Carbaryl

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

Carbaryl is a cholinesterase inhibitor and is toxic to humans. It is classified as a likely human carcinogen by the EPA. It kills various beneficial insect and crustacean species along with intended pest victims, so care must be taken when spraying where beneficial nontarget species are present. Carbaryl is acutely toxic to honeybees, destroying colonies of bees 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.

Carbaryl is illegal in several countries, including the United Kingdom, Austria, Denmark, Sweden and Angola.