Profenofos プロフェノホス
Organophosphates: Block the action of the enzyme that stops nerve signals (acetylcholinesterase). Used for a long time.
In Japan
- Registration
- Its registration as a pesticide expired on February 28, 2025 (first registered April 14, 1986). It can no longer be used as a pesticide in Japan.
- ADI (acceptable daily intake)
- 0.0005 mg per kg of body weight per day
- ARfD (acute reference dose)
- 0.05 mg per kg of body weight
- Evaluation
- Food Safety Commission of Japan, March 8, 2016
ADI: the amount considered to have no effect on health even if eaten every day for a lifetime. ARfD: the amount considered to have no effect on health when eaten at one time (within 24 hours). Both are set by the Food Safety Commission of Japan, mainly from animal studies.
In Japan's national residue testing (fiscal 2024)
| Produce | Detected / tested | Detection rate | Over the limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 0 / 4,072 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Imported | 12 / 5,541 | 0.2% | 6 |
Found in imported foods: other citrus fruits, other Apiaceae vegetables, other nightshade (Solanaceae) vegetables, other herbs, other vegetables (max. 15.32 ppm)
Tests are counted as pesticide × sample. Any detection counts as “detected” — it does not mean the limit was exceeded. For pesticides outside the top 20, figures are summed from the food-by-food tables of the full report.
Evaluations abroad
- WHO acute toxicity class
- II (Moderately hazardous), LD50 358 mg/kgBased on the toxicity of the undiluted active ingredient given once, mainly to rats by mouth (LD50 = the dose that kills half; the smaller, the stronger the acute toxicity). It is not an assessment of the safety of residues in food.
- EU
- Not approved in the EUEU ADI: 0.03 mg/kg bw/day; ARfD: 1.0 mg/kg bw
- IARC (carcinogenicity)
- No matching entry in the IARC list (not evaluated or out of scope, including Group 3)
Related explainers
Sources
- FAMIC (Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center), pesticide registration information (as of Sept. 30, 2026) (Japanese)
- Food Safety Commission of Japan, risk assessment report on Profenofos (March 8, 2016) (Japanese)
- MHLW, results of pesticide residue testing in foods, fiscal 2024 (Japanese)
- WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard 2019
- EU Pesticides Database (Profenofos)
Last checked 2026-10-01. Registrations and evaluations change over time. This page is a translation of our Japanese page; if they differ, the Japanese page is the reference.