Rotenone is an organic pesticide that is thought to be fairly safe to humans. As of right now though, we are not exactly for sure what it does to humans and other animals. It doesn't seem to be that toxic to humans when it is used at a low level but if it is inhaled there is a possibility of adverse effects. It has been known to cause illness in some laboratory mice but not in others. Because of this we should assume that it is dangerous and avoid contact with it.

Since it is an organic pesticide it doesn't stay around for a long time. The time that it takes for the chemical to break down is somewhere between one and three days, depending on how much light it gets. When using this pesticide you should be careful not to get some into streams and ponds because it is very toxic to fish.