1.800.858.7378npic@oregonstate.edu
We're open from 8:00AM to 12:00PM Pacific Time, Mon-Fri
    A to Z



Picaridin Fact Sheet

Print Version (PDF)

What is picaridin?

Picaridin repels insects, ticks and chiggers. It is a human-made (synthetic) compound first made in the 1980s. It was made to resemble the natural compound piperine, which is found in the group of plants that are used to produce black pepper. Picaridin has been widely used as an insect repellent in Europe and Australia, but has only been available in the United States since 2005.

What are some products that contain picaridin?

Picaridin can be used on human skin or clothing to repel mosquitoes, biting flies, ticks, fleas, and chiggers. These products may be pump sprays, liquids, aerosols, or wipes. There are about two dozen products with picaridin in them for sale in the United States.

IMPORTANT: Always follow label instructions and take steps to minimize exposure. If any exposures occur, be sure to follow the First Aid instructions on the product label carefully. For additional treatment advice, contact the Poison Control Center at 800-222-1222. If you wish to discuss a pesticide problem, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378.

How does picaridin work?

Picaridin repels insects and makes them less likely to bite. It seems to block mosquitoes from sensing their prey. Picaridin doesn't kill insects.

How might I be exposed to picaridin?

There are four ways that people can be exposed to chemicals: contacting their skin, contacting their eyes, breathing them in, or eating them. Picaridin is often used directly on skin. It may also be inhaled when sprays are used around the body, especially in indoor spaces where the vapors may remain for some time. If someone doesn't wash their hands after applying an insect repellent and then smokes or handles food, it is possible that they may swallow some picaridin.

Risks can be reduced by always reading the entire label and following all instructions.

What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to picaridin?

Some people have had skin irritation from using products containing picaridin, although this is very uncommon. If picaridin gets into someone's eyes, it may also cause irritation. When researchers fed large doses of picaridin to rats, the rats lost weight and their kidneys were affected. Picaridin is considered practically nontoxic if inhaled.

What happens to picaridin when it enters the body?

When researchers applied picaridin to the skin of rats, 60% of it went through the skin. In humans, less than 6% of the picaridin applied to skin was absorbed. Picaridin may be broken down once it is in the body. Rats and humans excrete almost all of it in their urine within a day of exposure.

Is picaridin likely to contribute to the development of cancer?

Researchers did not see increases in cancer among laboratory animals after putting picaridin on the animals' skin for two years. The U.S. EPA decided that picaridin is not likely to cause cancer based on long-term skin exposure studies in rats and mice.

Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to picaridin?

Researchers applied large amounts of picaridin to the skin of rats and rabbits for up to two years to evaluate any effects on the animals or their offspring. The parent animals' skin got thicker, became irritated, and developed dark spots. There were no effects on the offspring of the treated rats and rabbits. Rats given the highest doses of picaridin had heavier livers. There was no information available on long-term exposure to picaridin in people.

Are children more sensitive to picaridin than adults?

While children may be especially sensitive to pesticides compared to adults, there are currently no data to suggest that children have increased sensitivity specifically to picaridin.

What happens to picaridin in the environment?

Scientists found picaridin in wastewater going into treatment plants but not in water that had been treated. Scientists think that picaridin will bind to soil where bacteria will break it down. Picaridin isn’t likely to end up in ground water based on how it is used and its physical properties.

Can picaridin affect birds, fish, or other wildlife?

Picaridin is moderately toxic to fish. It may build up in the tissues of some fish. Green algae grown in water with picaridin did not grow as well as algae grown in water without picaridin. Picaridin is considered to be nontoxic to birds.


Where can I get more information?

For more detailed information about picaridin please visit the referenced resources below, call NPIC at 800-858-7378, Monday - Friday, 8:00am-12:00pm PT (11:00am-3:00pm Eastern Time) , email us at npic@oregonstate.edu, or visit us at npic.orst.edu. NPIC provides objective, science-based answers to questions about pesticides.

Date Reviewed: December 2009

Please cite as: Gervais, J. A.; Wegner, P.; Luukinen, B.; Buhl, K.; Stone, D. 2009. Picaridin General Fact Sheet; National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University Extension Services. npic.orst.edu/factsheets/PicaridinGen.html.

References:

  1. New Pesticide Fact Sheet - Picaridin; EPA 737-F-96-005; United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Office of Pesticide Programs, U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC, 2005.
  2. WHO. WHO Specifications and Evaluations for Public Health Pesticides - Icaridin; World Health Organization: Geneva, Switzerland, 2004.
  3. Moore, S. J.; Debboun, M. Insect Repellents: Principles, Methods, and Uses - History of Insect Repellents; Debboun, M.; Frances, S. P.; Strickman, D., Eds.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, 2007; pp 3-29.
  4. Frances, S. P. Insect Repellents: Principles, Methods, and Uses - Picaridin; Debboun, M.; Frances, S. P.; Strickman, D., Eds.; CRC Press: Boca Raton, 2007; pp 337-340.
  5. Katz, T. M.; Miller, J. H.; Hebert, A. A. Insect repellents: Historical perspectives and new developments. J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2008, 58 (5), 865-871.
  6. Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), Picaridin; HSDB Number 7374; U.S Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine. https://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/ (accessed July 2008), updated Jan 2006.
  7. Pesticide Products. Pest Bank [CD-ROM] 2008.
  8. Klun, J. A.; Khrimian, A.; Debboun, M. Repellent and Deterrent Effects of SS220, Picaridin, and DEET Suppress Human Blood Feeding by Aedes aegypti, Anopheles stephensi, and Phlebotomus papatasi. J. Med. Entomol. 2006, 43 (1), 34-39.
  9. Boeckh, J.; Breer, H.; Geier, M.; Hoever, F-P.; Kruger, B. W.; Nentwig, G.; Sass, H. Acylated 1,3-Aminopropanols as Repellents against Bloodsucking Arthropods. Pestic. Sci. 1996, 48 (4), 359-373.
  10. Amer, A.; Mehlhorn, H. The sensilla of Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes and their importance in repellency. Parasitol. Res. 2006, 99, 491-499.
  11. Licciardi, S.; Herve, J. P.; Darriet, F.; Hougard, J.-M.; Corbel, V. Lethal and behavioral effects of three synthetic repellents (DEET, IR3535 and KBR 3023) on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in laboratory assays. Med. Vet. Entomol. 2006, 20, 288-293.
  12. Serafini, M. P. Registration with Conditions of the New Active Ingredient Picaridin; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials, Bureau of Pesticides Management: Albany, NY, 2005.
  13. Corazza, M.; Borghi, A.; Zampino, M. R.; Virgili, A. Allergic contact dermatitis due to an insect repellent: double sensitization to picaridin and methyl glucose dioleate. Acta Derm. Venereolo. 2005, 85 (3), 264-265.
  14. Wahle, B. S.; Sangha, G. K.; Lake, S. G.; Sheets, L. P.; Croutch, C.; Christenson, W. R. Chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity testing in the Sprague-Dawley rat of a prospective insect repellant (KBR 3023) using the dermal route of exposure. Toxicol. 1999, 142 (1), 41-56.
  15. Jones, R. D.; Hastings, T. F., Technical grade KBR 3023: a chronic percutaneous toxicity study in the Beagle dog. Summary of Toxicology Data: Picaridin; Moore, T., Ed.; California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Medical Toxicology Branch: Sacramento, 2005.
  16. Wahle, B. S.; Sangha, G. K.; Elcock, L. E.; Sheets, L. P.; Christenson, W. R. Carcinogenicity testing in the CD-1 mouse of a prospective insect repellant (KBR 3023) using the dermal route of exposure. Toxicol. 1999, 142 (1), 29-39.
  17. Astroff, A. B.; Freshwater, K. J.; Young, A. D.; Stuart, B. P.; 17. Sangha, G. K.; Thyssen, J. H. The conduct of a two-generation reproductive toxicity study via dermal exposure in the Sprague-Dawley rat - a case study with KBR 3023 (a prospective insect repellent). Reprod. Toxicol. 1999, 13 (3), 223-232.
  18. Astroff, A. B.; Young, A. D.; Holzum, B.; Sangha, G. K.; Thyssen, J. H. Conduct and interpretation of a dermal developmental toxicity study with KBR 3023 (a prospective insect repellent) in the Sprague-Dawley rat and Himalayan rabbit. Teratol. 2000, 61 (3), 222-230.
  19. Ecker, W.; Weber, H. [Hydroxyethyl-1-14C] KBR 3023: Rat metabolism study after intravenous injection and after dermal application. Summary of Toxicology Data: Picaridin; Moore, T., Ed.; California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Medical Toxicology Branch: Sacramento, 1997.
  20. Selim, S.; Zuidlaren, G. P. A single dose open label study to investigate the absorption and excretion of a 14C-labeled insect repellent (KBR 3023) from two different formulations after dermal application to healthy volunteers. Summary of Toxicological Data: Picaridin; Moore, T., Ed.; California Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Pesticide Regulation, Medical Toxicology Branch: Sacramento, 1994.
  21. Knepper, T. P. Analysis and fate of insect repellents. Water Sci. Technol. 2004, 50 (5), 301-308.
  22. Knepper, T. P. Analysis and mass spectrometric characterization of the insect repellent Bayrepel and its main metabolite Bayrepel-acid. J. Chromatogr. A. 2004, 1046, 159-166.
  23. Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary, Calendar Year 2007; U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing Service, Science and Technology Programs: Washington, DC, 2008.
  24. Food and Drug Administration Pesticide Program Residue Monitoring 2004-2006; U. S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Office of Plant and Dairy Foods: Washington, DC, 2008.

NPIC fact sheets are designed to answer questions that are commonly asked by the public about pesticides that are regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). This document is intended to be educational in nature and helpful to consumers for making decisions about pesticide use.

OSU logo