Dalapon is also called sodium dalapon or magnesium dalapon. Dalapon is in toxicity class II - moderately toxic. The major food crop use of dalapon is on sugarcane and sugar beets. It is also used on various fruits, potatoes, carrots, asparagus, alfalfa, and flax, as well as in forestry, home gardening, and in or near water to control reed and sedge growth. Dalapon is applied both before the target plant comes up and after the plant emerges.
Commercial products consist of the sodium salt or mixed sodium and magnesium salts of dalapon.
Skin burns may occur from dermal exposure to dalapon, especially when skin is moist. They are readily washed from cells and tissues. Because dalapon is insoluble in organic solvents and lipids, it does not build up in animal tissues. A nonmetabolized form of dalapon was excreted in the urine of animals fed the herbicide. Its toxicity to aquatic invertebrates varies, depending on the species.