Pesticide products are required by law to bear precautionary labels on the front panel including a
single word ("Danger" and/or "Poison"; "Warning"; or "Caution")
corresponding to one of four categories of toxicity, in addition
to the statement, "Keep out of reach of children." Toxicity
categories are assigned to pesticides based on their potency
(ability to cause harm at low doses) by various routes of
exposure (e.g., oral, inhalation, dermal).
TOXICITY CATEGORY I
All pesticide products meeting the criteria of Toxicity Category
I are required to bear on the front panel the signal word
"Danger." In addition if the product was assigned to Toxicity
Category I on the basis of its oral, inhalation or dermal
toxicity (as distinct from skin and eye local effects) the word
"Poison'' shall appear in red on a background of distinctly
contrasting color and the skull and crossbones shall appear in
immediate proximity to the word "Poison."
Toxicity Category I criteria:
| Oral LD50: | Up to and including 50 mg/kg |
| Inhalation LC50: | Up to and including .2 mg/liter |
| Dermal LD50: | Up to and including 200 mg/kg |
| Eye effects: | Corrosive; corneal opacity not reversible within 7 days |
| Skin effects: | Corrosive |
TOXICITY CATEGORY II
All pesticide products meeting the criteria of Toxicity Category II shall bear on the front panel the signal word "Warning."
Toxicity Category II criteria:
| Oral LD50: | From 50 thru 500 mg/kg |
| Inhalation LC50: | From .2 thru 2 mg/liter |
| Dermal LD50: | From 200 thru 2000 mg/kg |
| Eye effects: | Corneal opacity reversible within 7 days; irritation persisting for 7 days |
| Skin effects: | Severe irritation at 72 hours |
TOXICITY CATEGORY III
All pesticide products meeting the criteria of Toxicity Category III shall bear on the front panel the signal word "Caution."
Toxicity Category III criteria:
| Oral LD50: | From 500 thru 5000 mg/kg |
| Inhalation LC50: | From 2. thru 20 mg/liter |
| Dermal LD50: | From 2,000 thru 20,000 mg/kg |
| Eye effects: | No corneal opacity; irritation reversible within 7 days |
| Skin effects: | Moderate irritation at 72 hours |
TOXICITY CATEGORY IV
All pesticide products meeting the criteria of Toxicity Category IV shall bear on the front panel the signal word "Caution."
Toxicity Category IV criteria:
| Oral LD50: | Greater than 5000 mg/kg |
| Inhalation LC50: | Greater than 20 mg/liter |
| Dermal LD50: | Greater than 20,000 mg/kg |
| Eye effects: | No irritation |
| Skin effects: | Mild or slight irritation at 72 hours |
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