Beta-thujone

Beta-thujone	Last updated: 22/02/2026
(Also known as: (+)-thujone; (+)-beta-thujone; 3-isothujone)

Hazard alerts

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
		Human health High alert: Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor; Neurotoxicant

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description

A botanical substance, common in some plant essential oils and which exhibits insecticidal activity

Example pests controlled

Red fire ant (Solenopsis invicta); Aphids, particularly the peach-potato aphid (Myzus persicae); Caribbean fruit fly (Anastrepha suspensa); Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata); Weevils; Various beetles

Example applications

Potatoes; Tomatoes; Vegetables; Stored produce

Efficacy & activity

Appearance and life cycle

Taxonomic classification

GB regulatory status

GB COPR regulatory status

Not approved

Date COPR inclusion expires

Not applicable

GB LERAP status

No UK approval for use as a pest management agent

EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)

EC Regulation 1107/2009 status

Not approved

Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur

Not applicable

Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires

Not applicable

EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)

Not applicable

Listed in EU database

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

Chemical structure

Isomerism

Beta-thujone is one of the two diastereoisomeric forms of the bicyclic monoterpene ketone thujone, naturally occurring as the (+)-beta-thujone enantiomer. It differs from its more toxic counterpart, alpha-thujone, specifically in the stereochemical configuration at the C-4 position, where the methyl group is oriented differently relative to the thujane skeleton. Alpha-thujone is defined as the (1S, 4R, 5R) isomer and beta-thujone is the (1S, 4S, 5R) diastereomer. These isomers are not mirror images but share the same connectivity, with their distinct spatial arrangements resulting in different biological activities.

Chemical formula

C₁₀H₁₆O

Canonical SMILES

C[C@H]1[C@H]2C[C@]2(CC1=O)C(C)C

Isomeric SMILES

International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)

USMNOWBWPHYOEA-XKSSXDPKSA-N

International Chemical Identifier (InChI)

InChI=1S/C10H16O/c1-6(2)10-4-8(10)7(3)9(11)5-10/h6-8H,4-5H2,1-3H3/t7-,8+,10-/m0/s1

2D structure diagram/image available?

Yes

General status

Biopesticide type

Insecticide; Repellent; Other substance

Other bioactivity & uses

Fragrance

Substance groups

Plant derived substance; Monoterpene ketone

Minimum active substance purity

Known relevant impurities

Substance origin

Natural

Mode of action

Acts as a non-competitive blocker of the GABA-A receptor, preventing the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA from binding. This leads to the hyper-excitation of neurons, causing muscle spasms, convulsions, and eventually insect death. GABA Receptor Antagonism. Also an antifeedant.

Substance source

Commonly found in various plant essential oils, particularly those of the Artemisia, Salvia and Thuja species

Uses

Crop protection

Target pests

Target host

Potatoes; Tomatoes; Vegetables; Stored produce

Farming system suitability

CAS RN

471‑15‑8

EC number

620-564-7

CIPAC number

US EPA chemical code

PubChem CID

91456

Molecular mass

152.23

PIN (Preferred Identification Name)

IUPAC name

(1S,4S,5R)-4‑methyl‑1‑propan‑2‑ylbicyclo[3.1.0]hexan‑3‑one

CAS name

Global Governance status: Listed (✓) under

UK Poisons List Order 1972	Rotterdam Convention	Montreal Protocol
XNo The Poisons List Order 1972	XNo Rotterdam Convention	XNo Montreal Protocol
Stockholm Convention	OSPAR	EU Water Framework Directive
XNo Stockholm Convention	XNo OSPAR	XNo EU Water Framework Directive

Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards

Forever chemical

Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP)

Type I

Type II

Other status information

Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)

Not applicable

Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)

Not applicable

Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)

Not applicable

Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)

Not applicable

Examples of recorded resistance

Physical state

Colourless to pale yellow liquid

Commercial

Property

Value

Availability status

Current

Introduction & key dates

Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically

Not produced specifically as a biopesticide

Example products using this active

Formulation and application details

Commercial production

Beta-thujone is not produced commercially through synthetic routes on a large scale due to its natural abundance and the availability of low-cost plant sources; instead, it is primarily obtained by isolation and purification from essential oils of plants rich in the beta-isomer, most notably cedar leaf oil from Thuja occidentalis (white cedar), where it often predominates or occurs in significant proportions alongside alpha-thujone. The process typically involves steam distillation of fresh or dried cedar leaves and branchlets to yield the crude essential oil, followed by chemical separation methods such as formation of crystalline bisulphite adducts to selectively isolate the ketone fraction (thujone isomers), hydrolysis or regeneration via hydrodistillation, and further purification by fractional distillation, chromatography, or other techniques to achieve high-purity beta-thujone. In some research or small-scale contexts, microbial transformations or chemical modifications (e.g., Beckmann rearrangement for derivatives) start from isolated beta-thujone, but commercial supply for fragrance, research, or biopesticide applications relies on natural extraction.

Impact on climate of production and use

Data for specific plant oils is scarce. However, from publicly available data the carbon footprint of plant oils has been estimated at between 1.0 and 4.0 kg CO₂e per kg of oil. This depends on the plant oil content, agricultural practices and processing methods used.

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property

Value

Source; quality score; and other information

Interpretation

Solubility - In water at 20 °C at pH 7 (mg l⁻¹)

407

at 25 °C

Moderate

Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)

Melting point (°C)

Boiling point (°C)

201

Degradation point (°C)

Flashpoint (°C)

Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C

4.90 X 10⁰²

Calculated

Log P

2.69

Low

Fat solubility of residues

Solubility

Data type

Density (g ml⁻¹)

0.925

Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C

Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)

Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)

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

Readily biodegradable

Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)

DT₅₀ (typical)

DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)

DT₅₀ (field)

DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)

DT₉₀ (field)

DT₅₀ modelling endpoint

Note

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

Note

Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7

Value

Note

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

K_d (mL g⁻¹)

K_oc (mL g⁻¹)

Notes and range

Freundlich

K_f (mL g⁻¹)

K_foc (mL g⁻¹)

¹/_n

Notes and range

pH sensitivity

Known soil and groundwater metabolites

None

Other known metabolites

Metabolite name and reference

Aliases

Formation medium / Rate

Estimated maximum occurrence fraction

7-hydroxy-beta-thujone

Humans

4-hydroxy-beta-thujone

Humans

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property

Value

Source; quality score; and other information

Interpretation

Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)

Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)

Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)

Rat NOAEL

Moderate

Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)

Birds - Short term dietary LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)

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)

Beneficial insects (Butterflies)

Contact

Notes

Oral

Notes

Aquatic ecotoxicology

Property

Value

Source; quality score; and other information

Interpretation

Temperate Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)

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)

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

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

2.2

Worst case of acute and chronic mammals

Birds

No data

No data for acute and chronic birds

Soil organisms

No data

No data for acute and chronic earthworms

Terrestrial plants

No data

No data for non-target plants vegetative vigour and seedling emergence

Pollinators

No data

No data for contact and oral honeybees

Arthropods

No data

No data for parasitic wasps and predatory mites

Fish

No data

No data for temperate acute and chronic fish

Aquatic invertebrates

No data

No data for temperate acute and chronic aquatic invertebrates

Aquatic plants

No data

No data for 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)

Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)

Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)

Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)

Rat NOAEL

Moderate

Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)

Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)

Other Mammal toxicity endpoints

Intraperitoneal LD₅₀ = 45.0 mg kg⁻¹

Mouse

Subcutaneous LD₅₀ = 442 mg kg⁻¹

Mouse

ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)

ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)

AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)

AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)

Dermal penetration studies (%)

Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464

Exposure Routes

Public

Occupational

Mammalian dose elimination route and rate

Health issues

Specific human health issues (hazard-based)

Carcinogen

Genotoxic

Endocrine disruptor

; ; ; ;

No data found

Reproduction / development effects

Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor

Neurotoxicant

Respiratory tract irritant

Skin irritant

Skin sensitiser

Eye irritant

Phototoxicant

No data found

General human health issues

No information available

Handling issues

Property

Value and interpretation

General

No information available

CLP classification 2013

Health: H302

WHO Classification

UN Number

Waste disposal & packaging

Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity

TRANSLATIONS

Language

Name

English

beta-thujone

French

German

Danish

Italian

Spanish

Greek

Polish

Swedish

Hungarian

Dutch

Norwegian

Record last updated:	22/02/2026
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

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