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You are here: NPIC Home Page Pesticide Ingredients Active Ingredients Acephate

Acephate is an organophosphate insecticide. Pesticides in this chemical family work by blocking an enzyme in the nervous system that acts as a stop switch for a nerve signal. If the enzyme is blocked, the nervous system can't work properly and eventually it fails. Acephate is used on agricultural crops, as a seed treatment, for commercial and institutional pest control and also has limited outdoor residential uses.

General Questions about Acephate

What is acephate? What are some products that contain acephate? How does acephate work? How might I be exposed to acephate What are some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to acephate? What happens to acephate when it enter the body? Is acephate likely to contribute to the development of cancer? Has anyone studied non-cancer effects from long-term exposure to acephate? Are children more sensitive to acephate than adults? What happens to acephate in the environment? Can acephate affect birds, fish, and other wildlife?

General Fact Sheet

Biomarkers of Exposure: Organophosphates Medical Case Profile

Pesticides: Testing for Exposure Using the Clinical Laboratory Medical Case Profile

If you have questions about acephate, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.

Related Topics:

What are pests?

What are pesticides?

Please read our disclaimer | Contact us | About NPIC | En español

NPIC provides objective, science-based information about pesticides and pesticide-related topics to enable people to make informed decisions. NPIC is a cooperative agreement between Oregon State University and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (cooperative agreement #X8-83947901). The information in this publication does not in any way replace or supersede the restrictions, precautions, directions, or other information on the pesticide label or any other regulatory requirements, nor does it necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. EPA.