A commonly used insecticide, Considered highly toxic, likely to leach into groundwater, and harmful to aquatic life in very low concentrations. One of its possible breakdown products is far more toxic than malathion itself (HSDB,1992; RTECS,1992).
Malathion is an organophosphate parasympathomimetic which binds irreversibly to cholinesterase. Malathion is an insecticide of relatively low human toxicity.