The following Pesticide Hazard Tricolour (PHT) 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. The alerts for Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are based on applying the FAO/WHO (Type 1) and the PAN (Type II) criteria to PPDB data. Further details on the HHP indicators are given in the tables below. Neither the PHT nor the HHP hazard alerts take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus they do not represent risk.
PHT: Environmental fate
PHT: Ecotoxicity
PHT: Human health
Highly Hazardous Pesticide
Environmental fate Moderate alert: Potential for particle bound transport: Medium
Ecotoxicity High alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: High; Bees acute contact ecotoxicity: High
Human health Moderate alert: Mammals acute toxicity: Moderate; Mammals chronic toxicity: Moderate; Endocrine disruptor; Reproduction/development effects
Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP) Type II alert
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
A non-persistent insecticide extracted from Pyrethrum, used to control a variety of pests on crops, in domestic and public health situations
Example pests/issues controlled
A wide range of insects and mites
Example applications
Vegetables; Fruit; Protected crops; Ornamentals; Public areas
Efficacy & activity
-
Appearance and life cycle
-
Taxonomic classification
-
GB regulatory status
GB COPR regulatory status
Approved
Date COPR inclusion expires
30/09/2027
GB LERAP status
None
EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)
EC Regulation 1107/2009 status
Approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur
Italy/Germany
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires
15/06/2026
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
Also used in
USA; East Africa; Australia
Chemical structure
Isomerism
Pyrethrin II exhibits both stereoisomerism and geometric isomerism. The molecule contains three chiral centres,two in the cyclopropane ring and one in the cyclopentenone moiety, which give rise to optical isomers. Pyrethrin II also includes conjugated double bonds in its pentadienyl side chain and methoxypropenyl group, introducing E/Z (cis/trans) geometric isomerism. The naturally occurring form is typically the (1R,3R)-cis isomer with (Z)-configuration at the pentadienyl double bond and (E)-configuration at the methoxypropenyl double bond.
R09 Rule 9: Pesticide active ingredients that have demonstrated a high aquatic toxicity (where acute ecotoxicity for fish, invertebrates or algae =< 0.1 mg l⁻¹)
;
R10 Rule 10: Pesticide active ingredients that have demonstrated a high toxicity to bees (where contact or oral bee toxicity =< 2 μg bee⁻¹)
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
MGK
Diatect International
Agropharm Ltd
Example products using this active
Formulation and application details
Available in a variety of formulations including ultra low-volume liquids and ready-to-use sprays for crop and public health applications and as powders, shampoos and impregnated collars for animals.
Commercial production
Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium plants are cultivated and once blooming the flowers are harvested and dried. The dried flower heads are processed to extract the pyrethrins. This is typically done using a proprietary extraction method that maintains the natural composition of the pyrethrins. The crude extract contains a mixture of pyrethrins, including pyrethrin I, pyrethrin II, cinerins, and jasmolins. Pyrethrin II is isolated using chromatography and fraction collection. The collected fraction is then purified.
Impact on climate of production and use
There are no precise, published data on the GHG emissions associated with the production of pyrethrins. However, based on similar plant-derived biopesticides, the estimated emissions would be expected to be around 3.0–6.5 kg CO₂e per kg of pyrethrins.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C at pH 7 (mg l⁻¹)
10.7
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)
250000
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
n-Heptane
-
250000
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
p-Xylene
-
250000
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
Methane
-
250000
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
Acetone
-
Melting point (°C)
132
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
-
Boiling point (°C)
-
-
-
Degradation point (°C)
140
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
-
Flashpoint (°C)
-
-
-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
2.09 X 1004
Calculated
-
Log P
4.32
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
High
Fat solubility of residues
Solubility
-
-
-
Data type
-
-
-
Density (g ml⁻¹)
0.85
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C
Not applicable
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
-
No dissociation
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)
1.22 X 10-02
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
Low volatility
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)
1.11E02
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
H4 H = The US ARS pesticide properties database. Dataset is no longer available. 4 = Verified data
Non-persistent
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
6.3
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
DT₉₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
-
-
-
Note
EU 2021 dossier (pyrethrins mix) data
Soil mineralisation
Aerobic (at 20 °C)
-
-
-
Anaerobic (at 20 °C)
-
-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix
Value
1.07
R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data
-
Note
Published literature RL₅₀ range 0.02-5.2 days, 4 field crops, fruit & leaves, n=6
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7
Value
0.5
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
Fast
Note
Rapid
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7
Value
528
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 persistent
Note
-
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)
3.7
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
Fast
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)
1.0
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
Moderately fast
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)
-
H3 H = The US ARS pesticide properties database. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-mobile
Koc (mL g⁻¹)
100000
Notes and range
Literature data
Freundlich
Kf (mL g⁻¹)
298
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-mobile
Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)
27019
1/n
0.986
Notes and range
EU 2021 dossier (pyrethrins mix): Kf range 198-430 mL g⁻¹, Kfoc range 12472-74175 mL g⁻¹, 1/n range 0.907-1.10, Soils=4
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
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
S1 S = Expert judgement 1 = Estimated data with little or no verification
Unknown species
Low
Algae - Chronic (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹)
-
-
-
Mesocosm study data
NOEAEC mg l⁻¹
-
-
-
NOEAEC mg l⁻¹
-
-
-
Marine bivalves
-
-
-
Regulatory Threshold Levels (RTLs)
Note: These RTLs have been calculated using the regulatory approach used in the European Union and based on ecotoxocity values in the PPDB.
Species group
RTL
Notes
Mammals
0.88
Worst case of acute and chronic mammals
Birds
5115.1
Worst case of acute and chronic birds
Soil organisms
0.05
Worst case of acute and chronic earthworms
Terrestrial plants
No data
No data for non-target plants vegetative vigour and seedling emergence
Pollinators
0.00026
Worst case of contact and oral honeybees
Arthropods
No data
No data for parasitic wasps and predatory mites
Fish
5E-05
Worst case of temperate acute and chronic fish
Aquatic invertebrates
0.00263
Worst case of temperate acute and chronic aquatic invertebrates
Aquatic plants
32
Worst case of free-floating plants, rooted plants, acute and chronic algae
HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION
General
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class)
Intermediate (class II)
-
-
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
700
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
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 as Pyrethrins
-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)
3.4
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 as Pyrethrins
-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints
Intraperitoneal LD₅₀ = 200 mg kg⁻¹
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
Rat as Pyrethrins
-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)
0.04
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 SF=100
-
ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)
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
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
-
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
default
-
Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464
-
-
-
Exposure Routes
Public
-
Occupational
-
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate
Almost completely excreted within 72hrs
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
A3 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 3 = Negative
;
B0 B = DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) 0 = No data
;
C0 C = Gene mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data
;
D0 D = Genome mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data
;
E3 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 3 = Negative
?Possibly, status not identified
Reproduction / development effects
Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor
Neurotoxicant
?Possibly, status not identified
XNo, known not to cause a problem
No data found
Respiratory tract irritant
Skin irritant
Skin sensitiser
?Possibly, status not identified
XNo, known not to cause a problem
No data found
Eye irritant
Phototoxicant
XNo, known not to cause a problem
No data found
General human health issues
May cause dermatitis May cause gastointestinal problems Possible thyroid and liver toxicant
Handling issues
Property
Value and interpretation
General
Not explosive or oxidising IMDG Transport Hazard Class 9 Not expected to auto-ignite; Not highly flammable
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
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Environmental fate
Ecotoxicity
Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP)
