Like other carbamate insecticides, bendiocarb is a reversible inhibitor of cholinesterase, an essential nervous system enzyme. Symptoms of bendiocarb poisoning include weakness, blurred vision, headache, nausea, abdominal cramps, chest discomfort, constriction of pupils, sweating, muscle tremors, and decreased pulse. If there is severe poisoning, symptoms of twitching, giddiness, confusion, muscle incoordination, slurred speech, low blood pressure, heart irregularities, and loss of reflexes may also be experienced. Carbamates generally do not accumulate in mammalian tissue and the cholinesterase inhibition reverses rapidly once exposure ceases. Complete recovery from an acute poisoning by bendiocarb, with no long term health effects, is possible if exposure ceases and the victim has time to recover their normal level of cholinesterase before succumbing to symptoms.
Long term feeding studies with test animals show depressed levels of cholinesterase activity.
Fate in Humans and Animals Bendiocarb is absorbed through all the normal routes of exposure, but dermal absorption is especially rapid. Carbamates generally are excreted rapidly and do not accumulate in mammalian tissue. If exposure does not continue, cholinesterase inhibition and its symptoms reverse rapidly. Breakdown of Chemical in Water Bendiocarb is degraded in solution by hydrolysis. It does not accumulate in water.