
Permethrin is a synthetic insecticide that's commonly used to control a wide range of pests, from mosquitoes and ticks to fleas and flies. It's a popular choice among gardeners, pet owners, and people who spend time outdoors.
Permethrin is generally considered safe for humans and pets when used as directed. In fact, it's often used on clothing and gear to repel insects and prevent tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease.
To use permethrin safely, it's essential to follow the recommended application rates and instructions. This will help prevent overexposure and minimize the risk of side effects, such as skin irritation and allergic reactions.
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Product Information
Permethrin is a popular pesticide that's widely used to repel and kill insects and ticks. It's available in various forms, including a spray that can be applied to clothing and gear.
The spray is specifically designed for use on outdoor gear, such as clothing, tents, sleeping bags, and shoes. This is because it's highly effective at repelling mosquitoes and ticks that can spread diseases like Lyme disease and Zika virus.
For your interest: Permethrin Tick
According to a University of Rhode Island study, people who wore Permethrin-treated shoes and socks were 73.6 times less likely to have a tick bite than those wearing untreated footwear. This is a staggering statistic that highlights the importance of using Permethrin to protect yourself and your loved ones.
Permethrin spray bonds to fabric fibers for up to 6 weeks, or 6 washings, making it a long-lasting solution for outdoor enthusiasts. It's also odorless after drying, which is a big plus for people who don't like strong-smelling chemicals.
The EPA recommends using 4.5 ounces of Permethrin to spray each outfit, which consists of a shirt, pants, and socks. This is a simple and effective way to add an extra layer of protection to your clothing and gear.
Permethrin is also safe to use on a variety of fabrics, including silk, and won't damage or stain your clothing or gear. It's a great option for people who want to enjoy the outdoors without worrying about getting bitten by insects or ticks.
Usage and Safety
To use pesticide-treated clothing safely, follow the label. The pesticide use label is usually found on a "hang-tag" attached to the clothing.
You must follow the directions and precautions on the label, just like with any other pesticide product. This ensures you're using the product correctly and minimizing any potential risks.
When using permethrin-treated clothing, it's essential to follow the label's instructions to avoid any adverse effects.
When to Use
Permethrin can be used on a variety of pests, including those on veggies, fruits, nuts, ornamentals, mushrooms, potatoes, and cereal crops in greenhouses, home gardens, and even for termite control.
Drifting spray can harm small animals, so it's best to use permethrin on a calm, non-windy day.
Permethrin kills bees and fish, so avoid using it in the garden when bees are active or near a body of water.
Wait 24 hours before harvesting after using permethrin in the garden to ensure it's safe for consumption.
It's essential to wash your produce thoroughly prior to use after applying permethrin in the garden.
Curious to learn more? Check out: Permethrin Garden
Using Permethrin
Using Permethrin requires some caution and attention to detail. Always read the manufacturer's instructions regarding application and safety before use.
Permethrin comes in various formulations, including spray, dust, emulsion concentrate, and wettable powder. Spray products should be applied on a calm day, and make sure to spray all areas of the plant thoroughly, including the underside of the leaves.
Wear protective gear when using permethrin in the garden, including goggles, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt. This will help prevent skin and eye irritation.
Don't dump permethrin in a body of water or on soil near water, as this can cause harm to the environment.
Permethrin Safety in Factory Treatments
The amount of permethrin allowed in clothing is very low.
Our risk assessment procedures have evaluated multiple exposure scenarios for permethrin factory-treated clothing, including toddlers wearing or mouthing the clothing, and military personnel who wear permethrin-treated uniforms on a daily basis.
All exposure scenarios showed that permethrin factory-treated clothing is unlikely to pose any significant immediate or long-term hazard to people wearing the clothing.
Permethrin is poorly absorbed through the skin, which means that even if you do get exposed, it's unlikely to cause harm.
Recommended read: Pesticide Exposure from Working Pest Control
Safe Use: Label Instructions
Permethrin must be used according to the manufacturer's instructions. Always read the label before use, as the instructions may vary depending on the product.
Drifting spray can harm small animals, so it's essential to use permethrin on a calm, non-windy day. This will help prevent accidental exposure.
Permethrin can irritate eyes and skin, so it's crucial to wear protective gear when using it in the garden. Wear goggles, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt to minimize the risk of irritation.
Clothing factory-treated with permethrin must also be used according to the label instructions. The label, typically found on a "hang-tag", provides essential information on safe use and precautions.
Even clothing treated with permethrin must be handled with care. Don't dump it in a body of water or on soil near water, as this can harm aquatic life.
A fresh viewpoint: How Long after Pesticide Application Is It Safe for Pets
Insect Repellent Clothing
Permethrin is the only insect repellent currently used for factory treatment of clothing.
It's been registered by the EPA since 1979 and was first registered for use as a repellent on clothing by the military in 1990.
Permethrin is a broad-spectrum insecticide that targets adults and larvae of many species of biting, chewing, scaling, soil, and flying invertebrates.
Only the skin surface covered with factory-treated clothing is protected from pests listed on the label, so it's essential to treat other exposed parts of the body with an insect repellent labeled for use on human skin.
The EPA has reviewed data demonstrating the effectiveness of permethrin factory-treated clothing in repelling target pests, including mosquitoes and ticks.
If you want to treat your own clothing, you can use products containing DEET, permethrin, or picaridin, but be sure to read and follow label directions.
Chemical Properties
Permethrin is a type I pyrethroid, a class of insecticides. It's a blend of two stereoisomers.
The chemical properties of permethrin make it a versatile pesticide. Technical permethrin can range from a colorless crystal to a yellow or brown viscous liquid.
Here are some key physical and chemical properties of permethrin:
- Vapor pressure: 2.15 x 10 mmHg
- Octanol-Water Partition Coefficient (Kow): 6.1 at 20 °C
- Henry's constant: 1.4 x 10 atm·m/mol
- Molecular weight: 391.3 g/mol
- Solubility (water): 5.5 x 10 mg/L, 6 x 10 mg/L
- Soil Sorption Coefficient (Koc): 1.00 x 10
Chemical Class & Type

Permethrin is an insecticide in the pyrethroid chemical family. This is according to the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name for permethrin, which is 3-phenoxybenzyl (1RS,3RS;1RS,3SR)-3-(2,2-dichlorovinyl)-2,2-dimethyl-cyclopropanecarboxylate.
The Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number for permethrin is 52645-53-1. It's a type I pyrethroid.
Permethrin was originally registered for use by the US Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) in 1979, and it was re-registered in 2006.
Permethrin is a blend of two stereoisomers.
Properties:
Permethrin is a versatile chemical with some interesting properties. It can exist as a colorless crystal, a yellow or brown viscous liquid.
The vapor pressure of permethrin is relatively low at 2.15 x 10 mmHg. This is likely due to its molecular weight of 391.3 g/mol.
Permethrin has a moderate solubility in water, ranging from 5.5 x 10 mg/L to 6 x 10 mg/L. This makes it relatively easy to dissolve in water.
The octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow) of permethrin is 6.1 at 20 °C. This value can help us understand how permethrin interacts with water and other organic compounds.
Here are some key properties of permethrin in a quick reference table:
Toxicity and Risks
The U.S. EPA has determined a reference dose (RfD) of 0.25 mg/kg/day for both acute and chronic dietary exposures to permethrin. This means that a person can safely consume a certain amount of permethrin every day without harm.
The U.S. EPA has also classified permethrin as "likely to be carcinogenic to humans", which means it may cause cancer in humans. This classification is based on the EPA's Integrated Risk Information System.
The reference dose (RfD) is an estimate of the quantity of chemical that a person could be exposed to every day for the rest of their life with no appreciable risk of adverse health effects. It's measured in milligrams (mg) of chemical per kilogram (kg) of body weight per day.
Here's a quick summary of the reference doses and limits for permethrin:
Note that these values are based on animal studies and may not directly apply to humans.
Non-Target Organisms
Permethrin can be toxic to non-target organisms, including honeybees, fish, and aquatic invertebrates, due to disruption of sodium channels. This can have serious consequences for their survival and the ecosystem as a whole.
Honeybees are particularly vulnerable to permethrin, which can be devastating for bee populations. Fish and aquatic invertebrates are also at risk due to the same sodium channel disruption.
Mammals are generally less susceptible to permethrin compared to insects, thanks to their less sensitive sodium channels and greater metabolic capabilities. However, cats can be an exception, as they may be sensitive to products with high concentrations of permethrin.
Cats' inability to efficiently metabolize permethrin can lead to toxic effects, making them a special case when it comes to permethrin exposure.
Chronic Toxicity
When it comes to permethrin, a common pesticide, chronic toxicity is a concern. The U.S. EPA has set a reference dose (RfD) of 0.25 mg/kg/day for both acute and chronic dietary exposures.
This level is based on a NOAEL of 25 mg/kg/day in rats and an Uncertainty Factor (UF) of 100. This means that even at low levels, permethrin can be toxic to humans.
Unfortunately, there is no human data available on the chronic effects of permethrin. This lack of information makes it difficult to fully understand the risks associated with long-term exposure.
The U.S. EPA's reference dose is a critical guideline for determining safe levels of permethrin in food and water. However, more research is needed to fully understand the potential health risks of chronic permethrin exposure.
Endocrine Disruption:
Permethrin has been researched for its potential to disrupt endocrine function, which is the body's system for producing hormones.
Experiments on rat and human cancer cell lines found that permethrin didn't act as an antagonist or agonist for estrogens or androgens, nor did it act as a progestin in human cancer cells.
More research is needed to understand if permethrin can interfere with estrogenic activity through interaction with the progesterone receptor.
Permethrin is included in the draft list of initial chemicals for screening under the U.S. EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP).
Carcinogenicity
Carcinogenicity is a concern for many chemicals, including permethrin. Permethrin is a widely used insecticide, and its potential to cause cancer is a topic of interest.
Rats fed diets containing high levels of permethrin showed signs of toxicity but no signs of carcinogenicity. However, mice fed similar diets did experience slightly elevated numbers of benign hepatic tumors in males at the highest dose tested.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified permethrin as "not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans" due to a lack of evidence. This classification was made in 1991.
More recently, the U.S. EPA has classified permethrin as "likely to be carcinogenic to humans" by ingestion. This rating is based on benign lung and liver tumors found in mice and similar, though inconclusive, evidence in rats.
No human data were found on the carcinogenic effects of permethrin.
Reproductive or Teratogenic Effects
Research on reproductive and teratogenic effects of permethrin has yielded some interesting findings.
Studies on pregnant rats and rabbits have shown that high doses of permethrin can have adverse effects on fetal development.
At 150 mg/kg body weight per day, researchers observed a reduction in fetal rat weights and a greater occurrence of additional ribs in the developing fetuses.
In rabbits, a dose of 1200 mg/kg body weight per day resulted in a greater loss of developing fetuses and decreased ossification of hind- and fore-limbs of the fetuses.
However, at lower doses, no adverse effects were noted in either rats or rabbits.
A study involving 196 women who applied a single, full-body dose of 4% permethrin during their second or third trimesters of pregnancy found no evidence that exposure to permethrin affected the outcome of their pregnancies.
Similarly, a study involving 113 women using a 1% permethrin head lice treatment during pregnancy found no indication that exposure to permethrin affected the outcome of their pregnancies.
Regulatory Guidelines:
The U.S. EPA has determined a Reference Dose (RfD) of 0.25 mg/kg/day for both acute and chronic dietary exposures to permethrin.
This means that the EPA believes that consuming up to 0.25 milligrams of permethrin per kilogram of body weight per day will not cause any adverse health effects.
The EPA has also classified permethrin as "likely to be carcinogenic to humans", which means that it may cause cancer in humans.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a guideline of 0.3 mg/L for permethrin in drinking water when it is applied to water for mosquito control.
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) has determined Minimum Risk Levels (MRLs) for oral exposures to technical grade permethrin of 0.3 mg/kg/day for acute oral exposures (up to 14 days) and 0.2 mg/kg/day for intermediate durations (15-364 days).
Here's a summary of the regulatory guidelines for permethrin:
Absorption and Residue
About 0.5% of the applied dose of permethrin is absorbed dermally through skin applications.
Animal studies showed that permethrin is quickly and substantially absorbed upon ingestion, with an absorption half-life of less than one hour.
In the FDA's Total Diet Study of 2003, permethrin residues were detected in 3% of the 1039 food samples tested.
The range of permethrin levels found in the study was 0.0008-4.7130 ppm.
Here's a breakdown of the detected levels of permethrin in food samples:
Absorption
When skin is applied with permethrin, only about 0.5% of the dose is absorbed into the body.
Animal studies have shown that permethrin is quickly absorbed into the body when ingested. In one study of rats, a whopping 60% of the orally administered dose was absorbed within just one hour.
The absorption rate is quite fast, with an absorption half-life of less than one hour in rat studies.
Here are some key absorption facts:
- 0.5% of the applied dose is absorbed dermally (through the skin)
- 60% of the orally administered dose is absorbed in rat studies
- No information was found on absorption rates following inhalation of permethrin
Distribution
Distribution of permethrin in the body is a fascinating topic. Permethrin is rapidly distributed throughout the body, with peak concentrations measured in plasma, nerve tissue, liver, and kidneys occurring around four hours after ingestion.
In rat feeding studies, levels of permethrin found in nervous tissues were generally higher compared with in plasma. This suggests that permethrin tends to accumulate in the nervous system.
A fresh viewpoint: Permethrin Body Wash
A human case study involving intentional ingestion of permethrin showed a similar distribution pattern, with a peak permethrin concentration found in blood three to four hours after ingestion. This indicates that the distribution pattern of permethrin is consistent across species.
Here's a summary of the distribution of permethrin in the body:
This information can be useful in understanding how permethrin behaves in the body, and can inform strategies for its safe use and disposal.
Food Residue
Food residue is a concern for many of us, especially when it comes to pesticides like permethrin. Permethrin residues were detected in 3% of the 1039 food samples tested in the FDA's Total Diet Study of 2003.
The levels of permethrin found in these samples ranged from 0.0008-4.7130 ppm. This is a significant range, and it's worth noting that the highest level detected was 4.7130 ppm.
In the 2006 USDA Pesticide Data Program report, a total of 0.5% of 1726 food samples had detectable residues of permethrin. These residues ranged from 0.048-4.900 ppm, and none of the detected levels exceeded their corresponding permethrin tolerances.
Here are some specific examples of foods that had detectable permethrin residues: bananascollard greenssummer squashwatermelon
In fact, spinach samples alone accounted for 97% of the detected levels of permethrin in the USDA's study of several crops. This is a striking finding, and it highlights the importance of monitoring pesticide residue levels in our food supply.
Environmental Impact
Permethrin, a common pesticide, has a significant environmental impact.
Water pollution is a major concern as permethrin can contaminate water sources, posing a risk to aquatic life.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has classified permethrin as a possible human carcinogen, which means it may cause cancer in humans.
Permethrin can also affect the nervous system of bees, leading to colony collapse and disrupting the food chain.
The EPA has established a maximum allowable level of 0.1 parts per million (ppm) for permethrin in drinking water, but this level is often exceeded in areas with high pesticide use.
Permethrin can persist in the environment for a long time, with a half-life of up to 48 days, allowing it to accumulate in soil and water.
Check this out: Epa Pesticide Registration Fee Schedule
Professional Products
Professional Products are often used by professionals to effectively control pests.
Ant, Flea & Tick Killer Granules, Permanone 10% E.C., and Permethrin Sfr are some of the products used.
These products are designed to provide long-lasting results and are suitable for use in a variety of settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What insects are killed by permethrin?
Permethrin kills a wide range of pests, including fleas, ticks, cockroaches, flies, and mosquitoes. It's often combined with PBO to enhance its insect-killing power.
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