DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide)
Chemical Technical Summary for Public Health
and Public Safety Professionals
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Atlanta, Georgia
December 6, 2004
Toxic effects of DEET have been studied extensively in laboratory animals.
Dermal exposure can produce dermatitis and mild erythema on the skin at the site
of contact of animals. Most attention regarding DEET exposure has been directed
toward assessing its potential for neurotoxicity. Depending on the exposure dose
(generally very high) and species of laboratory animal tested, DEET has been
shown to cause neurological and behavioral effects, including ataxia, locomotor
impairment, restlessness, seizures, encephalopathy, respiratory distress,
neurotoxicity, and even death. Studies of health effects of DEET in laboratory
animals are summarized in
Table 2
(file size 99k)
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