Table.

Categories and toxicity of pesticides reported in cocoa production

NOTE: The World Health Organization and Environmental Protection Agency assign acute pesticide toxicity ratings to compounds. The WHO categories range from la and Ib (extremely and highly hazardous), II (moderately hazardous), and Ill (slightly hazardous). EPA classes range from 1 (highly toxic), 2 (moderately toxic), 3 (slightly toxic), to 4 (not acutely toxic). The warning labels of danger, warning, and caution are assigned to the first three categories.²¹

^a2B is a carcinogenicity category of the International Agency for Research on Cancer that indicates the compound is possibly carcinogenic to humans due to degrees of evidence in humans and animals.²²

EPA = United States Environmental Protection Agency

WHO = World Health Organization

CNS = central nervous system