Lewis Creek Farm
Comparison of Pesticide Toxicity
Now that you know what LD50 means,
we can compare the toxicity of various commonly used pesticides.

NAME TYPE CROPS USED AT
LCF
ORGANIC
APPROVED
LD50
mg/kg
Surround Insecicide Squash Family Yes Yes non-toxic
B.t. Insecicide Cabbage Family Yes Yes >5000
Roundup Herbicide Many Crops No No >5000
Oxyflorfen Herbicide Onions No No >5000
Linuron Herbicide Carrot Family Yes No 4833
Malathion Insecicide Many Crops Occasionally No 3946
Sythetic Pyrethroid Insecicide Many Crops Occasionally No 2305
Atrazine Herbicide Corn No No 1886
Cupric Hydroxide Fungicide Many Crops No Yes 1623
Pyrethrin Insecicide Many Crops No Yes 1500
Diquat Herbicide Potatoes No No 810
Lorsban Insecicide Many Crops No No 300
Paraquat Herbicide Many Crops No No 283
Sevin Insecicide Many Crops No No 250
Thiodan Insecicide Many Crops No No 44
Ridomil Gold Fungicide Potatoes for Late Blight Occasionally No >5,000
Tanos Fungicide Potatoes for Late Blight Occasionally No >5,000
Clorothalonil Fungicide Mostly Summer Squash No No >10,000