Setting the Record Straight

In order to be sold, pesticides must be registered by regulatory authorities based on established criteria for the protection of public health and the environment.

Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide. Like other organophosphates, its insecticidal action is due to the inhibition of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, resulting in the accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, at nerve endings. This results in excessive transmission of nerve impulses, which causes mortality in the target pest. 

A legitimate question is what impact chlorpyrifos has on the inhibition of these cholinesterase enzymes in the human body, and how much exposure is safe.

In an effort to foster understanding about chlorpyrifos, these pages are devoted to setting the record straight. Here, we summarize some of the most common misperceptions about chlorpyrifos and facts about its worldwide acceptance.