Phosphane	Last updated: 27/08/2025
(Also known as: phosphamine; phosphorus trihydride)

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Hazard alerts

The following alerts are based on the data in the tables below. An absence of an alert does not imply the substance has no implications for human health, biodiversity or the environment but just that we do not have the data to form a judgement. These hazard alerts do not take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus do not represent risk.

Environmental fate	Ecotoxicity	Human health
Environmental fate Low alert: Non-persistent; Potential for particle bound transport: Low Warning: Significant data are missing	Ecotoxicity High alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: High Warning: Significant data are missing	Human health High alert: Mammals acute toxicity: High

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	The major uses of phosphine are as a fumigant during the storage of agricultural products and against vertebrates. Small amounts can occur in nature via the breakdown of other substances such as aluminium phosphide.
Example pests controlled	Bean weevil; Fruit moth; Grain beetle; Meal moth; Tobacco moth; Meal worm; Leaf beetle; Flour beetle; Pink bollworm; Maize weevil
Example applications	Stored grain; Stored animal feed; Leaf-stored tobacco; Cotton seed; Coffee; Cacoa; Tree nuts; Oilseeds
Efficacy & activity	Efficacy has been proven via extensive use over many years
Appearance and life cycle	-
Taxonomic classification	-

GB regulatory status

GB COPR regulatory status	Approved
Date COPR inclusion expires	31/12/2027
GB LERAP status	No UK approval for use as a plant protection agent

EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)

EC Regulation 1107/2009 status	Approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur	Spain/Germany
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires	15/03/2026
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)	No
Listed in EU database	Yes
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 in the following EU Member States	ATAustria BEBelgium BGBulgaria CYCyprus CZCzech Republic DEGermany DKDenmark EEEstonia ELGreece ✓         ✓       ESSpain FIFinland FRFrance HRCroatia HUHungary IEIreland ITItaly LTLithuania LULuxembourg                   LVLatvia MTMalta NLNetherlands PLPoland PTPortugal RORomania SESweden SISlovenia SKSlovakia
Approved for use (✓) under EC 1107/2009 by Mutual Recognition of Authorisation and/or national regulations in the following EEA countries	ISIceland NONorway

Additional information

Known to be also used in the following countries	-

Chemical structure

Isomerism	None
Chemical formula	PH₃
Canonical SMILES	P
Isomeric SMILES	-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	XYFCBTPGUUZFHI-UHFFFAOYSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/H3P/h1H3
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

General status

Biopesticide type	Insecticide; Metabolite; Fumigant
Metabolite Type	Soil
Substance groups	Fumigant pesticide
Minimum active substance purity	985 g kg⁻¹
Known relevant impurities	EU dossier - arsane <0.027 g kg⁻¹
Substance origin	Natural
Mode of action	Nerve toxin with respiratory action, mitochondrial complex IV electron transport inhibitor
Substance source	Although rarely found in nature, small amounts of phosphine can be formed naturally via the anaerobic decay of phosphorus-containing organic matter
Uses	Crop protection
Target pests	Bean weevil; Fruit moth; Grain beetle; Meal moth; Tobacco moth; Meal worm; Leaf beetle; Flour beetle; Pink bollworm; Maize weevil
Target host	Stored grain; Stored animal feed; Leaf-stored tobacco; Cotton seed; Coffee; Cacoa; Tree nuts; Oilseeds
Farming system suitability	-
CAS RN	7803-51-2
EC number	232-260-8
CIPAC number	127
US EPA chemical code	066500
PubChem CID	24404
CLP index number	015-181-00-1
Molecular mass	34.0
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	-
IUPAC name	phosphane
CAS name	phosphine
Forever chemical	-
Other status information	-
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards	-
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)	Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)	Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)	24A
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)	Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance	-
Physical state	Colourless gas
Related substances & organisms	zinc phosphide magnesium phosphide

Can be a metabolite of:

Parent	Formation medium	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction	1107/2009 relevancy
zinc phosphide	Soil	1.00	Major fraction
magnesium phosphide	Soil	1.00	Major fraction
aluminium phosphide	Soil	1.00	Major fraction
calcium carbide	Soil	0.10	Major fraction
calcium phosphide	Soil	1.00	Major fraction

Commercial

Property	Value
Availability status	Current
Introduction & key dates	Circa 1780, introduced
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Excel Rentokil Detia Degesch Young II
Example products using this active	Fosfina Gas EX-B Detia Gas Ex-B
Formulation and application details	Fumigant
Commercial production	Phosphane is produced by reacting water or acid with metallic phosphides. It may also be formed during the production of acetylene gas
Impact on climate of production and use	While exact GHG emission figures for phosphane are not publicly available, very rough estimates based on similar production processes suggest a very rough value of 12-16 tonnes CO₂e per tonnes of product, depending on process efficiency, energy source, and waste treatment. Data includes direct, indirect and upstream emissions.

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		371	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	Moderate
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		695	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes Ethanol	-
		2780	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes Ether	-
		3970	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes Cyclohexanol	-
Melting point (°C)		-134	A4 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 4 = Verified data	-
Boiling point (°C)		-87.7	A4 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 4 = Verified data	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-15	V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source (Ignition is due to presence of diphosphane)	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	5.37 X 10-01	Calculated	-
	Log P	-0.27	A4 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 4 = Verified data	Low
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		1.512	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		-	-	-
		-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		1.06 X 1006	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	Highly volatile. If applied directly to plants or soil, drift is a concern & mitigation is advisable
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)		33269	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Volatile
Volatilisation as max % of applied dose lost	From plant surface	-	-	-
	From soil surface	-	-	-
Maximum UV-vis absorption L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹		-	-	-
Surface tension (mN m⁻¹)		-	-	-

Degradation

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
General biodegradability		-
Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)	DT₅₀ (typical)	0.2	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	Non-persistent
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	0.23	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	Non-persistent
	DT₅₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	0.69	A2 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Non-persistent
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ modelling endpoint	-	-	-
	Note	EU dossier lab studies DT₅₀ 0.22-0.24 days, sand, n=2; DT₉₀ estimated between 0.66-0.72 days
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7	Value	-	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	-
	Note	Not relevant
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	Very rapid	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	Very rapid
	Note	1 to 1.5 days at pH 4, 7 and 9, 20 °C
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Sediment phase only DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Air degradation		As this parameter is not normally measured directly, a surrogate measure is used: ‘Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀’. Where data is available, this can be found in the Fate Indices section below.
Decay in stored produce DT₅₀		-

Soil adsorption and mobility

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Linear	Kd (mL g⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	-
	Notes and range	-
Freundlich	Kf (mL g⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)	-
	1/n	-
	Notes and range	-
pH sensitivity		-

Known soil metabolites

Metabolite	Major/Minor fraction	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction	Notes
orthophosphate	Minor fraction	0.069	-

Known groundwater metabolites

None

Other known metabolites

Metabolite name and reference	Aliases	Formation medium / Rate	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction
hypophosphite	-	Human	-
phosphite	-	Human	-

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		< 40	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat as zinc phosphide	High
Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL	(mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	(ppm diet)	-		-
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)		-	-	-
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ dw soil)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg⁻¹ dw soil)		-	-	-
Soil micro-organisms		-	-	-
Collembola	Acute LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic NOEC (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
Non-target plants	Vegetative vigour ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Seedling emergence ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)	-	-	-
Honeybees (Apis spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Unknown mode acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic	-	-	-
	Notes	-
Bumblebees (Bombus spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
		-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
		-
Mason bees (Osmia spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	-	-	-
Other bee species (1)	Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Mode of exposure	-
Other bee species (2)	Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Mode of exposure	-
Beneficial insects (Ladybirds)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Lacewings)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Parasitic wasps)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Predatory mites)		-	-	-
Beneficial insects (Ground beetles)		-	-	-

Aquatic ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.007	A3 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Oncorhynchus mykiss mean value	High
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.2	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Daphnia magna	Moderate
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Tropical Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic crustaceans - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, static, water (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, sediment (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic Plants (free-floating, fonds growth, fresh) - 7 day (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic plants (rooted, growth rate, fresh) - 14 day (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Chronic (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mesocosm study data	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
Marine bivalves		-	-	-

HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION

General

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class)		High (class III)	-	-
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		< 40	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat as zinc phosphide	High
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		-	-	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		> 0.015	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes Rat 4 hr (whole body)	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		-	-	-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		0.011	A3 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		0.019	A3 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		0.02	A3 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat SF=100	-
AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		0.011	A3 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Dermal penetration studies (%)		10	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	-
Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464		-	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	-
	Occupational	May be fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through skin.
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		Excreted mostly with expired air	A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	-

Health issues

Specific human health issues (hazard-based)		Carcinogen Genotoxic Endocrine disruptor XNo, known not to cause a problem A2 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 2 = Mixed/ambiguous results ; B3 B = DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) 3 = Negative ; C2 C = Gene mutation (EFSA database) 2 = Mixed/ambiguous results ; D0 D = Genome mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; E2 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 2 = Mixed/ambiguous results XNo, known not to cause a problem Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem ?Possibly, status not identified Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser No data found ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found Eye irritant Phototoxicant   ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found
General human health issues		Inhalation may result in weakness, chest pain and tightness, dry mouth, cough, sickness May cause pulmonary oedema May cause oxidative stress

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	Extremely flammable Corrosive Reacts violently with air, oxygen, halogens and other oxidants causing fire and explosion hazard IMDG Transport Hazard Class 2.3
CLP classification 2013	Health: H330, H314 Handling; H280, H220
WHO Classification	Not classified: Fumigant (Not classified: Fumigant)
UN Number	UN2199
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	phosphane
French	-
German	Phosphorwasserstoff
Danish	-
Italian	-
Spanish	-
Greek	-
Polish	fosforowodor
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	-
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	27/08/2025
Contact:	aeru@herts.ac.uk
Please cite as:	Lewis, K.A., Tzilivakis, J., Warner, D. and Green, A. (2016) An international database for pesticide risk assessments and management. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22(4), 1050-1064. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2015.1133242