Chlorethoxyfos (Ref: DPX 43898)	Last updated: 23/08/2024
(Also known as: chlorethoxyphos; WL 208304; SD 208304)

---

SUMMARY

Chlorethoxyfos is an organophosphate insecticide. It has a low aqueous solubility and, based on its chemical properties, it should not leach to groundwater. It is not persistent in soil systems but may be moderately persistent in aqueous systems under certain conditions. It is highly toxic to humans and there is some concern that it may bioaccumulate. It is highly toxic to most aquatic life, honeybees and earthworms.

Data 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.

Environmental fate	Ecotoxicity	Human health
Environmental fate Moderate alert: Potential for particle bound transport: Medium	Ecotoxicity High alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: High; Fish chronic ecotoxicity: High; Daphnia acute ecotoxicity: High; Daphnia chronic ecotoxicity: High; Bees acute contact ecotoxicity: High; Earthworms acute ecotoxicity: High	Human health High alert: Mammals acute toxicity: High; Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor; Neurotoxicant

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	An organophosphate insecticide used to control soil pests
Example pests controlled	Corn rootworm; Cutworms; Wireworms; Seed maggots; White grubs; Symphylans
Example applications	Corn; Row crops; Forage; Small grains
Efficacy & activity	-
Availability status	-
Introduction & key dates	circa 1995, registered USA

UK regulatory status

UK COPR regulatory status	Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires	Not applicable
UK LERAP status	No UK approval for use

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)	-
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

Chemical structure

Isomerism	A chiral molecule. Substance is racemic.
Chemical formula	C₆H₁₁Cl₄O₃PS
Canonical SMILES	CCOP(=S)(OCC)OC(C(Cl)(Cl)Cl)Cl
Isomeric SMILES	No data
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	XFDJMIHUAHSGKG-UHFFFAOYSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C6H11Cl4O3PS/c1-3-11-14(15,12-4-2)13-5(7)6(8,9)10/h5H,3-4H2,1-2H3
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

General status

Pesticide type	Insecticide
Substance groups	Organophosphate insecticide; Organothiophosphate insecticide
Minimum active substance purity	-
Known relevant impurities	-
Substance origin	Synthetic
Mode of action	Cholinesterase inhibitor, vapour action
CAS RN	54593-83-8
EC number	611-172-7
CIPAC number	None allocated
US EPA chemical code	129006
PubChem CID	91655
CLP index number	No data found
Molecular mass	336.0
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	rac-O,O-diethyl O-[(1R)-1,2,2,2-tetrachloroethyl] phosphorothioate
IUPAC name	O,O-diethyl (RS)-O-(1,2,2,2-tetrachloroethyl) phosphorothioate
CAS name	O,O-diethyl O-(1,2,2,2-tetrachloroethyl) phosphorothioate
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)	1B
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)	Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance	None identified
Physical state	Gray to brown granules formulated as a liquid

Formulations

Property	Value
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Amvac Chemical Corp Du Pont de nemours
Example products using this active	Fortress Insecticide 5G
Formulation and application details	Usually supplied in a granular formulation and with tamper-proof delivery systems (SmartBox)

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		0.1	DW4 DW = Don Wauchope personal database for Pka data: Wauchope, R. D. and Edwards, J. Dissociation constants for pesticide active ingredients: a database and comparison with predicted values. Dataset is no longer available. 4 = Verified data	Low
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Melting point (°C)		-	-	-
Boiling point (°C)		80	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	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		230	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	9.33 X 1003	Calculated	-
	Log P	3.97	K3 K = Research datasets (e.g. Pandora, Demetra; these datasets no longer available). Norman Ecotoxicology database. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source	High
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		0.64	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		-	-	-
		-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		-	-	-
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)		7.67 X 10-03	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Non-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)	21	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Non-persistent
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	13.5	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-persistent
	DT₅₀ (field)	3	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	Non-persistent
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ modelling endpoint	-	-	-
	Note	Best available data; DT₅₀ USA range 1-23 days; Lab studies 7 days sandy loam and 20 days loam (L3)
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	27	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	Slow
	Note	-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	59	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Moderately persistent
	Note	pH sensitive: DT₅₀ 4.3 days at pH 5, 72 days pH 9
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Water 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)	-	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	Non-mobile
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	6100
	Notes and range	Medium of 4 soil types; Other data source: 9000 mL g⁻¹ (DW3)
Freundlich	Kf (mL g⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)	-
	1/n	-
	Notes and range	-
pH sensitivity		-

Fate indices

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
GUS leaching potential index		0.10	Calculated	Low leachability
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate	Value	1.03 X 10-03	Calculated	-
	Note	-
Potential for particle bound transport index		Medium	Calculated	-
Potential for loss via drain flow		Non-mobile	Calculated	-
Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀ (hrs) as indicator of long-range air transport risk		-	-	-
Bio-concentration factor	BCF (l kg⁻¹)	2500	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Threshold for concern
	CT₅₀ (days)	Not available		-

Known soil metabolites

Metabolite	Major/Minor fraction	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction	Notes
trichloracetaldehyde	Major fraction	0.5	-
dichloracetic acid (Ref: DCA)	-	-	-
TCA	-	-	-
O,O-diethyl phosphorothionate (Ref: DETP)	-	-	-

Known groundwater metabolites

None

Other known metabolites

None

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		1.8	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Rat	High
Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL	(mg kg⁻¹)	25	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source Rat	High
	(ppm diet)	-		-
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		486	F5 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 ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes Colinus virginianus	Moderate
Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)		-	-	-
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		0.39	F5 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 ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes	High
Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
Soil micro-organisms		-	-	-
Collembola	Acute LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Chronic NOEC (mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
Non-target plants		-	-	-
		-	-	-
Honeybees (Apis spp.)	Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	0.04	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Apis mellifera	High
	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	-	-	-
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)		0.089	J4 J = Pesticide Action Network database (click here ) 4 = Verified data Oncorhynchus mykiss	High
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		0.00028	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Cyprinodon variegatus	High
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.00041	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Daphnia magna	High
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		0.000032	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Daphnia magna	High
Tropical Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic crustaceans - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.000054	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 Americamysis bahia	High
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 - Acute 7 day EC₅₀, biomass (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute 72 hour EC₅₀, growth (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mesocosm study data	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-

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)		1.8	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Rat	High
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		20	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	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.58	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		Percutaneous LD₅₀ > 12.5 mg kg⁻¹	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 Rabbit	-
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		List I	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	Dietary risks from food and drinking water are not of concern
	Occupational	PPE/PPC required to mitigate expsoure risks
MRLs	European	EU MRL pesticide database
	Great Britain	GB MRL Register
	Notes	-
Drinking Water Standards		-	-	-
Drinking Water MAC (μg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		-	-	-

Health issues

Specific human health issues		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 No data found Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant No data found ✓Yes, known to cause a problem ✓Yes, known to cause a problem Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser ?Possibly, status not identified XNo, known not to cause a problem No data found Eye irritant Phototoxicant   ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found
General human health issues		Highly toxic via consumption and skin contact Chronic exposure may cause respiratory paralysis and death

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6.1, Flammable
CLP classification 2013	Health: H301, H310, H319, H330 Environment: H400, H410
WHO Classification	Ia (Extremely hazardous)
UN Number	UN3017
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	chlorethoxyfos
French	chlorethoxyfos
German	Chlorethoxyfos
Danish	chlorethoxyfos
Italian	clorethoxyfos
Spanish	cloretoxifos
Greek	-
Polish	chloretoksyfos
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	-
Norwegian	-

---

Record last updated:	23/08/2024
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