Carbaryl and Human Health: A Review

Abstract

Carbaryl (1-naphthalenylmethylcarbamate) is one of the most frequently used carbamate insecticides. Carbaryl has elicited some serious carcinogenic activity in the chronic rodent studies and has also been found to cause tumors in the liver. Though carbaryl is relatively safe to mammals, but carbaryl causes damage to hepatocytes. It has other biochemical effects, as it reacts with reduced glutathione and probably directly with other accessible protein hydroxyl and sulphydryl groups or indirectly through reactions involving the glutathione conjugate. In mammals, carbaryl inhibits acetylcholinesterase causing several neural problems. Some recent reports suggest it can bind human melatonin receptors exerting serious implications on human health. Here in this review an attempt has been made to summarise carbaryl’s mode of action and its ill effects on human health.