Is deltamethrin safe to use in a vegetable garden?

Answer 1

You should probably avoid using pesticides in you garden completely or at least use one made for that purpose.

It depends upon the product, some formulas contain multiple chemicals or stabilizers. Read the label or go to the product's site. I know of one product which contains deltamethrin and says on the website that it should not be used on vegetables.

So, in general it should not be used on food meant to be consumed by humans. Some formulations may be long lasting and this is not what you want to put in your garden. You also should consider the value of the plants and their produce. If the garden is a hobby and not necessarily valuable for it's crop, then it would be best to avoid pesticides which are the last defense and are dangerous to the environment and to the person who sprays it and eventually eats it. It's safety depends on its danger to humans and its breakdown rate. By itself deltamethrin breaks down relatively quickly, but some products which use deltamethrin advertise themselves as being longlasting and therefore may not breakdown quickly

In general it is safer than some pesticides because it is a synthetic pyrethroid. However,

"Many pyrethroids have also been linked to disruption of the endocrine system, which can adversely affect reproduction and sexual development, interfere with the immune system and increase chances of Breast cancer." (http://www.beyondpesticides.org/infoservices/pesticidefactsheets/toxic/pyrethroid.htm)

"Acute exposure effects in humans include the following: ataxia, convulsions leading to muscle fibrillation and paralysis, dermatitis, edema, diarrhea, dyspnea, headache, hepatic microsomal enzyme induction, irritability, peripheral vascular collapse, rhinorrhea, serum alkaline phosphatase elevation, tinnitus, tremors, vomiting and death due to respiratory failure. Studies have shown many cases of dermal deltamethrin poisoning after agricultural use with inadequate handling precautions" (http://extoxnet.orst.edu/pips/deltamet.htm)