Evaluation of the carcinogenic potential of pesticides. 2. Methidathion

The carcinogen potential of methidathion, a dimethoxyorganic phosphorus pesticide and cholinesterase inhibitor, was evaluated by the Health Effects Division of the Office of Pesticide Programs using a consensus peer review process and the EPA's guidelines for risk assessment. Methidathion was categorized as a Group C (possible human) carcinogen based upon evidence of an increased incidence of benign and malignant hepatocellular tumors, alone and in combination, in a single study involving male Chr-CD-1 mice. The compound was not carcinogenic in female Chr-CD-1 mice in the same study or in Sprague-Dawley rats of either sex in a second study. Methidathion was not genotoxic in a variety of in vitro or in vivo tests designed to detect DNA damage, chromosome aberrations, gene mutations, and sister chromatid exchange. Although methidathion was identified as being structurally similar to two other organophosphate insecticides, prothidathion and lythidathion, no toxicological data were available on either of these agents for comparative purposes. The biological information on methidathion was reviewed by the agency's FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel who agreed with the category C designation for methidathion. The data were not found to be sufficient to quantify human risk to methidathion.