It is presented to allow insecticide users to make informed choices when buying pest control products. Table salt, DDT, and chlordane have been added to the list for comparison purposes.
All pesticides can be toxic, but some are far more toxic than others.
Some of the most deadly, fast-acting toxins and some potent carcinogens occur naturally. All pesticides go through thorough toxicity testing before being registered by the Environmental Protection Agency. Smaller values indicate a more toxic product. These are the approximate number of pounds of active ingredient that would kill half of the150 lb. These values are extrapolated from the LD50 data and assume lab animals and humans have a similar response to the product.