Khusimol	Last updated: 24/02/2026
(Also known as: (+)-6(13)-zizene-12-ol)

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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 Low alert

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	A major sesquiterpene alcohol found in vetiver essential oil that acts as an insecticide and insect repellent
Example pests controlled	Termites (Coptotermes formosanus); Ants; Ticks (Amblyomma cajennense, Rhipicephalus microplus); Mosquitoes; Cockroaches; Nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita)
Example applications	Agricultural buildings; Public spaces; General land management
Efficacy & activity	Highly effective in phytoremediation, absorbing and degrading contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides & waste water pollutants, with removal efficiencies up to 97%.
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	No
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	Asia

Chemical structure

Isomerism	Khusimol has a fused-ring system featuring multiple chiral centres. This chirality allows for multiple stereoisomers (including enantiomers and diastereomers), although the naturally occurring form isolated from vetiver oil is a single specific stereoisomer.
Chemical formula	C₁₅H₂₄O
Canonical SMILES	CC1(C2CC[C@]3(C2)[C@H](CC[C@@H]3C1=C)CO)C
Isomeric SMILES	-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	OOYRHNIVDZZGQV-ZRHOGWTASA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C15H24O/c1-10-13-5-4-12(9-16)15(13)7-6-11(8-15)14(10,2)3/h11-13,16H,1,4-9H2,2-3H3/t11?,12-,13-,15+/m1/s1
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

General status

Biopesticide type		Insecticide; Repellent; Other substance
Other bioactivity & uses		Cosmetic use; Fragrance
Substance groups		Plant-derived substance; Sesquiterpene alcohol
Minimum active substance purity		-
Known relevant impurities		-
Substance origin		Natural
Mode of action		Acts through multiple mechanisms, primarily exhibiting rapid fumigant toxicity, severe reproductive inhibition (suppressing oviposition), and significant ovicidal activity (preventing egg hatching). It works as a contact insecticide and repellent, disrupting essential insect life stages.
Substance source		A major constituent of vetiver oil which is derived from the perennial grass Chrysopogon zizanioides
Uses		General land management
Target pests		Termites (Coptotermes formosanus); Ants; Ticks (Amblyomma cajennense, Rhipicephalus microplus); Mosquitoes; Cockroaches; Nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita)
Target host		Agricultural buildings; Public spaces; General land management
Farming system suitability		-
CAS RN		16223-63-5
EC number		-
CIPAC number		-
US EPA chemical code		-
PubChem CID		167519
Molecular mass		220.36
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)		-
IUPAC name		[(1R,2S,5S,8R)-7,7-dimethyl-6-methylidene-2-tricyclo[6.2.1.0]undecanyl]methanol
CAS name		(+)-Khusimol
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		Amber coloured liquid

Commercial

Property	Value
Availability status	Current
Introduction & key dates	1980s, recorded informal use via vetiver oil in Asia
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Not manufactered specieally for use as a biopesticide
Example products using this active	-
Formulation and application details	Formulations, as vetiver oil, include ready-to-use sprays and emulsifiable concentrates for general pest management
Commercial production	Khusimol is obtained as one of the primary natural constituents of vetiver essential oil, which is extracted from the roots of the vetiver grass (Chrysopogon zizanioides). The dominant commercial process involves cultivating the grass, harvesting the roots, cleaning and chopping them, and then steam-distilling (or occasionally hydrodistilling) them to yield the essential oil. While laboratory-scale isolation of pure khusimol is possible through chromatography for research purposes, and some perfumery fractions may be enriched in khusimol via rectification or chemical modification, large-scale dedicated production or bulk supply of the isolated molecule itself is not conducted due to its complex stereochemistry, limited standalone demand, and economic preference for sourcing it embedded in the natural oil.
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)		-	-	-
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Melting point (°C)		-	-	-
Boiling point (°C)		276	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		119	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	-	-	-
	Log P	-	-	-
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		-	-	-
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		-
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	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 metabolites

None

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		> 2000	F3 F = U.S. EPA ECOTOX database / U.S. EPA pesticide fate database / Miscellaneous WHO documents / FAO data, IPCS INCHEM data (US EPA Databases Related to Pesticide Risk Assessment ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	Low
Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		> 1000	F3 F = U.S. EPA ECOTOX database / U.S. EPA pesticide fate database / Miscellaneous WHO documents / FAO data, IPCS INCHEM data (US EPA Databases Related to Pesticide Risk Assessment ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	Low
Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
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	-	-	-
	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	200	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)		> 2000	F3 F = U.S. EPA ECOTOX database / U.S. EPA pesticide fate database / Miscellaneous WHO documents / FAO data, IPCS INCHEM data (US EPA Databases Related to Pesticide Risk Assessment ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	Low
Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		> 1000	F3 F = U.S. EPA ECOTOX database / U.S. EPA pesticide fate database / Miscellaneous WHO documents / FAO data, IPCS INCHEM data (US EPA Databases Related to Pesticide Risk Assessment ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	Low
Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		-	-	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		-	-	-
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 XNo, known not to cause a problem A0 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 0 = No data ; 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 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 XNo, known not to cause a problem Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem Eye irritant Phototoxicant   XNo, known not to cause a problem No data found
General human health issues		No information available

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	No information available
CLP classification 2013	Health: H315, H317
WHO Classification	-
UN Number	-
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	khusimol
French	-
German	-
Danish	-
Italian	-
Spanish	-
Greek	-
Polish	-
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	-
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	24/02/2026
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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