPA 2000c 

 Pesticide chemicals—effluent 

limitations for BPT 

 EPA 2001a 

40CFR455.20(b) 

 Water programs—designation 

of hazardous substance 

 EPA 2001b 

40CFR116.4 

 Water programs—

determination of reportable 

quantity 

 Reportable quantity 

100 pounds 

EPA 2001c 

40CFR117.3 
MALATHION 227 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

NATIONAL (cont.) 

c. Food 

 EPA Methyl eugenol combination 

(pesticide) residue tolerances 

of agricultural commodities; 

ratio of parts of methyl eugenol 

to technical malathion is 3:1; 

eugenol and malathion 

maximum dosage per 

application per acre 

28.35 g methyl eugenol 

and 9.45 g malathion 

EPA 2001d 

40CFR180.1067 

 Pesticides—where residues 

from two or more chemicals in 

the same class are present in 

or on a raw agricultural 

commodity, the tolerance for 

the total of such residues shall 

be the same as that for the 

chemical having the lowest 

numerical tolerance in this 

class, unless a higher 

tolerance level is provided 

 EPA 2001e 

40CFR180.3(e)(5) 

 Pesticides—tolerances for 

residues (ppm) 

 Alfalfa 

 Almond hulls 

 Almonds 

 Almonds, shells 

 Apples 

 Apricots 

 Asparagus 

 Avocados 

 Barley (grain) 

 Beans 

 Beets (tops) 

 Beets (sugar, roots) 

 Beets (sugar tops) 

 Birdsfoot trefoil (forage and 

 hay) 

 Blackberries 

 Blueberries 

 Boysenberries 

 Carrots 

 Cattle (fat, meat byproducts, 

 meat) 

 Chayote (fruit and roots) 

 Cherries 

 Chestnuts 

 Clover 

 Corn, forage and grain 

 Corn, fresh (including sweet) 

 Cottonseed 

135 

50 

8 

50 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

1 

8 

135 

8 

8 

8 

8 

4 

8 

8 

1 

135 

8 

2 

2 

EPA 2001f 

40CFR180.111 
MALATHION 228 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

Pesticides—tolerances for 

residues (ppm) 

 Cowpea (forage and hay) 

 Cranberries 

 Cucumbers 

 Currants 

 Dates 

 Dewberries 

 Eggplants 

 Eggs (from application to 

 poultry) 

135 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

0.1 

 Figs 

 Filberts 

 Flax seed 

 Flax straw 

 Garlic 

 Goats (fat, meat byproducts, 

 meat) 

 Gooseberries 

 Grapefruit 

 Grapes 

 Grass (including hay) 

 Guavas 

 Hogs (fat, meat byproducts, 

 meat) 

 Hops 

 Horseradish 

 Horses (fat, meat byproducts, 

meat) 

 Kumquats 

 Leeks 

 Lemons 

 Lentils 

 Lespedeza (hay and straw) 

 Lespedeza (seed) 

 Limes 

 Loganberries 

 Lupine (seed) 

 Macadamia nuts 

 Mangos 

 Melons 

 Milk, fat (from application to 

dairy cows) 

 Mushrooms 

 Nectarines 

 Oats (grain) 

 Okra 

 Onions (including green tops) 

 Oranges 

 Papayas 

 Parsnips 

Pesticides—tolerances for 

8 

1 

0.1 

1 

8 

4 

8 

8 

8 

135 

8 

4 

1 

8 

4 

8 

8 

8 

8 

135 

8 

8 

8 

8 

1 

8 

8 

0.5 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

1 

8 

EPA 2001f 

40CFR180.111 
MALATHION 229 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

residues (ppm) 

 Passion fruit 

 Peaches 

 Peanut (forage and hay) 

 Peanuts 

 Pears 

 Peas 

 Peavine (including hay) 

 Pecans 

8 

8 

135 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

 Peppermint 

 Peppers 

 Pineapple 

 Plums 

 Potatoes 

 Poultry (fat, meat byproducts, 

 meat) 

 Prunes 

 Pumpkins 

 Quinces 

 Radishes 

 Raspberries 

 Rice (grain and wild) 

 Rutabagas 

 Rye (grain) 

 Safflower (seed) 

 Salsify (including tops) 

 Shallots 

 Sheep (fat, meat byproducts, 

 meat) 

 Sorghum (forage and grain) 

 Soybeans (dry and succulent) 

 Soybeans (forage and hay) 

 Spearmint 

 Squash (summer and winter) 

 Strawberries 

 Sunflower seeds 

 Sweet potatoes 

 Tangerines 

 Tomatoes 

 Turnips (including tops) 

 Vegetables (leafy, including 

 Brassica) 

 Vetch (hay and straw) 

 Vetch (seed) 

 Walnuts 

 Wheat (grain) 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

4 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

8 

0.2 

8 

8 

4 

8 

8 

135 

8 

8 

8 

8 

1 

8 

8 

8 

8 

135 

8 

8 

8 

EPA 2001f 

40CFR180.111 

 USDA Agriculture—labeling of treated 

seed shall not be deemed 

harmful when present at a rate 

less than indicated 

8 ppm USDA 2001 

7CFR201.31a 

 
MALATHION 230 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

NATIONAL (cont.) 

d. Other 

 ACGIH BEI—organophosphorus 

cholinesterase inhibitors 

(cholinesterase activity in red 

cells) 

70% of individual’s 

baseline 

ACGIH 1999 

 ACGIH Carcinogenicity classification A4c

 ACGIH 2000 

 DOT Superfund—reportable quantity 100 pounds DOT 2001b 

49CFR172.101 

Appendix A 

 EPA RfD 2x10-2 mg/kg/day IRIS 2001 

 NPDES—permit application 

testing requirements; toxic 

pollutants and hazardous 

substances required to be 

identified by existing 

dischargers if expected to be 

present 

 EPA 2001g 

40CFR122 

Appendix D 

Table V 

 Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 EPA 2001h 

40CFR265 

Appendix VI 

 Superfund—reportable quantity 10 pounds EPA 2001i 

40CFR302.4 

 Toxic chemical release 

reporting; Community Right-toKnow—effective date 

01/01/95 EPA 2001j 

40CFR372.65 

STATE 

Regulations and 

Guidelines: 

 

a. Air 

 Alaska Air contaminant standard 

 Total dust 

 Respirable fraction 

10 mg/m3

5 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 California Airborne contaminant BNA 2001 

 Colorado Standards applicable to 

surface water 

 Human health based (water 

supply) 

 Aquatic life based (chronic) 

140 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Connecticut HAP—hazard limiting value 

 8 Hours 

 30 Minutes 

200 μg/m3

1,000 μg/m3

BNA 2001 

 Hawaii Air contaminant (PEL-TWA) 

 Total dust 10 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 
MALATHION 231 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

STATE (cont.) 

 Idaho Toxic air pollutant 

 OEL 

 EL 

 AAC 

10 mg/m3

6.67x10-1 pounds/hour 

0.5 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 Illinois Toxic air contaminant BNA 2001 

 Kentucky TAL 

Average time 

Significant levels 

40 mg/m3

8 hours 

2.551x10-3 pounds/hour 

BNA 2001 

 Michigan Air contaminant (PEL-TWA) 

 Total dust 15 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 Occupational air contaminant 

 MAC 15 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 Montana Occupational air contaminantb 15 mg/m3

 BNA 2001 

 New Hampshire Toxic air pollutant 

 OEL 10 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 New Jersey Toxic air pollutant 

 OEL 

 Emissions 

10 mg/m3

6.67x10-1 pounds/hour 

BNA 2001 

 New York Dangerous air contaminant 

 TLVb 15 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 Total dust 

 Transitional limits (PEL)b

 Final rule limits (TWA)b 15 mg/m310 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 North Carolina General industry standards 

 Total dust 10 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 Oregon Air contaminant 10 mg/m3

 BNA 2001 

 South Carolina Toxic air emissions 

 MAC 100 μg/m3

BNA 2001 

 Texas TLVb

 15 mg/m3 BNA 2001 

 Washington Air contaminant (TWA) 

 Total dust 10 mg/m3

BNA 2001 

 Toxic air pollutant 

 ASIL (24-hour average) 33 μg/m3

BNA 2001 

b. Water 

 Alaska Water quality standards—toxic 

substance 

 BNA 2001 

 Arizona Drinking water guideline 140 μg/L HSDB 2001 

 Groundwater protection list BNA 2001 

 California Drinking water guideline 160 μg/L HSDB 2001 

 Connecticut Water pollution control—

hazardous substance 

 BNA 2001 

 Delaware Surface water quality 

standards—toxic substance 

 Fresh (chronic) 

 Marine (chronic) 

0.1 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 
MALATHION 232 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

STATE (cont.) 

 Florida Drinking water guideline 140 μg/L HSDB 2001 

 Surface water quality criteria 

 Potable water supply 

 Shellfish propagation or 

harvesting 

 Predominantly fresh waters 

0.1 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Georgia Hazardous site response—

groundwater criteria 

concentration 

0.2 mg/L BNA 2001 

 Hawaii Water quality criteria 

 Freshwater (chronic) 

 Saltwater (chronic) 

0.1 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Kansas Surface water quality criteria 

 Aquatic life (chronic) 

 Agriculture (livestock) 

0.1 μg/L 

100 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Maine Drinking water guideline 40 μg/L HSDB 2001 

 Private water systems 

 Maximum exposure guideline 

 Action level 

0.04 mg/L 

0.02 mg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Massachusetts Environmental toxicity values 

 Freshwater (chronic) 

 Marine (chronic) 

0.1 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Minnesota Water quality standards 

 Drinking water supply 

 Groundwater 

 Protection of aquatic life 

200 μg/L 

200 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Nebraska Standards for water quality 

 Aquatic life (chronic) 0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Water quality standards for 

wetlands 

 Aquatic life (chronic) 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Nevada Standards for toxic materials 

applicable to designated 

waters 

 Aquatic life 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 New Hampshire Water quality criteria 

 Fresh (chronic) 

 Marine (chronic) 

0.1 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 New Jersey Groundwater quality criteria 

PQL 

200 μg/L 

5 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 New York Groundwater quality standards 

 MAC 7.0 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Ohio Surface water quality 

standards 

 Outside mixing zoning 

average 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 
MALATHION 233 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

STATE (cont.) 

 Oklahoma Surface water quality criteria 

 Fish and wildlife propagation 

(chronic) 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Oregon Water quality 

 Fresh (chronic) 

 Marine (chronic) 

0.1 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 South Dakota Surface water—toxic pollutant BNA 2001 

 Texas Water quality 

 Freshwater (chronic) 0.01 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Utah Water quality—hazardous 

substances required to be 

identified by existing 

dischargers if expected to be 

present 

 BNA 2001 

 Virginia Criteria for surface water 

 Freshwater (chronic) 

 Saltwater (chronic) 

0.1 μg/L 

0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

 Wyoming Water quality criteria 

 Aquatic life (chronic) 0.1 μg/L 

BNA 2001 

c. Food No data 

 

d. Other 

 Alabama Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 Arizona Soil remediation levels 

 Residential 

 Non-residential 

1,300 mg/kg 

14,000 mg/kg 

BNA 2001 

 Arkansas Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 California Chemicals required to have 

been tested for potential to 

cause cancer or reproductive 

toxicity, but which have not 

been adequately tested as 

required (data requirements) 

Oncogenicity BNA 2001 

 Hazardous substance BNA 2001 

 Pesticide field worker safety—

restricted entry intervals 

 Citrus 

 Grapes 

 Peaches/nectarines 

1 day 

1 day 

1 day 

BNA 2001 

 Pesticide registration—active 

ingredients 

 BNA 2001 
MALATHION 234 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

STATE (cont.) 

 Colorado Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 Delaware Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 Reportable quantity 100 pounds BNA 2001 

 Florida Toxic substance in the 

workplace 

 BNA 2001 

 Georgia Hazardous site response—

regulated substance 

 BNA 2001 

 Illinois Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 Louisiana Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 Maine Identification of hazardous 

waste —hazardous constituent 

 BNA 2001 

 Screening standards for 

beneficial use (waste 

concentration) 

2,000 mg/kg dry weight BNA 2001 

 Massachusetts Containers adequately labeled 

pursuant to federal law 

 BNA 2001 

 Human health based toxicity 

values (chronic oral RfD) 

2.0x10-2 mg/kg/day BNA 2001 

 Oil and hazardous material BNA 2001 

 Michigan Identification and listing of 

hazardous waste 

 BNA 2001 

 Minnesota Toxic pollutant and hazardous 

substance 

 BNA 2001 

 Mississippi Packaging dates for malathion Must mark all retail 

containers with a code 

or batch number from 

which the date of 

packaging may be 

determined 

BNA 2001 

 Nebraska Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 Pesticide classes Class IIId

 BNA 2001 
MALATHION 235 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

STATE (cont.) 

 New Jersey Hazardous substance BNA 2001 

 New York Pesticide control—use of 

chemicals for the control or 

elimination of aquatic insects 

Not to exceed 

0.5 pounds/acre (active 

ingredient) 

BNA 2001 

 Reportable quantity 

 Air 

 Land/water 

100 pounds 

1 pound 

BNA 2001 

 South Carolina Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 Tennessee Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 Texas Risk-based exposure limits—

soil dermal contact 

 Gastrointestinal absorption 

 factor 

 Dermal absorption factor 

5.00x10-1 

1.00x10-1

BNA 2001 

 Washington Hazardous substance required 

to be identified by existing 

dischargers if expected to be 

present 

 BNA 2001 

 Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

 West Virginia Hazardous substance required 

to be identified by existing 

dischargers if expected to be 

present 

 BNA 2001 

 RfD 2.00x10-2 mg/kg/day BNA 2001 

 
MALATHION 236 

8. REGULATIONS AND ADVISORIES 

Table 8-1. Regulations and Guidelines Applicable to Malathion 

Agency Description Information References 

STATE (cont.) 

 Wyoming Standards for hazardous waste 

TSD facilities—compounds 

with Henry’s law constant less 

than 0.1 atm m3

/mol (at 25 °C) 

 BNA 2001 

a

Group 3: not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans 

b

Skin notation: danger of cutaneous absorption c

A4: not classifiable as a human carcinogen 

d

Class III: oral LD50 greater than 900 mg/kg-1

AAC = acceptable ambient concentrations; ACGIH = American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists; 

ASIL = acceptable source impact levels; BEI = biological exposure index; BNA = Bureau of National Affairs; 

BPT = best practical technology; CFR = Code of Federal Regulations; DOT = Department of Transportation; 

DWEL = drinking water equivalent level; EL = emissions level; EPA = Environmental Protection Agency; 

HAP = hazardous air pollutant; HSDB = Hazardous Substances Data Bank; IARC = International Agency for 

Research on Cancer; IDLH = immediately dangerous to life and health; IRIS = Integrated Risk Information System; 

MAC = maximum allowable concentration; NIOSH = National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health; 

NPDES = National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System; OEL = occupational exposure limit; 

OSHA = Occupational Safety and Health Administration; PEL = permissible exposure limit; PQL = practical 

quantitation level; REL = recommended exposure limit; RfD = oral reference dose; TAL = threshold ambient limits; 

TLV = threshold limit value; TSD = treatment, storage, and disposal; TWA = time-weighted average; 

USDA = United States Department of Agriculture 
MALATHION 237 

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*Ziegler EE, Edwards BB, Jensen RL, et al. 1978. Absorption and retention of lead by infants. Pediatr 

Res 12:29-34. 

Zimmerman N. 1990. Non-neurotoxic effects of malathion and malathion formulations. Comments 

Toxicol 4(1):39-58. 

*Zimmerman HJ, Henry JB, eds. 1984. Clinical diagnosis and management-by laboratory methods. 17th

ed. Philadelphia, PA: WB Saunders Co., 271-272. 

*Zivot U, Castorena JL, Garriot C. 1993. A case of fatal ingestion of malathion. Am J Forensic Med 

Pathol 14(1):51-53. 

*Zweig G, Devine JM. 1969. Determination of organophosphorus pesticides in water. Res Rev 26:17-

36. 
MALATHION 279 

10. GLOSSARY 

Absorption—The taking up of liquids by solids, or of gases by solids or liquids. 

Acute Exposure—Exposure to a chemical for a duration of 14 days or less, as specified in the 

Toxicological Profiles. 

Adsorption—The adhesion in an extremely thin layer of molecules (as of gases, solutes, or liquids) to the 

surfaces of solid bodies or liquids with which they are in contact. 

Adsorption Coefficient (Koc)—The ratio of the amount of a chemical adsorbed per unit weight of 

organic carbon in the soil or sediment to the concentration of the chemical in solution at equilibrium. 

Adsorption Ratio (Kd)—The amount of a chemical adsorbed by a sediment or soil (i.e., the solid phase) 

divided by the amount of chemical in the solution phase, which is in equilibrium with the solid phase, at a 

fixed solid/solution ratio. It is generally expressed in micrograms of chemical sorbed per gram of soil or 

sediment. 

Benchmark Dose (BMD)—Usually defined as the lower confidence limit on the dose that produces a 

specified magnitude of changes in a specified adverse response. For example, a BMD10 would be the 

dose at the 95% lower confidence limit on a 10% response, and the benchmark response (BMR) would be 

10%. The BMD is determined by modeling the dose response curve in the region of the dose response 

relationship where biologically observable data are feasible. 

Benchmark Dose Model—A statistical dose-response model applied to either experimental toxicological 

or epidemiological data to calculate a BMD. 

Bioconcentration Factor (BCF)—The quotient of the concentration of a chemical in aquatic organisms 

at a specific time or during a discrete time period of exposure divided by the concentration in the 

surrounding water at the same time or during the same period. 

Biomarkers—Broadly defined as indicators signaling events in biologic systems or samples. They have 

been classified as markers of exposure, markers of effect, and markers of susceptibility. 

Cancer Effect Level (CEL)—The lowest dose of chemical in a study, or group of studies, that produces 

significant increases in the incidence of cancer (or tumors) between the exposed population and its 

appropriate control. 

Carcinogen—A chemical capable of inducing cancer. 

Case-Control Study—A type of epidemiological study which examines the relationship between a 

particular outcome (disease or condition) and a variety of potential causative agents (such as toxic 

chemicals). In a case-controlled study, a group of people with a specified and well-defined outcome is 

identified and compared to a similar group of people without outcome. 

Case Report—Describes a single individual with a particular disease or exposure. These may suggest 

some potential topics for scientific research but are not actual research studies. 

Case Series—Describes the experience of a small number of individuals with the same disease or 

exposure. These may suggest potential topics for scientific research but are not actual research studies. 
MALATHION 280 

10. GLOSSARY 

Ceiling Value—A concentration of a substance that should not be exceeded, even instantaneously. 

Chronic Exposure—Exposure to a chemical for 365 days or more, as specified in the Toxicological 

Profiles. 

Cohort Study—A type of epidemiological study of a specific group or groups of people who have had a 

common insult (e.g., exposure to an agent suspected of causing disease or a common disease) and are 

followed forward from exposure to outcome. At least one exposed group is compared to one unexposed 

group. 

Cross-sectional Study—A type of epidemiological study of a group or groups which examines the 

relationship between exposure and outcome to a chemical or to chemicals at one point in time. 

Data Needs—Substance-specific informational needs that if met would reduce the uncertainties of human 

health assessment. 

Developmental Toxicity—The occurrence of adverse effects on the developing organism that may result 

from exposure to a chemical prior to conception (either parent), during prenatal development, or 

postnatally to the time of sexual maturation. Adverse developmental effects may be detected at any point 

in the life span of the organism. 

Dose-Response Relationship—The quantitative relationship between the amount of exposure to a 

toxicant and the incidence of the adverse effects. 

Embryotoxicity and Fetotoxicity—Any toxic effect on the conceptus as a result of prenatal exposure to 

a chemical; the distinguishing feature between the two terms is the stage of development during which the 

insult occurs. The terms, as used here, include malformations and variations, altered growth, and in utero

death. 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Health Advisory—An estimate of acceptable drinking water 

levels for a chemical substance based on health effects information. A health advisory is not a legally 

enforceable federal standard, but serves as technical guidance to assist federal, state, and local officials. 

Epidemiology—Refers to the investigation of factors that determine the frequency and distribution of 

disease or other health-related conditions within a defined human population during a specified period. 

Genotoxicity—A specific adverse effect on the genome of living cells that, upon the duplication of 

affected cells, can be expressed as a mutagenic, clastogenic or carcinogenic event because of specific 

alteration of the molecular structure of the genome. 

Half-life—A measure of rate for the time required to eliminate one half of a quantity of a chemical from 

the body or environmental media. 

Immediately Dangerous to Life or Health (IDLH)—The maximum environmental concentration of a 

contaminant from which one could escape within 30 minutes without any escape-impairing symptoms or 

irreversible health effects. 

Incidence—The ratio of individuals in a population who develop a specified condition to the total 

number of individuals in that population who could have developed that condition in a specified time 

period. 
MALATHION 281 

10. GLOSSARY 

Intermediate Exposure—Exposure to a chemical for a duration of 15–364 days, as specified in the 

Toxicological Profiles. 

Immunologic Toxicity—The occurrence of adverse effects on the immune system that may result from 

exposure to environmental agents such as chemicals. 

Immunological Effects—Functional changes in the immune response. 

In Vitro—Isolated from the living organism and artificially maintained, as in a test tube. 

In Vivo—Occurring within the living organism. 

Lethal Concentration(LO) (LCLO)—The lowest concentration of a chemical in air which has been 

reported to have caused death in humans or animals. 

Lethal Concentration(50) (LC50)—A calculated concentration of a chemical in air to which exposure for 

a specific length of time is expected to cause death in 50% of a defined experimental animal population. 

Lethal Dose(LO) (LDLO)—The lowest dose of a chemical introduced by a route other than inhalation that 

has been reported to have caused death in humans or animals. 

Lethal Dose(50) (LD50)—The dose of a chemical which has been calculated to cause death in 50% of a 

defined experimental animal population. 

Lethal Time(50) (LT50)—A calculated period of time within which a specific concentration of a chemical 

is expected to cause death in 50% of a defined experimental animal population. 

Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (LOAEL)—The lowest exposure level of chemical in a study, 

or group of studies, that produces statistically or biologically significant increases in frequency or severity 

of adverse effects between the exposed population and its appropriate control. 

Lymphoreticular Effects—Represent morphological effects involving lymphatic tissues such as the 

lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus. 

Malformations—Permanent structural changes that may adversely affect survival, development, or 

function. 

Minimal Risk Level (MRL)—An estimate of daily human exposure to a hazardous substance that is 

likely to be without an appreciable risk of adverse noncancer health effects over a specified route and 

duration of exposure. 

Modifying Factor (MF)—A value (greater than zero) that is applied to the derivation of a minimal risk 

level (MRL) to reflect additional concerns about the database that are not covered by the uncertainty 

factors. The default value for a MF is 1. 

Morbidity—State of being diseased; morbidity rate is the incidence or prevalence of disease in a specific 

population. 

Mortality—Death; mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a population during a specified 

interval of time. 
MALATHION 282 

10. GLOSSARY 

Mutagen—A substance that causes mutations. A mutation is a change in the DNA sequence of a cell’s 

DNA. Mutations can lead to birth defects, miscarriages, or cancer. 

Necropsy—The gross examination of the organs and tissues of a dead body to determine the cause of 

death or pathological conditions. 

Neurotoxicity—The occurrence of adverse effects on the nervous system following exposure to a 

chemical. 

No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (NOAEL)—The dose of a chemical at which there were no 

statistically or biologically significant increases in frequency or severity of adverse effects seen between 

the exposed population and its appropriate control. Effects may be produced at this dose, but they are not 

considered to be adverse. 

Octanol-Water Partition Coefficient (Kow)—The equilibrium ratio of the concentrations of a chemical 

in n-octanol and water, in dilute solution. 

Odds Ratio (OR)—A means of measuring the association between an exposure (such as toxic substances 

and a disease or condition) which represents the best estimate of relative risk (risk as a ratio of the 

incidence among subjects exposed to a particular risk factor divided by the incidence among subjects who 

were not exposed to the risk factor). An odds ratio of greater than 1 is considered to indicate greater risk 

of disease in the exposed group compared to the unexposed. 

Organophosphate or Organophosphorus Compound—A phosphorus containing organic compound 

and especially a pesticide that acts by inhibiting cholinesterase. 

Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)—An Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 

allowable exposure level in workplace air averaged over an 8-hour shift of a 40-hour workweek. 

Pesticide—General classification of chemicals specifically developed and produced for use in the control 

of agricultural and public health pests. 

Pharmacokinetics—The science of quantitatively predicting the fate (disposition) of an exogenous 

substance in an organism. Utilizing computational techniques, it provides the means of studying the 

absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of chemicals by the body. 

Pharmacokinetic Model—A set of equations that can be used to describe the time course of a parent 

chemical or metabolite in an animal system. There are two types of pharmacokinetic models: data-based 

and physiologically-based. A data-based model divides the animal system into a series of compartments 

which, in general, do not represent real, identifiable anatomic regions of the body whereby the 

physiologically-based model compartments represent real anatomic regions of the body. 

Physiologically Based Pharmacodynamic (PBPD) Model—A type of physiologically-based doseresponse model which quantitatively describes the relationship between target tissue dose and toxic end 

points. These models advance the importance of physiologically based models in that they clearly 

describe the biological effect (response) produced by the system following exposure to an exogenous 

substance. 
MALATHION 283 

10. GLOSSARY 

Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) Model—Comprised of a series of compartments 

representing organs or tissue groups with realistic weights and blood flows. These models require a 

variety of physiological information: tissue volumes, blood flow rates to tissues, cardiac output, alveolar 

ventilation rates and, possibly membrane permeabilities. The models also utilize biochemical information 

such as air/blood partition coefficients, and metabolic parameters. PBPK models are also called 

biologically based tissue dosimetry models. 

Prevalence—The number of cases of a disease or condition in a population at one point in time. 

Prospective Study—A type of cohort study in which the pertinent observations are made on events 

occurring after the start of the study. A group is followed over time. 

q1*—The upper-bound estimate of the low-dose slope of the dose-response curve as determined by the 

multistage procedure. The q1* can be used to calculate an estimate of carcinogenic potency, the 

incremental excess cancer risk per unit of exposure (usually μg/L for water, mg/kg/day for food, and 

μg/m3

 for air). 

Recommended Exposure Limit (REL)—A National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

(NIOSH) time-weighted average (TWA) concentrations for up to a 10-hour workday during a 40-hour 

workweek. 

Reference Concentration (RfC)—An estimate (with uncertainty spanning perhaps an order of 

magnitude) of a continuous inhalation exposure to the human population (including sensitive subgroups) 

that is likely to be without an appreciable risk of deleterious noncancer health effects during a lifetime. 

The inhalation reference concentration is for continuous inhalation exposures and is appropriately 

expressed in units of mg/m3 or ppm. 

Reference Dose (RfD)—An estimate (with uncertainty spanning perhaps an order of magnitude) of the 

daily exposure of the human population to a potential hazard that is likely to be without risk of deleterious 

effects during a lifetime. The RfD is operationally derived from the no-observed-adverse-effect level 

(NOAEL-from animal and human studies) by a consistent application of uncertainty factors that reflect 

various types of data used to estimate RfDs and an additional modifying factor, which is based on a 

professional judgment of the entire database on the chemical. The RfDs are not applicable to 

nonthreshold effects such as cancer. 

Reportable Quantity (RQ)—The quantity of a hazardous substance that is considered reportable under 

the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Reportable 

quantities are (1) 1 pound or greater or (2) for selected substances, an amount established by regulation 

either under CERCLA or under Section 311 of the Clean Water Act. Quantities are measured over a 24-

hour period. 

Reproductive Toxicity—The occurrence of adverse effects on the reproductive system that may result 

from exposure to a chemical. The toxicity may be directed to the reproductive organs and/or the related 

endocrine system. The manifestation of such toxicity may be noted as alterations in sexual behavior, 

fertility, pregnancy outcomes, or modifications in other functions that are dependent on the integrity of 

this system. 

Retrospective Study—A type of cohort study based on a group of persons known to have been exposed 

at some time in the past. Data are collected from routinely recorded events, up to the time the study is 

undertaken. Retrospective studies are limited to causal factors that can be ascertained from existing 

records and/or examining survivors of the cohort. 
MALATHION 284 

10. GLOSSARY 

Risk—The possibility or chance that some adverse effect will result from a given exposure to a chemical. 

Risk Factor—An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, an environmental exposure, or an inborn or 

inherited characteristic, that is associated with an increased occurrence of disease or other health-related 

event or condition. 

Risk Ratio—The ratio of the risk among persons with specific risk factors compared to the risk among 

persons without risk factors. A risk ratio greater than 1 indicates greater risk of disease in the exposed 

group compared to the unexposed. 

Short-Term Exposure Limit (STEL)—The American Conference of Governmental Industrial 

Hygienists (ACGIH) maximum concentration to which workers can be exposed for up to 15 minutes 

continually. No more than four excursions are allowed per day, and there must be at least 60 minutes 

between exposure periods. The daily Threshold Limit Value - Time Weighted Average (TLV-TWA) may 

not be exceeded. 

Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR)—A ratio of the observed number of deaths and the expected 

number of deaths in a specific standard population. 

Target Organ Toxicity—This term covers a broad range of adverse effects on target organs or 

physiological systems (e.g., renal, cardiovascular) extending from those arising through a single limited 

exposure to those assumed over a lifetime of exposure to a chemical. 

Teratogen—A chemical that causes structural defects that affect the development of an organism. 

Threshold Limit Value (TLV)—An American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists 

(ACGIH) concentration of a substance to which most workers can be exposed without adverse effect. 

The TLV may be expressed as a Time Weighted Average (TWA), as a Short-Term Exposure Limit 

(STEL), or as a ceiling limit (CL). 

Time-Weighted Average (TWA)—An allowable exposure concentration averaged over a normal 8-hour 

workday or 40-hour workweek. 

Toxic Dose(50) (TD50)—A calculated dose of a chemical, introduced by a route other than inhalation, 

which is expected to cause a specific toxic effect in 50% of a defined experimental animal population. 

Toxicokinetic—The study of the absorption, distribution and elimination of toxic compounds in the 

living organism. 

Uncertainty Factor (UF)—A factor used in operationally deriving the Minimal Risk Level (MRL) or 

Reference Dose (RfD) or Reference Concentration (RfC) from experimental data. UFs are intended to 

account for (1) the variation in sensitivity among the members of the human population, (2) the 

uncertainty in extrapolating animal data to the case of human, (3) the uncertainty in extrapolating from 

data obtained in a study that is of less than lifetime exposure, and (4) the uncertainty in using lowestobserved-adverse-effect level (LOAEL) data rather than no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL) data. 

A default for each individual UF is 10; if complete certainty in data exists, a value of one can be used; 

however a reduced UF of three may be used on a case-by-case basis, three being the approximate 

logarithmic average of 10 and 1. 

Xenobiotic—Any chemical that is foreign to the biological system. 
MALATHION A-1 

APPENDIX A. ATSDR MINIMAL RISK LEVELS AND WORKSHEETS 

The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) [42 U.S.C. 

9601 et seq.], as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) [Pub. L. 99–

499], requires that the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) develop jointly with 

the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in order of priority, a list of hazardous substances most 

commonly found at facilities on the CERCLA National Priorities List (NPL); prepare toxicological 

profiles for each substance included on the priority list of hazardous substances; and assure the initiation 

of a research program to fill identified data needs associated with the substances. 

The toxicological profiles include an examination, summary, and interpretation of available toxicological 

information and epidemiologic evaluations of a hazardous substance. During the development of 

toxicological profiles, Minimal Risk Levels (MRLs) are derived when reliable and sufficient data exist to 

identify the target organ(s) of effect or the most sensitive health effect(s) for a specific duration for a 

given route of exposure. An MRL is an estimate of the daily human exposure to a hazardous substance 

that is likely to be without appreciable risk of adverse noncancer health effects over a specified duration 

of exposure. MRLs are based on noncancer health effects only and are not based on a consideration of 

cancer effects. These substance-specific estimates, which are intended to serve as screening levels, are 

used by ATSDR health assessors to identify contaminants and potential health effects that may be of 

concern at hazardous waste sites. It is important to note that MRLs are not intended to define clean-up or 

action levels. 

MRLs are derived for hazardous substances using the no-observed-adverse-effect level/uncertainty factor 

approach. They are below levels that might cause adverse health effects in the people most sensitive to 

such chemical-induced effects. MRLs are derived for acute (1–14 days), intermediate (15–364 days), and 

chronic (365 days and longer) durations and for the oral and inhalation routes of exposure. Currently, 

MRLs for the dermal route of exposure are not derived because ATSDR has not yet identified a method 

suitable for this route of exposure. MRLs are generally based on the most sensitive chemical-induced end 

point considered to be of relevance to humans. Serious health effects (such as irreparable damage to the 

liver or kidneys, or birth defects) are not used as a basis for establishing MRLs. Exposure to a level 

above the MRL does not mean that adverse health effects will occur. 

MRLs are intended only to serve as a screening tool to help public health professionals decide where to 

look more closely. They may also be viewed as a mechanism to identify those hazardous waste sites that 
MALATHION A-2 

APPENDIX A 

are not expected to cause adverse health effects. Most MRLs contain a degree of uncertainty because of 

the lack of precise toxicological information on the people who might be most sensitive (e.g., infants, 

elderly, nutritionally or immunologically compromised) to the effects of hazardous substances. ATSDR 

uses a conservative (i.e., protective) approach to address this uncertainty consistent with the public health 

principle of prevention. Although human data are preferred, MRLs often must be based on animal studies 

because relevant human studies are lacking. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, ATSDR assumes 

that humans are more sensitive to the effects of hazardous substance than animals and that certain persons 

may be particularly sensitive. Thus, the resulting MRL may be as much as a hundredfold below levels 

that have been shown to be nontoxic in laboratory animals. 

Proposed MRLs undergo a rigorous review process: Health Effects/MRL Workgroup reviews within the 

Division of Toxicology, expert panel peer reviews, and agency wide MRL Workgroup reviews, with 

participation from other federal agencies and comments from the public. They are subject to change as 

new information becomes available concomitant with updating the toxicological profiles. Thus, MRLs in 

the most recent toxicological profiles supersede previously published levels. For additional information 

regarding MRLs, please contact the Division of Toxicology, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease 

Registry, 1600 Clifton Road NE, Mailstop E-29, Atlanta, Georgia 30333. 
MALATHION A-3 

APPENDIX A 

MINIMAL RISK LEVEL (MRL) WORKSHEET 

Chemical Name: Malathion 

CAS Number: 121-75-5 

Date: March 20, 2003 

Profile Status: Final Draft Post Public 

Route: [X] Inhalation [ ] Oral 

Duration: [X] Acute [ ] Intermediate [ ] Chronic 

Graph Key: 2h 

Species: Rabbits 

Minimal Risk Level: 0.2 [ ] mg/kg/day [X] mg/m3

Reference: Weeks MH, Lawson MA, Angerhofer RA, et al. 1977. Preliminary assessment of the acute 

toxicity of malathion in animals. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 6:23-31. 

Experimental design: The purpose of the study was to compare the acute effects of two different 

malathion aerosols on the activity of plasma and erythrocyte (RBC) cholinesterase from rabbits. Groups 

of male New Zealand rabbits (6/exposure level) were exposed for 6 hours to 0 (chamber air), 6, 34, 65, or 

123 mg malathion/m3

 as an aerosol generated from a technical malathion formulation (95% pure). Blood 

was collected at 10 minutes, 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days postexposure for determination of 

cholinesterases activities. Tissues were also removed for histopathological examination. In a parallel 

experiment, rabbits were similarly exposed to aerosols generated from a formulation containing 6% 

malathion and a fuel oil mixture. The malathion concentration in the air in the latter case was 

0 (controls), 8, 24, 30, 66, or 128 mg/m3

. 

Effects noted in study and corresponding doses: There were no signs of toxicity or deaths in the group 

exposed to 95% technical malathion. Exposure to 128 mg/m3

 aerosol generated from the 6% formulation 

resulted in four out of six rabbits dying 24 hours after exposure. Exposure to the highest concentration of 

the 95% formulation inhibited plasma cholinesterase by 37% 24 hours postexposure and 41% 72 hours 

postexposure. No other significant differences were seen. RBC cholinesterase was inhibited by 38, 48, 

and 48% by the high exposure concentration at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 7 days postexposure, respectively. 

Exposure to the aerosol generated from the 6% formulation resulted in 38% inhibition of plasma 

cholinesterase with the 66 mg/m3

 concentration 72 hours after exposure and 71% inhibition with the 128 

mg/m3 concentration 10 minutes postexposure. With this formulation, RBC cholinesterase was inhibited 

61 and 46% with the 128 mg/m3

 concentration 10 minutes and 24 hours, respectively, postexposure. 

Without providing any further details, the authors stated that exposure to malathion caused no 

histopathological alterations in the organs examined (not specified). 

Exposure concentration and end point used for MRL derivation: 65 mg/m3

; NOAEL for neurological 

effects (inhibition of RBC cholinesterase activity). 

[X] NOAEL [ ] LOAEL 

Uncertainty Factors used in MRL derivation: 

 [ ] 10 for use of a LOAEL 

 [X] 10 for extrapolation from humans to animals 

 [X] 10 for human variability 
MALATHION A-4 

APPENDIX A 

Was a conversion factor used from ppm in food or water to a mg/body weight dose? 

Not applicable. 

If an inhalation study in animals, list conversion factors used in determining human equivalent 

concentration: 

A human equivalent concentration was not determined due to lack of information on the size distribution 

of the aerosol particles in the study. 

Was a conversion used from intermittent to continuous exposure? 

Yes, 6/24. 

Other additional studies or pertinent information that lend support to this MRL: Malathion is an 

organophosphate pesticide and as such, its main target of toxicity is the nervous system (Abou-Donia 

1995; Ecobichon 1994; Koelle 1994; Taylor 1996). Within the nervous system, malathion and its active 

metabolite, malaoxon, inhibit acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that terminates the action of the 

neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The effects of malathion have been well documented in studies in 

animals and also in humans, although in the latter case, mostly from case reports of accidental or 

intentional ingestion of high amounts of malathion. A 42-day controlled-exposure study in volunteers 

reported nasal and eye irritation after 5–10 minutes of exposure to 85 mg/m3

 malathion (Golz 1959); 

subjects were exposed 2 hours/day. Neither plasma nor RBC cholinesterase activities were significantly 

altered during the study. 

Agency Contact (Chemical Manager): Jewell D. Wilson, Ph.D. 
MALATHION A-5 

APPENDIX A 

MINIMAL RISK LEVEL (MRL) WORKSHEET

Chemical Name: Malathion 

CAS Number: 121-75-5 

Date: March 20, 2003 

Profile Status: Final Draft Post Public 

Route: [X] Inhalation [ ] Oral 

Duration: [ ] Acute [X] Intermediate [ ] Chronic 

Graph Key: 4r 

Species: Rat

Minimal Risk Level: 0.02 [ ] mg/kg/day [X] mg/m3

Reference: Beattie G. 1994. A 13-week toxicity study of aerolized malathion administered by whole 

body inhalation exposure to the albino rat: Lab project No: 90729. Unpublished study prepared by 

Product Safety Assessment, Bio-Research Labs, Ltd. MRID 43266601. 

Experimental design: Groups of male and female Sprague-Dawley rats (15/sex/exposure level) were 

exposed whole body to malathion (96.4% pure) aerosols at concentrations of 0 (air control), 100, 450, or 

2010 mg/m3

 6 hours/day, 5 days/week, for 13 weeks. Rats were monitored for clinical signs and body 

weight changes. At termination, gross necropsies were conducted, and tissues (unspecified in the 

summary available) were processed for microscopical evaluation. Cholinesterase activity was determined 

in plasma, red blood cells (RBC), and brain.

Effects noted in study and corresponding doses: There were no malathion-related effects on survival, 

body weight, or food intake. Adverse clinical signs consisting of urogenital staining, excessive salivation, 

and ungroomed fur were seen mostly in the high-exposure group, but also occurred sporadically in the 

other exposed groups. I appears that histopathological treatment-related alterations were restricted to the 

respiratory epithelium. Exposure-concentration-related lesions in the nasal cavity and the larynx of both 

sexes were seen. The lesions in the nasal cavity consisted of slight to moderate degeneration and/or 

hyperplasia of the olfactory epithelium. The lesions in the larynx consisted of epithelial hyperplasia with 

squamous keratization seen in some rats. The effects on cholinesterase activities were concentrationrelated and effects on females seemed more pronounced than in males. Plasma cholinesterase activity 

was decreased 30 and 70% in the mid-level and high-level females, respectively. RBC cholinesterase 

activity was decreased 22% and 27% in mid-level males and females, respectively, and 43 and 44% in 

high-level males and females, respectively. Brain cholinesterase activity was decreased 41% in highlevel females. 

Exposure concentration and end point used for MRL derivation: 100 mg/m3

; LOAEL for respiratory 

effects (hyperplasia of the olfactory epithelium and of the larynx epithelium). 

[] NOAEL [X] LOAEL

Uncertainty Factors used in MRL derivation: 

 [X] 10 for use of a LOAEL 

 [X] 10 for extrapolation from animals to humans 

 [X] 10 for human variability
MALATHION A-6 

APPENDIX A 

Was a conversion factor used from ppm in food or water to a mg/body weight dose?

Not applicable. 

If an inhalation study in animals, list conversion factors used in determining human equivalent 

concentration: A human equivalent concentration was not determined due to lack of information on the 

size distribution of the aerosol particles in the summary of the study available. 

Was a conversion used from intermittent to continuous exposure? 

Yes, 5/7 x 6/24. 

Other additional studies or pertinent information that lend support to this MRL: Malathion is an 

organophosphate pesticide and as such, its main target of toxicity is the nervous system (Abou-Donia 

1995; Ecobichon 1994; Koelle 1994; Taylor 1996). A 42-day controlled-exposure study in volunteers 

exposed to up 85 mg/m3

 malathion 2 hours/day reported no signs of toxicity during the study except for 

occasional nose and eye irritation 5–10 minutes into the exposure session (Golz 1959). No significant 

changes in plasma or RBC cholinesterase activities were seen throughout that study. 

Agency Contact (Chemical Manager): Jewell D. Wilson, Ph.D.
MALATHION A-7 

APPENDIX A 

MINIMAL RISK LEVEL (MRL) WORKSHEET

Chemical Name: Malathion 

CAS Number: 121-75-5 

Date: March 20, 2003 

Profile Status: Final Draft Post Public 

Route: [ ] Inhalation [X] Oral 

Duration: [ ] Acute [X] Intermediate [ ] Chronic 

Graph Key: 72 

Species: Humans 

Minimal Risk Level: 0.02 [X] mg/kg/day [ ] ppm 

Reference: Moeller HC, Rider JA. 1962. Plasma and red blood cell cholinesterase activity as indications 

of the threshold of incipient toxicity of ethyl-p-nitrophenyl thionobenzenephosphorate (EPN) and 

malathion in human beings. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 4:123-130. 

Experimental design: A three-phase study was conducted in humans. In the first phase, five male 

volunteers were administered daily capsules containing malathion (purity not reported) in corn oil that 

provided an approximate dose of 0.11 mg malathion/kg/day for 32 days. In the second phase, which 

started 3 weeks after the first phase had terminated, five male volunteers received daily capsules with 

malathion providing about 0.23 mg malathion/kg/day for 47 days. In the third phase, five new subjects 

received approximately 0.34 mg malathion/kg/day for 56 days. Plasma and red blood cell (RBC) 

cholinesterase was determined twice weekly before, during, and after administration of malathion. 

Routine blood counts and urinalyses were conducted at the end of each study period. 

Effects noted in study and corresponding doses: Administration of 0.11 mg malathion/kg/day for 32 days 

or 0.23 mg/kg/day for 47 days did not produce any significant depression of plasma or RBC 

cholinesterase activity, nor did it alter blood counts or urinalyses, or induce clinical signs. In phase three, 

0.34 mg malathion/kg/day for 56 days caused a depression of about 10% in plasma cholinesterase activity 

during treatment and a maximum depression of about 25% approximately 3 weeks after cessation of 

treatment. RBC cholinesterase activity did not appear to be significantly affected during treatment, but 

was depressed also by about 25% 3–4 weeks after treatment with malathion ceased. No clinical signs 

were seen in the volunteers. 

Dose and end point used for MRL derivation: 0.23 mg/kg/day; NOAEL for neurological effects 

(inhibition of plasma and RBC cholinesterase activities). 

[X] NOAEL [ ] LOAEL 

Uncertainty Factors used in MRL derivation: 

 [ ] 10 for use of a LOAEL 

 [ ] 10 for extrapolation from humans to animals 

 [X] 10 for human variability 

Was a conversion factor used from ppm in food or water to a mg/body weight dose? No. 
MALATHION A-8 

APPENDIX A 

If an inhalation study in animals, list conversion factors used in determining human equivalent dose: Not 

applicable. 

Was a conversion used from intermittent to continuous exposure? No. 

Other additional studies or pertinent information that lend support to this MRL: Malathion is an 

organophosphate pesticide and as such, its main target of toxicity is the nervous system (Abou-Donia 

1995; Ecobichon 1994; Koelle 1994; Taylor 1996). Within the nervous system, malathion and its active 

metabolite, malaoxon, inhibit acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that terminates the action of the 

neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The effects of malathion have been well documented in studies in 

animals and also in humans, although in the latter case, mostly from case reports of accidental or 

intentional ingestion of high amounts of malathion. The study by Moeller and Rider (1962) was the only 

available study of controlled ingestion of malathion in humans for review. Most of the studies in animals, 

while supporting the human data, have been conducted with higher dose levels of malathion. 

Agency Contact (Chemical Manager): Jewell D. Wilson, Ph.D. 
MALATHION A-9 

APPENDIX A 

MINIMAL RISK LEVEL (MRL) WORKSHEET

Chemical Name: Malathion 

CAS Number: 121-75-5 

Date: March 20, 2003 

Profile Status: Final Draft Post Public 

Route: [ ] Inhalation [X] Oral 

Duration: [ ] Acute [ ] Intermediate [X] Chronic 

Graph Key: 95r 

Species: Rat 

Minimal Risk Level: 0.02 [X] mg/kg/day [ ] ppm 

Reference: Daly I. 1996a. A 24-month oral toxicity/oncogenicity study of malathion in the rat via 

dietary administration: Final Report: Lab Project Number:90-3461:J-11 90-3641 Unpublished study 

prepared by Huntington Life Sciences. MRID 43942901. 

Experimental design: Groups of male and female Fischer-344 rats (90/sex/dose level) were administered 

malathion (97.1%) in the diet at levels of 0, 50/100, 500, 6,000, or 12,000 ppm for 2 years. The lowest 

dietary concentration was reduced from 100 to 50 ppm because of inhibition of RBC cholinesterase 

activity. The mean intakes of malathion estimated by the investigator were approximately 0, 2, 29, 359, 

or 739 mg malathion/kg/day to males and 0, 3, 35, 415, or 868 mg/kg/day to females. Ten rats/sex/group 

were sacrificed at 3 and 6 months primarily for ocular tissue evaluation. Additional sacrifices were 

conducted at 12 months for more complete assessments. End points evaluated included clinical signs, 

body weight, food consumption, hematology and clinical chemistry, and gross and microscopical 

appearance of main tissues and organs. 

Effects noted in study and corresponding doses: Administration of malathion significantly increased 

mortality in males at 6,000 ppm and in both sexes at 12,000 ppm. Body weight gain was reduced both in 

males and females at the two highest exposure levels, but food intake was not decreased. Hemoglobin, 

hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), and mean cell hemoglobin were also reduced at the two 

highest dietary levels of malathion in both males and females. Absolute and relative liver and kidney 

weights were increased in males and females from the 6,000 and 12,000 ppm groups. Relative absolute 

thyroid and parathyroid weights were increased in males at 6,000 ppm at 12 months and in females at 

6,000 and 12,000 ppm at termination. At 24 months, at the 500 ppm malathion dietary level (29 

mg/kg/day for males, 35 mg/kg/day for females), plasma cholinesterase activity was reduced 29 and 18% 

in males and females, respectively, RBC cholinesterase was reduced 17 and 27%, respectively, and brain 

cholinesterase was reduced 3 and 1%, respectively. At the 6,000 ppm level, plasma cholinesterase in 

males and females was reduced 64 and 61%, respectively, and brain cholinesterase was reduced 21 and 

18%, respectively. No significant reduction in enzyme activities was observed at the lowest dietary level 

of malathion, 2 mg/kg/day for males and 3 mg/kg/day for females. 

Dose and end point used for MRL derivation: 2 mg/kg/day; NOAEL for neurological effects (inhibition 

of RBC cholinesterase activity). 

[X] NOAEL [] LOAEL 
MALATHION A-10 

APPENDIX A 

Uncertainty Factors used in MRL derivation: 

 [ ] 10 for use of a LOAEL 

 [X] 10 for extrapolation from animals to humans 

 [X] 10 for human variability 

Was a conversion factor used from ppm in food or water to a mg/body weight dose? Yes, conversions 

from dietary ppm to mg/kg/day doses were done by the study author. 

If an inhalation study in animals, list conversion factors used in determining human equivalent dose: Not 

applicable. 

Was a conversion used from intermittent to continuous exposure? No. 

Other additional studies or pertinent information that lend support to this MRL: Malathion is an 

organophosphate pesticide and as such, its main target of toxicity is the nervous system (Abou-Donia 

1995; Ecobichon 1994; Koelle 1994; Taylor 1996). Within the nervous system, malathion and its active 

metabolite, malaoxon, inhibit acetylcholinesterase, the enzyme that terminates the action of the 

neurotransmitter acetylcholine. The effects of malathion have been well documented in studies in 

animals and also in humans, although in the latter case, mostly from case reports of accidental or 

intentional ingestion of high amounts of malathion. No data were located regarding effects of chronic 

oral exposure to malathion in humans. Few additional long-term studies have been conducted with 

malathion in rats and mice (NCI 1978, 1979a; Slauter 1994), but the one by Daly (1996a) used the widest 

dose range. The studies conducted by NCI (1978, 1979a) did not measure cholinesterase activities. An 

18-month dietary study in mice identified a NOAEL of approximately 20 mg/kg/day for plasma and RBC 

cholinesterase inhibition (Slauter 1994), and this was the highest NOAEL below a LOAEL. However, 

ATSDR’s policy and guidance for MRL derivation is to always use the most sensitive species and the 

database indicates that rats are more sensitive than mice for malathion. 

Agency Contact (Chemical Manager): Jewell D. Wilson, Ph.D. 
MALATHION B-1 

APPENDIX B. USER'S GUIDE 

Chapter 1

Public Health Statement 

This chapter of the profile is a health effects summary written in non-technical language. Its intended 

audience is the general public especially people living in the vicinity of a hazardous waste site or 

chemical release. If the Public Health Statement were removed from the rest of the document, it would 

still communicate to the lay public essential information about the chemical. 

The major headings in the Public Health Statement are useful to find specific topics of concern. The 

topics are written in a question and answer format. The answer to each question includes a sentence that 

will direct the reader to chapters in the profile that will provide more information on the given topic. 

Chapter 2 

Relevance to Public Health 

This chapter provides a health effects summary based on evaluations of existing toxicologic, 

epidemiologic, and toxicokinetic information. This summary is designed to present interpretive, weightof-evidence discussions for human health end points by addressing the following questions. 

 1. What effects are known to occur in humans? 

 2. What effects observed in animals are likely to be of concern to humans? 

 3. What exposure conditions are likely to be of concern to humans, especially around hazardous 

waste sites? 

The chapter covers end points in the same order they appear within the Discussion of Health Effects by 

Route of Exposure section, by route (inhalation, oral, dermal) and within route by effect. Human data are 

presented first, then animal data. Both are organized by duration (acute, intermediate, chronic). In vitro

data and data from parenteral routes (intramuscular, intravenous, subcutaneous, etc.) are also considered 

in this chapter. If data are located in the scientific literature, a table of genotoxicity information is 

included. 

The carcinogenic potential of the profiled substance is qualitatively evaluated, when appropriate, using 

existing toxicokinetic, genotoxic, and carcinogenic data. ATSDR does not currently assess cancer 

potency or perform cancer risk assessments. Minimal risk levels (MRLs) for noncancer end points (if 

derived) and the end points from which they were derived are indicated and discussed. 

Limitations to existing scientific literature that prevent a satisfactory evaluation of the relevance to public 

health are identified in the Chapter 3 Data Needs section. 
MALATHION B-2 

APPENDIX B 

Interpretation of Minimal Risk Levels 

Where sufficient toxicologic information is available, we have derived minimal risk levels (MRLs) for 

inhalation and oral routes of entry at each duration of exposure (acute, intermediate, and chronic). These 

MRLs are not meant to support regulatory action; but to acquaint health professionals with exposure 

levels at which adverse health effects are not expected to occur in humans. 

They should help physicians and public health officials determine the safety of a community living near a 

chemical emission, given the concentration of a contaminant in air or the estimated daily dose in water. 

MRLs are based largely on toxicological studies in animals and on reports of human occupational 

exposure. 

MRL users should be familiar with the toxicologic information on which the number is based. Chapter 2, 

"Relevance to Public Health," contains basic information known about the substance. Other sections such 

as Chapter 3 Section 3.9, "Interactions with Other Substances,” and Section 3.10, "Populations that are 

Unusually Susceptible" provide important supplemental information. 

MRL users should also understand the MRL derivation methodology. MRLs are derived using a 

modified version of the risk assessment methodology the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 

provides (Barnes and Dourson 1988) to determine reference doses for lifetime exposure (RfDs). 

To derive an MRL, ATSDR generally selects the most sensitive end point which, in its best judgement, 

represents the most sensitive human health effect for a given exposure route and duration. ATSDR 

cannot make this judgement or derive an MRL unless information (quantitative or qualitative) is available 

for all potential systemic, neurological, and developmental effects. If this information and reliable 

quantitative data on the chosen end point are available, ATSDR derives an MRL using the most sensitive 

species (when information from multiple species is available) with the highest NOAEL that does not 

exceed any adverse effect levels. When a NOAEL is not available, a lowest-observed-adverse-effect 

level (LOAEL) can be used to derive an MRL, and an uncertainty factor (UF) of 10 must be employed. 

Additional uncertainty factors of 10 must be used both for human variability to protect sensitive 

subpopulations (people who are most susceptible to the health effects caused by the substance) and for 

interspecies variability (extrapolation from animals to humans). In deriving an MRL, these individual 

uncertainty factors are multiplied together. The product is then divided into the inhalation concentration 

or oral dosage selected from the study. Uncertainty factors used in developing a substance-specific MRL 

are provided in the footnotes of the LSE Tables. 

Chapter 3 

Health Effects 

Tables and Figures for Levels of Significant Exposure (LSE) 

Tables (3-1, 3-2, and 3-3) and figures (3-1 and 3-2) are used to summarize health effects and illustrate 

graphically levels of exposure associated with those effects. These levels cover health effects observed at 

increasing dose concentrations and durations, differences in response by species, minimal risk levels 

(MRLs) to humans for noncancer end points, and EPA's estimated range associated with an upper- bound 

individual lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 10,000,000. Use the LSE tables and figures for a 

quick review of the health effects and to locate data for a specific exposure scenario. The LSE tables and 

figures should always be used in conjunction with the text. All entries in these tables and figures 

represent studies that provide reliable, quantitative estimates of No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Levels 

(NOAELs), Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect Levels (LOAELs), or Cancer Effect Levels (CELs). 
MALATHION B-3 

APPENDIX B 

The legends presented below demonstrate the application of these tables and figures. Representative 

examples of LSE Table 3-1 and Figure 3-1 are shown. The numbers in the left column of the legends 

correspond to the numbers in the example table and figure. 

LEGEND 

See LSE Table 3-1 

(1) Route of Exposure One of the first considerations when reviewing the toxicity of a substance 

using these tables and figures should be the relevant and appropriate route of exposure. When 

sufficient data exists, three LSE tables and two LSE figures are presented in the document. The 

three LSE tables present data on the three principal routes of exposure, i.e., inhalation, oral, and 

dermal (LSE Table 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3, respectively). LSE figures are limited to the inhalation 

(LSE Figure 3-1) and oral (LSE Figure 3-2) routes. Not all substances will have data on each 

route of exposure and will not therefore have all five of the tables and figures. 

(2) Exposure Period Three exposure periods - acute (less than 15 days), intermediate (15–364 days), 

and chronic (365 days or more) are presented within each relevant route of exposure. In this 

example, an inhalation study of intermediate exposure duration is reported. For quick reference 

to health effects occurring from a known length of exposure, locate the applicable exposure 

period within the LSE table and figure. 

(3) Health Effect The major categories of health effects included in LSE tables and figures are death, 

systemic, immunological, neurological, developmental, reproductive, and cancer. NOAELs and 

LOAELs can be reported in the tables and figures for all effects but cancer. Systemic effects are 

further defined in the "System" column of the LSE table (see key number 18). 

(4) Key to Figure Each key number in the LSE table links study information to one or more data 

points using the same key number in the corresponding LSE figure. In this example, the study 

represented by key number 18 has been used to derive a NOAEL and a Less Serious LOAEL 

(also see the 2 "18r" data points in Figure 3-1). 

(5) Species The test species, whether animal or human, are identified in this column. Chapter 2, 

"Relevance to Public Health," covers the relevance of animal data to human toxicity and 

Section 3.4, "Toxicokinetics," contains any available information on comparative toxicokinetics. 

Although NOAELs and LOAELs are species specific, the levels are extrapolated to equivalent 

human doses to derive an MRL. 

(6) Exposure Frequency/Duration The duration of the study and the weekly and daily exposure 

regimen are provided in this column. This permits comparison of NOAELs and LOAELs from 

different studies. In this case (key number 18), rats were exposed to 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane via 

inhalation for 6 hours per day, 5 days per week, for 3 weeks. For a more complete review of the 

dosing regimen refer to the appropriate sections of the text or the original reference paper, i.e., 

Nitschke et al. 1981. 

(7) System This column further defines the systemic effects. These systems include: respiratory, 

cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, hematological, musculoskeletal, hepatic, renal, and 

dermal/ocular. "Other" refers to any systemic effect (e.g., a decrease in body weight) not covered 

in these systems. In the example of key number 18, 1 systemic effect (respiratory) was 

investigated. 
MALATHION B-4 

APPENDIX B 

(8) NOAEL A No-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (NOAEL) is the highest exposure level at which 

no harmful effects were seen in the organ system studied. Key number 18 reports a NOAEL of 

3 ppm for the respiratory system which was used to derive an intermediate exposure, inhalation 

MRL of 0.005 ppm (see footnote "b"). 

(9) LOAEL A Lowest-Observed-Adverse-Effect Level (LOAEL) is the lowest dose used in the study 

that caused a harmful health effect. LOAELs have been classified into "Less Serious" and 

"Serious" effects. These distinctions help readers identify the levels of exposure at which adverse 

health effects first appear and the gradation of effects with increasing dose. A brief description of 

the specific end point used to quantify the adverse effect accompanies the LOAEL. The 

respiratory effect reported in key number 18 (hyperplasia) is a Less serious LOAEL of 10 ppm. 

MRLs are not derived from Serious LOAELs. 

(10) Reference The complete reference citation is given in Chapter 9 of the profile. 

(11) CEL A Cancer Effect Level (CEL) is the lowest exposure level associated with the onset of 

carcinogenesis in experimental or epidemiologic studies. CELs are always considered serious 

effects. The LSE tables and figures do not contain NOAELs for cancer, but the text may report 

doses not causing measurable cancer increases. 

(12) Footnotes Explanations of abbreviations or reference notes for data in the LSE tables are found in 

the footnotes. Footnote "b" indicates the NOAEL of 3 ppm in key number 18 was used to derive 

an MRL of 0.005 ppm. 

LEGEND 

See Figure 3-1 

LSE figures graphically illustrate the data presented in the corresponding LSE tables. Figures 

help the reader quickly compare health effects according to exposure concentrations for particular 

exposure periods. 

(13) Exposure Period The same exposure periods appear as in the LSE table. In this example, health 

effects observed within the intermediate and chronic exposure periods are illustrated. 

(14) Health Effect These are the categories of health effects for which reliable quantitative data exists. 

The same health effects appear in the LSE table. 

(15) Levels of Exposure concentrations or doses for each health effect in the LSE tables are 

graphically displayed in the LSE figures. Exposure concentration or dose is measured on the log 

scale "y" axis. Inhalation exposure is reported in mg/m3

 or ppm and oral exposure is reported in 

mg/kg/day. 

(16) NOAEL In this example, the open circle designated 18r identifies a NOAEL critical end point in 

the rat upon which an intermediate inhalation exposure MRL is based. The key number 18 

corresponds to the entry in the LSE table. The dashed descending arrow indicates the 

extrapolation from the exposure level of 3 ppm (see entry 18 in the Table) to the MRL of 

0.005 ppm (see footnote "b" in the LSE table). 
MALATHION B-5 

APPENDIX B 

(17) CEL Key number 38r is 1 of 3 studies for which Cancer Effect Levels were derived. The 

diamond symbol refers to a Cancer Effect Level for the test species-mouse. The number 38 

corresponds to the entry in the LSE table. 

(18) Estimated Upper-Bound Human Cancer Risk Levels This is the range associated with the upperbound for lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 10,000,000. These risk levels are derived 

from the EPA's Human Health Assessment Group's upper-bound estimates of the slope of the 

cancer dose response curve at low dose levels (q1*). 

(19) Key to LSE Figure The Key explains the abbreviations and symbols used in the figure. 
Serious (ppm) (CEL, multiple organs) (CEL, lung tumors, nasal tumors) (CEL, lung tumors, hemangiosarcomas) 

11 

↓

20 

10 10 

LOAEL (effect) 

Less serious (ppm) 

9 

↓

10 (hyperplasia) 

SAMPLE 

NOAEL (ppm) 8 ↓3b 

7 

System 

↓

 Resp 

6 

Exposure frequency/ duration 

↓

13 wk 5 d/wk 6 hr/d 18 mo 5 d/wk 7 hr/d 89-104 wk 5 d/wk 6 hr/d 79-103 wk 5 d/wk 6 hr/d 

5 

Species 

↓

Rat Rat Rat Mouse 

TABLE 3-1. Levels of Significant Exposure to [Chemical x] - Inhalation 

Key to figurea

INTERMEDIATE EXPOSURE 

Systemic 18 

CHRONIC EXPOSURE 

Cancer 38 39 40 

a The number corresponds to entries in Figure 3-1. b Used to derive an intermediate inhalation Minimal Risk Level (MRL) of 5 x 10-3 ppm; dose adjusted for intermittent ex

 by an uncertainty factor of 100 (10 for extrapolation from animal to humans, 10 for human variability).

→→→→→

1 2 3 4 

12 


MALATHION C-1 

APPENDIX C. ACRONYMS, ABBREVIATIONS, AND SYMBOLS 

ACOEM American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 

ACGIH American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists 

ADI acceptable daily intake 

ADME absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion 

AED atomic emission detection 

AOEC Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics 

AFID alkali flame ionization detector 

AFOSH Air Force Office of Safety and Health 

ALT alanine aminotransferase 

AML acute myeloid leukemia 

AOAC Association of Official Analytical Chemists 

AP alkaline phosphatase 

APHA American Public Health Association 

AST aspartate aminotranferase 

atm atmosphere 

ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry 

AWQC Ambient Water Quality Criteria 

BAT best available technology 

BCF bioconcentration factor 

BEI Biological Exposure Index 

BSC Board of Scientific Counselors 

C centigrade 

CAA Clean Air Act 

CAG Cancer Assessment Group of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

CAS Chemical Abstract Services 

CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

CEL cancer effect level 

CELDS Computer-Environmental Legislative Data System 

CERCLA Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act 

CFR Code of Federal Regulations 

Ci curie 

CI confidence interval 

CL ceiling limit value 

CLP Contract Laboratory Program 

cm centimeter 

CML chronic myeloid leukemia 

CPSC Consumer Products Safety Commission 

CWA Clean Water Act 

DHEW Department of Health, Education, and Welfare 

DHHS Department of Health and Human Services 

DNA deoxyribonucleic acid 

DOD Department of Defense 

DOE Department of Energy 

DOL Department of Labor 

DOT Department of Transportation 
MALATHION C-2 

APPENDIX C 

DOT/UN/ Department of Transportation/United Nations/ 

 NA/IMCO North America/International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code 

DWEL drinking water exposure level 

ECD electron capture detection 

ECG/EKG electrocardiogram 

EEG electroencephalogram 

EEGL Emergency Exposure Guidance Level 

EPA Environmental Protection Agency 

F Fahrenheit 

F1 first-filial generation 

FAO Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations 

FDA Food and Drug Administration 

FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency 

FIFRA Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act 

FPD flame photometric detection 

fpm feet per minute 

FR Federal Register

FSH follicle stimulating hormone 

g gram 

GC gas chromatography 

gd gestational day 

GLC gas liquid chromatography 

GPC gel permeation chromatography 

HPLC high-performance liquid chromatography 

HRGC high resolution gas chromatography 

HSDB Hazardous Substance Data Bank 

IARC International Agency for Research on Cancer 

IDLH immediately dangerous to life and health 

ILO International Labor Organization 

IRIS Integrated Risk Information System 

Kd adsorption ratio 

kg kilogram 

Koc organic carbon partition coefficient 

Kow octanol-water partition coefficient 

L liter 

LC liquid chromatography 

LCLo lethal concentration, low 

LC50 lethal concentration, 50% kill 

LDLo lethal dose, low 

LD50 lethal dose, 50% kill 

LDH lactic dehydrogenase 

LH luteinizing hormone 

LT50 lethal time, 50% kill 

LOAEL lowest-observed-adverse-effect level 

LSE Levels of Significant Exposure 

m meter 

MA trans,trans-muconic acid 

MAL maximum allowable level 

mCi millicurie 

MCL maximum contaminant level 

MCLG maximum contaminant level goal 
MALATHION C-3 

APPENDIX C 

MFO mixed function oxidase 

mg milligram 

mL milliliter 

mm millimeter 

mmHg millimeters of mercury 

mmol millimole 

mppcf millions of particles per cubic foot 

MRL Minimal Risk Level 

MS mass spectrometry 

NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standard 

NAS National Academy of Science 

NATICH National Air Toxics Information Clearinghouse 

NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization 

NCE normochromatic erythrocytes 

NCEH National Center for Environmental Health 

NCI National Cancer Institute 

ND not detected 

NFPA National Fire Protection Association 

ng nanogram 

NIEHS National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences 

NIOSH National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health 

NIOSHTIC NIOSH's Computerized Information Retrieval System 

NLM National Library of Medicine 

nm nanometer 

NHANES National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 

nmol nanomole 

NOAEL no-observed-adverse-effect level 

NOES National Occupational Exposure Survey 

NOHS National Occupational Hazard Survey 

NPD nitrogen phosphorus detection 

NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System 

NPL National Priorities List 

NR not reported 

NRC National Research Council 

NS not specified 

NSPS New Source Performance Standards 

NTIS National Technical Information Service 

NTP National Toxicology Program 

ODW Office of Drinking Water, EPA 

OERR Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, EPA 

OHM/TADS Oil and Hazardous Materials/Technical Assistance Data System 

OPP Office of Pesticide Programs, EPA 

OPPTS Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, EPA 

OPPT Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, EPA 

OR odds ratio 

OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

OSW Office of Solid Waste, EPA 

OW Office of Water 

OWRS Office of Water Regulations and Standards, EPA 

PAH polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 

PBPD physiologically based pharmacodynamic 
MALATHION C-4 

APPENDIX C 

PBPK physiologically based pharmacokinetic 

PCE polychromatic erythrocytes 

PEL permissible exposure limit 

pg picogram 

PHS Public Health Service 

PID photo ionization detector 

pmol picomole 

PMR proportionate mortality ratio 

ppb parts per billion 

ppm parts per million 

ppt parts per trillion 

PSNS pretreatment standards for new sources 

RBC red blood cell 

REL recommended exposure level/limit 

RfC reference concentration 

RfD reference dose 

RNA ribonucleic acid 

RTECS Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances 

RQ reportable quantity 

SARA Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act 

SCE sister chromatid exchange 

SGOT serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase 

SGPT serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase 

SIC standard industrial classification 

SIM selected ion monitoring 

SMCL secondary maximum contaminant level 

SMR standardized mortality ratio 

SNARL suggested no adverse response level 

SPEGL Short-Term Public Emergency Guidance Level 

STEL short term exposure limit 

STORET Storage and Retrieval 

TD50 toxic dose, 50% specific toxic effect 

TLV threshold limit value 

TOC total organic carbon 

TPQ threshold planning quantity 

TRI Toxics Release Inventory 

TSCA Toxic Substances Control Act 

TWA time-weighted average 

UF uncertainty factor 

U.S. United States 

USDA United States Department of Agriculture 

USGS United States Geological Survey 

VOC volatile organic compound 

WBC white blood cell 

WHO World Health Organization 
MALATHION C-5 

APPENDIX C 

> greater than 

$ greater than or equal to 

= equal to 

< less than 

# less than or equal to 

% percent 

α alpha 

β beta 

γ gamma 

δ delta 

μm micrometer 

μg microgram 

q1

*

 cancer slope factor 

– negative 

+ positive 

(+) weakly positive result 

(–) weakly negative result