Chlorpyrifos is an altogether different case. There is plenty of evidence that this is a terrible product and we have been working in the US to get it outlawed for years. All poisons are not the same, that's why many of us are in favor of newer formulations. Some of the older ones, like this, are far worse.

> Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate insecticide, a powerful class of pesticide that has toxic effects on nervous systems. It was widely used in homes and yards to kill cockroaches and other insects, but in 2001 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned its residential use because of health risks to children. Since then, levels inside U.S. homes have dropped, but residue remains in many homes. In addition, many developing countries still use the pesticide indoors.

> Known by the Dow trade name Lorsban, chlorpyrifos is still sprayed on some crops, including fruit trees and vegetables, and also is used on golf courses and for mosquito control. About 10 million pounds of chlorpyrifos are applied to agricultural fields annually, according to the EPA.

> "There’s mounting evidence now from epidemiological studies that prenatal exposure to organophosphate pesticides, and chlorpyrifos in particular, may be associated with detriments with IQ in children," said Kim Harley, an environmental epidemiologist with the University of California, Berkeley who has studied effects of pesticide exposure on children in California farm towns. 

SOURCE: http://www.scientificamerican.com/

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