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XTOXNET PIP-DIURON Page 1 of') EXTOXNET Extension Toxicology Network Pesticide Information Profiles L Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Oregon State University,the Jniversity of Idaho, and the University of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, 4ichigan State University. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program. ;XTOXNET primary files maintained and archived at Oregon State University ievised June 1996 Diuron Trade and Other Names: Trade names for products containing diuron'include Crisuron, Diater, Di-on,Direx, Karmex, and Unidron. Itis often used in combination with other pesticides such as bromacil and hexazinone. Regulatory Status: Diuron is a General Use Pesticide (GUP). The U.S. EPA classifies it as toxicity class III - slightly toxic. However,products containing diuron bear the Signal Word WARNING because it can irritate the eyes and throat. Chemical Class: substituted urea Introduction: Diuron is a substituted urea herbicide used to control a wide variety of annual and perennial broadleaf and grassy weeds, as well as mosses. It is used on non-crop areas and many agricultural crops such as fruit, cotton, sugar cane, alfalfa, and wheat. Diuron works by inhibiting photosynthesis. It may be found in formulations as wettable powders and suspension concentrates. Formulation: It may be found in formulations as wettable powders and suspension concentrates. Toxicological Effects: . Acute toxicity: Diuron is slightly toxic to mammals. The oral LD50 in rats is 3400 mg/kg. The dermal LD50 is greater than 2000 mg/kg [4,8]. Some signs of central nervous system depression have been noted at high levels of diuron exposure. For humans,the only.reported case of acute, oral exposure to the herbicide produced no significant symptoms or toxicity [4,8,101. . Chronic toxicity: Male rats given extremely high doses of diuron over a 2-week period showed changes in their spleen and bone marrow. Other chronic effects attributed to moderate to high doses of the pesticide over time included changes in blood chemistry, increased mortality, growth retardation, abnormal blood pigment, and anemia. When fed small amounts of diuron in food for 2 years, animal species showed no adverse effects [4,8]. . Reproductive effects: Daily low doses of diuron fed to female rats through three successive generations caused significantly decreased body weight of offspring in the second and third litters. The fertility rate remained unaffected [8]. It is unlikely that diuron will cause reproductive effects in humans at expected levels of expos