Carbaryl (1-naphthyl methylcarbamate) is a chemical in the carbamate family used chiefly as an insecticide. It is a colorless white crystalline solid. It is commonly sold under the brand name Sevin, a trademark of the Bayer Company. Originally, Union Carbide discovered carbaryl and introduced it commercially in 1958, and it remains the third-most-utilized insecticide in the United States for home gardens, commercial agriculture, and forestry and rangeland protection. Bayer purchased Aventis CropScience in 2002, a company that included Union Carbide pesticide operations.

Its safety is somewhat controversial. It is a cholinesterase inhibitor and can be toxic to humans with excessive exposure, though no known fatalities have been reported. It is classified as a likely human carcinogen by the EPA. It kills various beneficial insect and crustacean species along with the pests it is intended for, so care must be taken when spraying in areas where such species are present. Carbaryl is acutely toxic to honeybees and can destroy colonies of bees that are foraging in an area where the chemical has been applied.

Oral LD50:

• 250 mg/kg to 850 mg/kg for rats
• 100 mg/kg to 650 mg/kg for mice

When ingested by people, it is metabolized rapidly and excreted in the urine.

External links

• Carbaryl Technical Fact Sheet - National Pesticide Information Center
• Carbaryl General Fact Sheet - National Pesticide Information Center
• Carbaryl Pesticide Information Profile - Extension Toxicology Network
• Cholinesterase Inhibition - Extension Toxicology Network
• Sevin facts and controversies
• EPA info
• EPA factsheet
• IPCS(WHO) Health and Safety Guide

Suppliers/Manufacturers

• Exclusive Chemistry Ltd - routes of Sevin synthesis