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You are here: NPIC Home Page Pesticide Ingredients Active Ingredients Specific Chemical Information Piperonyl Butoxide

Piperonyl butoxide (PBO) is a man-made pesticide ingredient called a synergist. By itself, PBO does not harm insects. Instead, it works with insect killers to increase their effectiveness. PBO is low in toxicity to humans but is often combined with other pesticides like pyrethrins or pyrethroids. PBO is practically non-toxic to birds, mammals, and bees. However, it is moderately toxic to fish.

General Questions about Piperonyl Butoxide

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

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If you have questions about this, 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:

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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.