The effects of exposure to any hazardous substance depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present. At high levels, this chemical may cause damage to the male reproductive system. This chemical has been found in at least 10 of 1,314 National Priorities List sites identified by the Environmental Protection Agency. It is a colorless liquid with a sharp smell. It can be tasted in water at very low concentrations.
Some industries use it to make another chemical that is used to make materials that resist burning.
Farmers in all states other than Hawaii stopped using this chemical in 1979. Hawaii stopped using it in 1985. We do not know exactly how much of it is currently made or used by industry, but it is probably a small amount. Most of it that enters surface water evaporates into the air within several days or a week. It takes several months for it to break down in air.