Where It Comes From
Applied to wheat, barley, fallow fields, rangeland, and rights‑of‑way. It breaks down faster in acidic soils and can last longer and move more in neutral to alkaline soils, with potential to reach groundwater [1][3].
How You Are Exposed
Mixing, loading, or spraying; contact with treated plants/soil; drift near applications; rarely, drinking contaminated private well water in farm areas [1][3].
Why It Matters
Short‑term exposure may cause eye/skin irritation or nausea. In animals, high doses affected liver and body weight. EPA/WHO have not found it likely to cause cancer in humans [1][2].
Who Is at Risk
Farmworkers and applicators; people living near treated fields; households using shallow wells in agricultural regions with alkaline soils [1][3].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Follow label directions and reentry intervals; wear gloves, long sleeves, and eye protection when using; avoid drift and keep kids/pets away until sprays dry; wash hands and produce; consider testing private wells near treated land [1][2][3].
References
- [1]U.S. EPA. Chlorsulfuron: Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED).
- [2]WHO/FAO JMPR. Chlorsulfuron toxicological evaluation (Pesticide residues in food, JMPR evaluations).
- [3]U.S. EPA. Pesticide Fact Sheet: Chlorsulfuron (use, toxicity, and environmental fate).