Officials have said that California may use a commercial pesticide so toxic chemists refuse to handle it, despite protests by 49 scientists and five Nobel laureates.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported on Wednesday that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation has proposed registering the cancer-causing methyl iodide, to the consternation of environmental groups and scientists.

Sarah Aird, state field organizer for Californians for Pesticide Reform, a coalition of watchdog groups opposed to the use of potentially harmful chemicals, said, "This is one of the most egregious pesticides out there. It is really, really toxic. It is actually used in the laboratory to induce cancer cells."

The newspaper further said that unless there is a public outcry preventing its usage, the chemical will become legal for growers to apply June 29 after a 60-day comment period has concluded.

More than 54 scientists signed a letter opposing registration of the chemical. It was approved during the George W. Bush administration as a replacement for methyl bromide, which was found to pose a potential threat to the ozone layer.

Susan Kegley, a chemist and consulting scientist for Pesticide Action Network, a non-profit public interest group in San Francisco, said that Methyl iodide has been linked to thyroid disease.

Kegley, who noted that even low doses have caused neurological damage and fetal death in laboratory animals, further said, "This stuff just kills everything. It is a known carcinogen." (With Inputs from Agencies)