Pesticides That Contained Chlorpyrifos Now Linked to Parkinson’s Disease Risks

Chlorpyrifos Exposure and Parkinson’s Disease

The concern surrounding these older pesticide products has increased substantially as researchers have examined whether chlorpyrifos exposure may contribute to Parkinson’s disease.

A study published in Molecular Neurodegeneration evaluated 829 individuals with Parkinson’s disease and 824 controls and found that substantial long-term residential exposure to chlorpyrifos was associated with a more than 2.5-fold increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease.

Researchers also identified biological changes following chlorpyrifos exposure that are consistent with processes involved in Parkinson’s disease, including:

• Loss of dopamine-producing neurons
• Motor impairment
• Neuroinflammation
• Increased pathological alpha-synuclein
• Disruption of cellular waste-removal processes

These findings are particularly important because Parkinson’s disease may not be diagnosed until decades after the pesticide exposure occurred.

As a result, individuals reviewing a potential claim may need to look back at products they used at home, on farms, while working in pest control or landscaping, or during military service to determine whether chlorpyrifos was involved.

Products Containing Chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos was not limited to one manufacturer or one type of pesticide. Over the decades, it appeared in products marketed for household insects, termites, lawns, landscaping, agricultural crops, commercial buildings and other pest-control applications.

The products below include many of the best-known and best-documented chlorpyrifos formulations, but they are not an exhaustive list, since hundreds of individual products and alternate brand names were registered over the decades.

Household and Residential Products

• Dursban — Dow Chemical / Dow AgroSciences
  Used for household insects, structural pest control, lawns and ornamental plants.
• Raid Formula 32 — S.C. Johnson & Son
  Used for household insects, including roaches and fleas.
• Raid Formula 34 — S.C. Johnson & Son
  Historical household insecticide containing chlorpyrifos.
• Raid Home Insect Killer Formula II — S.C. Johnson & Son
  Used for household pests such as roaches, fleas and ants.
• Ortho Home Pest Insect Control — Ortho
  Ready-to-use indoor residential insecticide.

Termite, Lawn and Structural Products

• Ortho-Klor Soil Insect & Termite Killer — Ortho
  Used around foundations, lawns, trees, shrubs and for termite control.
• Equity — Dow AgroSciences
  Used for structural and termite pest control.
• Empire 20 — Professional pest-control formulation
  Used in commercial and structural pest-control settings.

Agricultural Products

• Lorsban — Dow / Dow AgroSciences
  Widely used on agricultural crops.
• Cobalt — Dow AgroSciences
  Agricultural insecticide containing chlorpyrifos.
• NuFos — Cheminova / FMC
  Agricultural crop insecticide.
• Warhawk — Loveland Products
  Used on field, fruit, nut and vegetable crops.
• Lock-On — Dow AgroSciences
  Agricultural chlorpyrifos formulation, including aerial applications.
• Vulcan — ADAMA
  Agricultural insecticide.
• Bolton — FMC
  Restricted-use agricultural insecticide.
• Stallion — FMC
  Combination agricultural insecticide containing chlorpyrifos.
• Pilot — Gharda Chemicals
  Agricultural chlorpyrifos product.

Dursban Products Containing Chlorpyrifos

Dursban became one of the most recognizable chlorpyrifos brands used for residential and professional pest control.

Dow Chemical and related companies marketed Dursban in numerous formulations for household insects, termites, structural pest control, lawns, turf and ornamental plants.

Historical Dursban products included:

• Dursban 2E
• Dursban 4E
• Dursban 4E-N
• Dursban 50W
• Dursban 50W-N
• Dursban 75WG
• Dursban Turf Insecticide
• Dursban granular products
• Dursban TC
• Dursban F
• Dursban R
• Dursban ME

Dursban exposure may therefore have occurred among homeowners as well as exterminators, termite technicians, landscapers, groundskeepers and property-maintenance workers.

The EPA moved to eliminate nearly all residential chlorpyrifos uses beginning in 2000, substantially reducing where products like Dursban could be used around homes.

Raid Products That Contained Chlorpyrifos

Certain older Raid insecticides contained chlorpyrifos, although not every Raid product used the pesticide and modern Raid formulations should not be assumed to contain it.

Historical EPA labels identify chlorpyrifos in products including:

• Raid Formula 32 Insect Spray: An EPA-approved label identifies 0.50% chlorpyrifos. The product was used for household pests such as roaches and fleas and could be applied around baseboards, cabinets, cracks and other indoor areas.
• Raid Formula 34 Insect Spray: EPA records identify this S.C. Johnson & Son household insecticide as a chlorpyrifos-containing formulation.
• Raid Home Insect Killer Formula II: An EPA label identifies 0.50% chlorpyrifos. The product was used for household pests including roaches, fleas and ants.
• Raid Treatment for Crawling Insects: A 1998 EPA label identifies 0.50% chlorpyrifos. Directions included treatment around baseboards, sinks, cabinets, appliances and other indoor areas where crawling insects were found.

Ortho and Ortho-Klor Products Containing Chlorpyrifos

Older Ortho products were another source of residential chlorpyrifos exposure, but the formulations were used in very different ways.

Historical EPA labels identify chlorpyrifos in products including:

• Ortho Home Pest Insect Control: An EPA-approved label identifies 0.50% chlorpyrifos and states that the formulation contained Dursban insecticide. The ready-to-use product was marketed for roaches, fleas, ants and other common household pests, with directions for use in and around homes, including floor coverings and pet areas.
• Ortho-Klor Soil Insect & Termite Killer: An EPA label identifies 12.6% chlorpyrifos in the concentrated formulation. The product was intended for outdoor residential pest control, including termite treatments, building foundations, lawns, trees, shrubs, ornamental plants, landscaping and wood-destroying insects.

Because Ortho-Klor was sold as a concentrate, exposure could occur not only during spraying, but also while measuring, pouring, diluting and loading the pesticide into application equipment.

Lorsban and Agricultural Chlorpyrifos Products

Lorsban became one of the most widely recognized chlorpyrifos brands in American agriculture. Dow and related companies marketed multiple formulations over the years, including:

• Lorsban 4E
• Lorsban Advanced
• Lorsban 15G
• Lorsban 30G
• Lorsban 50W
• Lorsban 50-SI
• Lorsban 75WG
• Lorsban 4E-HF
• Lorsban 4E-SG

Lorsban products were used on numerous crops to control insects such as aphids, armyworms, borers, cutworms, beetles, grasshoppers and rootworms.

Potentially exposed individuals included farmers, pesticide applicators, mixers, loaders, equipment operators and agricultural workers who regularly worked around treated crops.

However, Lorsban was only one of many agricultural chlorpyrifos brands.

Drexel and Nufarm Chlorpyrifos Products

Some manufacturers marketed chlorpyrifos more directly under the chemical name rather than relying on a recognizable consumer brand.

Drexel Chemical Company registered products including:

• Drexel Chlorpyrifos 15G
• Drexel Chlorpyrifos 15GR
• Drexel Chlorpyrifos 4E-AG
• Drexel Chlorpyrifos 4E-AG2
• Drexel Chlorpyrifos Concentrate
• Drexel CHLOR-PY-REX
• Drexel Lambdafos
• Drexel Chlorpyrifos Technical
• Drexel Chlorpyrifos 99% Technical

Nufarm also registered chlorpyrifos products including:

• Nufarm Chlorpyrifos SPC 4 Insecticide
• Nufarm Chlorpyrifos SPC 2 Insecticide
• Nufarm Chlorpyrifos SPC 2.32% G Insecticide
• Nufarm Chlorpyrifos SPC 1.0% MCB Insecticide

These products may be particularly relevant to individuals who worked in agriculture, commercial pest control or other settings where pesticides were purchased and applied in larger quantities.

Professional Pest-Control and Termite Products

Before residential chlorpyrifos uses were restricted, professional exterminators and structural pest-control companies also used chlorpyrifos extensively.

Historical products included:

• Empire 20
• Equity
• Equity Termiticide Concentrate
• Whitmire PT 270
• Numerous Dursban professional formulations

These products were used for insects in and around residential buildings, commercial properties, food-handling establishments and other structures.

Exterminators, termite technicians and maintenance workers may have handled such products repeatedly as part of their regular employment.

Other Agricultural Pesticides Containing Chlorpyrifos

As chlorpyrifos use expanded, a number of pesticide manufacturers introduced their own agricultural formulations.

Some of the better-known products included:

• Cobalt and Cobalt Advanced — Dow AgroSciences: Agricultural insecticides that combined chlorpyrifos with another active ingredient. EPA records identify both products as chlorpyrifos-containing formulations.
• NuFos — Cheminova / FMC: A widely used agricultural chlorpyrifos brand. Formulations included NuFos 4E and related products used to control insects on agricultural crops.
• Warhawk and Warhawk Clearform — Loveland Products: Chlorpyrifos insecticides used on field, fruit, nut and vegetable crops. California pesticide-use data identified both among significant chlorpyrifos products used during the 2010s.
• Lock-On — Dow AgroSciences: A specialized chlorpyrifos formulation used for agricultural insect control, including aerial applications. Exposure may have occurred among workers involved in mixing, loading and spraying the pesticide.
• Vulcan — ADAMA: EPA records identify Vulcan as an agricultural chlorpyrifos insecticide used for crop pest control.
• Govern and Govern 4E: Agricultural chlorpyrifos products used for insect control. California pesticide-use records identify Govern 4E among chlorpyrifos formulations used extensively before agricultural restrictions increased.
• Bolton — FMC: A restricted-use agricultural pesticide that combined chlorpyrifos with gamma-cyhalothrin. EPA records identify a formulation containing 30% chlorpyrifos.
• Stallion — FMC: A combination agricultural insecticide containing chlorpyrifos together with zeta-cypermethrin.
• Pilot — Gharda Chemicals: Products included Pilot 4E Chlorpyrifos Agricultural Insecticide and Pilot 15G Chlorpyrifos Agricultural Insecticide, both marketed specifically as chlorpyrifos formulations.
• Pyrinex: A historical chlorpyrifos trade name identified in government pesticide and toxicology records. Different formulations were used for agricultural pest control.
• Chlorpyrifos 4E / 4 EC: Generic agricultural formulations marketed under the chemical name rather than a separate brand. These liquid concentrate products were registered by multiple pesticide companies for crop insect control.
• Chlorpyrifos 15G: A granular agricultural formulation used for soil and crop insect control, including applications where chlorpyrifos was incorporated or applied around planted areas.
• CPF 4E and CPF 15G: Agricultural chlorpyrifos formulations using the abbreviation “CPF” for chlorpyrifos, which may have appeared on product labels or containers used by commercial applicators.

Other Historical Chlorpyrifos Trade Names

In addition to the better-known products listed above, government pesticide and toxicology records identify a number of other historical chlorpyrifos trade names that may be less familiar today.

They include:

• Brodan
• Detmol UA
• Eradex
• Killmaster
• Lentrek
• Pageant
• Piridane
• Pyrinex
• Stipend
• SuSCon

Some of these products were marketed for agricultural, structural or other specialized pest-control uses, and availability varied by manufacturer, year and market.

Individuals who remember one of these names should not assume every formulation contained chlorpyrifos. Historical EPA registration records and product labels should be reviewed to determine whether chlorpyrifos was present during the relevant period.

Chlorpyrifos Pesticides Used During the Gulf War

Chlorpyrifos exposure was not limited to civilian household or agricultural settings. The pesticide was also among insect-control chemicals used during the Gulf War era, when service members were deployed between 1990 and 1991.

Pesticides were used around military living areas, tents, workspaces and other facilities to control flies, mosquitoes and other insects common in the region.

For veterans diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease years later, determining whether chlorpyrifos-containing pesticides were used in the locations where they served may become an important part of evaluating the exposure history.

Where Were Chlorpyrifos Products Commonly Used?

The large number of chlorpyrifos products reflects how broadly the pesticide was once used. Exposure could occur in:

• Homes and apartments
• Farms and agricultural fields
• Termite treatment sites
• Building foundations
• Lawns and landscaping
• Nurseries and greenhouses
• Golf courses
• Commercial buildings
• Warehouses
• Food-handling facilities
• Industrial properties
• Wood-treatment operations
• Military facilities and deployment areas

This history means chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s disease claims are not limited to agricultural workers. Homeowners, exterminators, landscapers, groundskeepers, maintenance workers, nursery workers, pesticide applicators and veterans may all have experienced repeated exposure under very different circumstances.

Why the Year of Exposure Matters

Remembering a pesticide brand may be only the first step in determining whether chlorpyrifos exposure occurred.

Pesticide formulations changed over time, even when manufacturers continued using the same brand names. A Raid, Ortho or other pesticide sold during one period may have contained chlorpyrifos, while a later version carrying a similar name may have used completely different active ingredients.

Residential availability also changed substantially beginning in 2000, when the EPA reached an agreement with pesticide manufacturers to eliminate nearly all residential uses of chlorpyrifos. Agricultural use continued much longer.

Therefore, several details may help identify whether an individual used a chlorpyrifos product:

• Product or brand name
• Manufacturer
• Approximate years of use
• Whether the pesticide was used at home or through employment
• Crops or insects being treated
• Whether the product was a spray, granule or concentrate
• Whether it required mixing
• Where it was applied
• How frequently the pesticide was used

Historical EPA labels and registration records can then be compared with those details.

Contact a Chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s Disease Lawyer

If you or a loved one developed Parkinson’s disease after years of pesticide exposure, Saiontz & Kirk can investigate whether the products involved contained chlorpyrifos.

Our lawyers can review historical pesticide labels, EPA registration records, manufacturers, product names and information about how and when the pesticides were used to determine whether the exposure may support a claim.

There are no upfront costs for a case evaluation or to hire our lawyers. All cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis, meaning attorney fees and expenses are only paid if a recovery is obtained.

Call 1-800-522-0102 or complete our free claim-review form to speak with a chlorpyrifos Parkinson’s disease lawyer.

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