Carbaryl

/kɑːrˈbærɪl/ noun

Definition

A white crystalline chemical compound used as an insecticide to kill a wide variety of pests on crops and animals.

Etymology

Derived from 'carb-' (relating to carbon compounds) and '-aryl' (a chemical suffix for aromatic hydrocarbon groups). It was synthesized in the 1950s and is also known by the brand name Sevin.

Kelly Says

Carbaryl was celebrated as a 'safe' pesticide when it was introduced, but it actually damages the nervous systems of insects—the same mechanisms it might affect in other organisms, which is why it became controversial decades later.

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