The compound is found in a variety of commercial herbicides including Lasso, Lariat, and Crop Star. Restricted Use Pesticides may be purchased and used only by certified applicators. It is a selective systemic herbicide, absorbed by germinating shoots and by roots.
Skin irritation is slight to moderate.
While the record may be a bit confusing it is clear that there are distinct chronic effects to rats and dogs at relatively low doses over a period of time. There was no indication in the report that reproduction was affected. A variety of microbial mutagenicity assays with various strains and with numerous concentration were all negative. These findings however are not widely accepted. There is still some debate about the oncogenic potential of alachlor in mice.