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Mancozeb -- Toxic Or Not Toxic

Karl Note:  Aajonus points to this pesticide as one of the worst when it comes to toxic effects in the human body -- but makes it clear that the toxic effect is greatly increased by the process of heating or cooking the foods that have been sprayed with Mancozeb.  The first report below shows that Mancozeb is consider virtually non-toxic, but only when fed directly to rats.  This report states that when foods sprayed with Mancozeb are heated, there is a toxic danger -- click here.

Click here for another report, on this same page, showing that when Mancozeb-sprayed foods are heated or cooked, the toxic dangers are increased.

Source

E X T O X N E T

Extension Toxicology Network

Pesticide Information Profiles

A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Oregon State University, the University of Idaho, and the University of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program.

EXTOXNET primary files maintained and archived at Oregon State University

Revised June 1996

Mancozeb

Trade and Other Names: Trade names include Dithane, Dithane-Ultra, Fore, Green-Daisen M, Karamate, Mancofol, Mancozeb, Mancozin, Manzate 200, Manzeb, Manzin Nemispor, Nemispot, Policar, Riozeb, and Zimaneb.

RegulatoryStatus: Mancozeb is a practically nontoxic ethylene bisdithiocarbamate in EPA toxicity class IV - practically nontoxic. It is registered as a General Use Pesticide (GUP). Labels for products containing mancozeb must bear the Signal Word CAUTION.

Chemical Class: ethylene(bis) dithiocarbamate

Introduction: Mancozeb is used to protect many fruit, vegetable, nut and field crops against a wide spectrum of fungal diseases, including potato blight, leaf spot, scab (on apples and pears), and rust (on roses). It is also used for seed treatment of cotton, potatoes, corn, safflower, sorghum, peanuts, tomatoes, flax, and cereal grains. Mancozeb is available as dusts, liquids, water dispersible granules, as wettable powders, and as ready-to-use formulations. It may be commonly found in combination with zineb and maneb.

Formulation: Mancozeb is available as dusts, liquids, water-dispersible granules, wettable powders, and ready-to-use formulations. It is commonly found in combination with zineb and maneb.

Toxicological Effects:

• Acute toxicity: Mancozeb is practially nontoxic via the oral route with reported oral LD50 of greater than 5000 mg/kg to greater than 11,200 mg/kg in rats [1,3]. Via the dermal route it is practically nontoxic as well, with reported dermal LD50 values of greater than 10,000 mg/kg in rats, and greater than 5000 mg/kg in rabbits [4]. It is a mild skin irritant and sensitizer, and a mild to moderate eye irritant in rabbits [4,32]. Workers with occupational exposure to mancozeb have developed sensitization rashes [1].
• Chronic toxicity:No toxicological effects were apparent in rats fed dietary doses of 5 mg/kg/day in a long-term study [1]. Impaired thyroid function was observed as lower iodine uptake after 24 months in dogs fed doses of 2.5 and 25 mg/kg/day of mancozeb, but not in those dogs fed 0.625 mg/kg/day [1].

A major toxicological concern in situations of chronic exposure is the generation of ethylenethiourea (ETU) in the course of mancozeb metabolism, and as a contaminant in mancozeb production [1,33].  ETU may also be produced when EBDCs are used on stored produce, or during cooking [9]. In addition to having the potential to cause goiter, a condition in which the thyroid gland is enlarged, this metabolite has produced birth defects and cancer in experimental animals [9].

• Reproductive effects: In a three-generation rat study with mancozeb at a dietary level of 50 mg/kg/day there was reduced fertility but no indication of embryotoxic effects [1,9]. In another study in which pregnant rats were exposed to mancozeb by inhalation, toxic effects on the pups were observed only at exposure levels (55 mg/m3) that were also toxic to the dams [1]. It is unlikely that mancozeb will produce reproductive effects in humans under normal circumstances.
• Teratogenic effects: No teratogenic effects were observed in a three-generation rat study with mancozeb at a dietary level of 50 mg/kg/day [1]. Developmental abnormalities of the body wall, central nervous system, eye, ear, and musculoskeletal system were observed in experimental rats which were given a very high dose of 1320 mg/kg of mancozeb on the 11th day of pregnancy [25]. Mancozeb was not teratogenic to rats when it was inhaled by pregnant females at airborne concentrations of 0.017 mg/L [32]. In pregnant rats fed 5 mg/kg/day, the lowest dose tested, developmental toxicity was observed in the form of delayed hardening of the bones of the skull in offspring [9]. In view of the conflicting evidence, the teratogenicity of mancozeb is not known.
• Mutagenic effects: Mancozeb was found to be mutagenic in one set of tests, while in another it did not cause mutations [9]. Mancozeb is thought to be similar to maneb, which was not mutagenic in the Ames Test [32]. Data regarding the mutagenicity are inconclusive but suggest that mancozeb is either not mutagenic or weakly mutagenic.
• Carcinogenic effects: No data are available regarding the carcinogenic effects of mancozeb. While studies of other EBDCs indicate they are not carcinogenic, ETU (a mancozeb metabolite), has caused cancer in experimental animals at high doses [9,10]. Thus, the carcinogenic potential of mancozeb is not currently known.
• Organ toxicity: The main target organ of mancozeb is the thyroid gland; the effects may be due to the metabolite ETU [9,10].

• Fate in humans and animals: Mancozeb is rapidly absorbed into the body from the gastrointestinal tract, distributed to various target organs, and almost completely excreted in 96 hours. ETU is the major mancozeb metabolite of toxicologic significance, with carbon disulfide as a minor metabolite [10].

Ecological Effects:

• Effects on birds: Mancozeb is slightly toxic to birds, with reported -day dietary LC50 values in bobwhite quail and mallard ducklings of greater than 10,000 ppm [32]. The 10-day dietary LC50 values of 6400 ppm and 3200 ppm are reported for mallard ducks and Japanese quail, respectively [4].

• Effects on aquatic organisms: Mancozeb is moderately to highly toxic to fish and aquatic organisms. Reported 48-hour LC50 are 9 mg/L in goldfish, 2.2 mg/L in rainbow trout, 5.2 mg/L in catfish, and 4.0 mg/L in carp [4]. The reported 72-hour LC50 for mancozeb in crayfish is greater than 40 mg/L; the 48-hour LC50 is 3.5 mg/L in tadpoles [32].
• Effects on other organisms: Mancozeb is not toxic to honeybees [4].

Environmental Fate:

• Breakdown in soil and groundwater: Mancozeb is of low soil persistence, with a reported field half-life of 1 to 7 days [20]. Mancozeb rapidly and spontaneously degrades to ETU in the presence of water and oxygen [10]. ETU may persist for longer, on the order of 5 to 10 weeks [20]. Because mancozeb is practically insoluble in water, it is unlikely to infiltrate groundwater [3]. Studies do indicate that ETU, a metabolite of mancozeb, has the potential to be mobile in soils [9]. However, ETU has been detected (at 0.016 mg/L) in only 1 out of 1295 drinking water wells tested [10].
• Breakdown in water: Mancozeb degrades in water with a half-life of 1 to 2 days in slightly acidic to slightly alkaline conditions [32].
• Breakdown in vegetation: When used as directed, mancozeb is not poisonous to plants [4].

Physical Properties:

• Appearance: Mancozeb is a grayish-yellow powder [3].
• Chemical Name: manganese ethylenebis(dithiocarbamate) (polymeric) [3]
• CAS Number: 8018-01-7
• Molecular Weight: 266.31
• Water Solubility: 6 mg/L [3]
• Solubility in Other Solvents: Practically insoluble in most organic solvents [3]
• Melting Point: Decomposes without melting @ 192 C [3]
• Vapor Pressure: Negligible @ 20 C [3]
• Partition Coefficient: Not Available
• Adsorption Coefficient: >2000 [20]

Exposure Guidelines:

• ADI: 0.03 mg/kg/day [33]
• MCL: Not Available
• RfD: 0.003 mg/kg/day [27]
• PEL: Not Available
• HA: Not Available
• TLV: Not Available

Basic Manufacturer:

DuPont Agricultural Products
Walker's Mill, Barley Mill Plaza
P.O.Box 80038
Wilmington, DE 19880-0038

• Phone: 800-441-7515
• Emergency: 800-441-3637
   

References:

References for the information in this PIP can be found in Reference List Number 4
DISCLAIMER: The information in this profile does not in any way replace or supersede the information on the pesticide product labeling or other regulatory requirements. Please refer to the pesticide product labeling.

June, 2000 Fact sheet #38 Pesticides and Breast Cancer Risk, An Evaluation of Mancozeb This fact sheet reviews the information currently available on whether or not mancozeb affects breast cancer risk. Studies done so far do not indicate an increased breast cancer risk from mancozeb exposure. We have included in this fact sheet information about how mancozeb is used, where it may be found, and how exposure to this chemical can be reduced. What is mancozeb and why was it chosen to be evaluated? Mancozeb is a synthetic pesticide. It has been in use since 1967 as a fungicide to prevent growth of fungi (molds) and to protect plants and crops against damage caused by fungi. Plants do not take up mancozeb from the soil. Mancozeb needs to be sprayed on surfaces of leaves and crops for protection against molds. It has been chosen for this evaluation since it is the most widely used fungicide in New York State (NYS). Low levels of a chemical called ethylenethiourea (ETU) are present in mancozeb formulations. Mancozeb breaks down to produce some ETU as well. ETU is known to be more harmful than mancozeb. Does mancozeb cause breast cancer? Evidence available so far is very limited but does not suggest that mancozeb causes breast cancer. Studies needed to make a conclusion about mancozeb's ability to cause breast cancer are not available. Breast cancer rates of women exposed to mancozeb in the past have not been studied. Studies of experimental animals treated with mancozeb have been done, but have not reported on mammary gland (breast) tumor incidence. Are there ways by which mancozeb may affect breast cancer risk? A substance that affects cancer risk by increasing the effect of other cancer-causing agents (carcinogens) is called a tumor promoter. Mancozeb was found to promote skin tumors in mice and pancreatic tumors in rats. Mancozeb has not been tested for its ability to promote mammary (breast) tumors in animals. Does mancozeb cause other kinds of cancer in people? Studies that have been done so far do not provide evidence for mancozeb causing other types of cancers in people. In one study, workers at a lawn-care company were found to have a higher number of deaths from a rare type of blood cancer called non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). While workers at this company had used mancozeb, the two workers who died from NHL had worked at a branch where mancozeb had not been used. Thus, mancozeb was unlikely to have caused NHL in these cases. In another study, rates of deaths from thyroid, bone and prostate cancer were found to be higher among white men in a region of Minnesota where mancozeb was used. Whether the men who died from these cancers had been exposed to mancozeb was not determined in this study, and mancozeb was only one of many pesticides that were used in this region of Minnesota. Does mancozeb cause other types of cancer in laboratory animals? High doses of mancozeb fed to mice for a long time did not cause an increase in number of tumors of any kind. However, in male rats fed high levels of mancozeb over a long time, there was an increase in number of benign and cancerous tumors in the thyroid gland. Doses of mancozeb fed to animals in these studies were more than a hundred times higher than the levels that humans could be exposed to through food. At such high doses of mancozeb, levels of ETU also increase and it is not clear if mancozeb, or the contaminating ETU causes the increase in thyroid cancer. How is mancozeb used in orchards and farms? Mancozeb is used as a fungicide for a variety of food crops, including potatoes, tomatoes, apples, wheat, corn, watermelons, safflower, sorghum, peanuts, flax, cereal grains, grapes and onions. It is also used for protection of cotton seeds. What are non-farmland uses of mancozeb? Mancozeb is available for use in homes and nurseries, for flowers, ornamental trees, shrubs, turf sod, and golf courses. It is also used in forests to control fungal diseases in evergreens such as conifer and fir trees. Is mancozeb found in food or water? Mancozeb is sometimes found in food in small amounts. Much of the mancozeb found in food can be washed off with water. Cooking foods that have mancozeb on them, without washing them, can lead to some of the mancozeb to breakdown into ETU. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has set limits called tolerances for mancozeb and ETU. A tolerance is the maximum amount of a specific pesticide or its break down products that is permitted to remain in or on foods. Mancozeb breaks down in water within a day or two. Very low levels of ETU have been found in a few samples of water from areas where mancozeb was being used. However, water is not expected to be the source of significant exposure to mancozeb or ETU for people. Who might be exposed to mancozeb? People most likely to be exposed to this fungicide include: Workers involved in the manufacture of mancozeb Farmers, agricultural and orchard workers who mix or apply mancozeb Pilots who fly planes to spray farms, orchards or forests with mancozeb Workers at pine nurseries where mancozeb is used Home gardeners who use mancozeb containing sprays or dusts on ornamentals and shrubs How can I minimize my exposure to mancozeb? Levels of mancozeb and ETU found in food have been below EPA tolerance levels. Mancozeb does not last long in soil or water. However, following a few easy steps can help reduce exposure to this fungicide further:   Wash all fruits and vegetables thoroughly with water before you eat them raw, and before cooking them.   Read the label and follow manufacturer's guidelines when using any mancozeb-containing product to treat your home garden, or ornamental plants. Wear the recommended protective clothing.   Do not allow children or pets in the areas of the garden that are being treated. Conclusions Studies done so far do not provide evidence for an increased breast cancer risk from mancozeb exposure. However, whether or not mancozeb has affected breast cancer rates in women exposed in the past has not been studied Mancozeb has been found to act as a skin and pancreatic tumor promoter in experimental animals but has not been tested for the ability to promote mammary tumors. Mancozeb does not last long in soil or water and has not been found to be present in the environment at high levels. People who do not use mancozeb are unlikely to be exposed to high levels of this fungicide. Where is more research needed? Epidemiological studies need to follow the incidence of bone, prostate and thyroid cancers in farm workers and applicators who may have been exposed to mancozeb Studies of experimental animals exposed to mancozeb have been done. However, a report on mammary gland tumor incidence in mancozeb-treated animals was not available. A report of the mammary gland tumors in mancozeb-treated experimental animals is needed for an evaluation of its breast cancer risk Mancozeb should be tested for its ability to promote mammary tumors in experimental rats that have been treated with mammary carcinogens Is more research being done? An ongoing study of cancer risk among farm workers of Iowa and Minnesota, their spouses and children, will evaluate their exposure to mancozeb and various other pesticides. All cases of infertility among men will be investigated for exposure to pesticides, including mancozeb in a Minnesota based epidemiological study. Another study will be testing the ability of various chemicals, including mancozeb, to mimic sex hormones in cells growing in a laboratory. A study in Nebraska is investigating any association between Parkinsons disease and exposure to mancozeb, and other pesticides. Back to the top   Prepared by Renu Gandhi, Ph.D., BCERF Research Associate and Suzanne M. Snedeker, Ph.D., Research Project Leader, BCERF Posted 6.28.00 by Mari Stewart, BCERF Webmaster Last update on 7.10.01 by Mari Stewart, BCERF Webmaster   When reproducing this material, credit the authors and the Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors in New York State.

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