Where It Comes From
Farm use on crops; residues on produce; dust and runoff from treated fields; ETU can form during storage and cooking/processing [1][2].
How You Are Exposed
Eating treated produce; breathing spray drift near fields; skin contact when mixing or applying; contaminated dust near agriculture [1][2].
Why It Matters
Can irritate eyes/skin and cause allergic rash; ETU may disrupt thyroid function and, in animals, affects fetal development—prompting strict use limits [1][2][3].
Who Is at Risk
Farmworkers and applicators; people living near treated fields; pregnant people, infants/children; those with thyroid disease [1][2].
How to Lower Your Exposure
Wash and peel produce; stay indoors/upwind during nearby spraying and follow reentry signs; workers should use gloves, coveralls, and respirators; keep kids/pets off treated areas; check local water if near intensive farming [1][2][3].
References
- [1]WHO/IPCS. Environmental Health Criteria 78: Ethylenebisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs) and Ethylenethiourea (ETU). 1988.
- [2]U.S. EPA. Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) for Maneb. 2005.
- [3]CDC/NIOSH. Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards: Maneb. Updated ed.