Alpha-terpineol |
![]() Last updated: 17/09/2025 |
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(Also known as: Tea tree oil extract; Oil of Melaleuca; TTO; Carvomenthenol; Terpenol) |
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A component of various essential oils including turpentine and tea tree and which is used to control various fungal pathogens on a wide range of crops | |
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Chemical structure |
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Alpha-terpineol exhibits structural isomerism as part of a group of terpineol isomers, which include beta-, gamma-, delta-terpineol, and terpinen-4-ol. These isomers are all monocyclic monoterpenoid alcohols, sharing the same molecular formula but differing in the position of the double bond and the orientation of functional groups within the cyclohexene ring. | |
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C₁₀H₁₈O | |
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CC1=CCC(CC1)C(C)(C)O | |
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No data | |
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WUOACPNHFRMFPN-UHFFFAOYSA-N | |
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InChI=1S/C10H18O/c1-8-4-6-9(7-5-8)10(2,3)11/h4,9,11H,5-7H2,1-3H3 | |
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General status |
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Plant-derived substance | |
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Natural | |
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Tea tree oil appears to disrupt the permeability barrier of microbial cell membrane structures, causing loss of chemiosmotic control. | |
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98-55-5 | |
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202-680-6 | |
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154.25 | |
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2-[(4-methyl-1-cyclohex-3-enyl)]propan-2-ol | |
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α-terpineol | |
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Clear liquid | |
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Commercial |
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Current | |||
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1920s, Tea tree oil first reported | |||
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Tea tree oil is usually supplied as an emulsifable concentrate that is diluted and used as a foliar spray | |||
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Alpha-terpineol is often produced commercially by hydrating alpha-pinene, which is derived from turpentine oil. The process involves the addition of water to alpha-pinene in the presence of an acid catalyst, resulting in the formation of alpha-terpineol. Alternatively, it can be produced by the hydration of limonene, a monoterpene found in citrus oils. Microbial transformation has also ben used for its production using monoterpenes such as limonene, alpha-pinene, and beta-pinene. Microorganisms like Saccharomyces cerevisiaeare genetically engineered to express enzymes that convert these monoterpenes into alpha-terpineol. | |||
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710 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderate | ||||||||
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220 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source |
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9.55 X 1002 | Calculated | - | |||||||
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2.98 | 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 | ||||||||
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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 |
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No dissociation | |||||||||||
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562.6 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source |
Highly volatile. If applied directly to plants or soil, drift is a concern & mitigation is advisable | ||||||||
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Degradation |
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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. | ||||||||||
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Soil adsorption and mobility |
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Fate indices |
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Low risk | 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 ) Based on LogP < 35 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes |
Low risk | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Known metabolites |
None
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Terrestrial ecotoxicology |
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5170 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) Rat3 = Unverified data of known source |
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17.1 | 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 ) as vapour mg l⁻¹ air3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderate | |||||||
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Aquatic ecotoxicology |
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6.6 | 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 ) Oncorhynchus mykiss3 = Unverified data of known source |
Moderate | ||||||||
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General |
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High (class III) | - | - | ||||||||
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5170 | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) Rat3 = Unverified data of known source |
Low | ||||||||
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Intramuscular LD₅₀ = 2000 mg kg⁻¹ | V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) Mouse3 = Unverified data of known source |
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Health issues |
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No further information available |
Handling issues |
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Not explosive or oxidising | |||
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Health: H315, H319, H335 Environment: H411 |
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Not listed (Not listed) | |||
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alpha-terpineol | ||
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Record last updated: | 17/09/2025 |
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 |