Zineb (Ref: ENT 14874)	Last updated: 23/01/2025
(Also known as: zinebe; metiram-zinc)

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SUMMARY

Zineb is a protectant fungicide. It has a moderate aqueous solubility, is relatively volatile and is not expected, based on its physico-chemical properties, to leach to groundwater. It is not usually persistent in soil or water systems. Zineb has a low mammalian toxicity, however, it may cause adverse reproduction/developmental effects if ingested. It is moderately toxic to most fauna and flora.

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: Drainflow: Slightly mobile; Potential for particle bound transport: Medium	Ecotoxicity Moderate alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: Moderate; Daphnia acute ecotoxicity: Moderate; Bees acute contact ecotoxicity: Moderate; Earthworms acute ecotoxicity: Moderate	Human health High alert: Reproduction/development effects Warning: Significant data are missing

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	A carbamate fungicide used on edible crops and ornamentals
Example pests controlled	Downy mildew; Foliar diseases; Damping off; Rust; Scab; Anthracnose; Leaf spot & speckle; Early & late blight; Purple blotch
Example applications	Turf; Fruit trees; Ornamentals including carnations, roses, gladioli, snapdragon; Vegetables including beans, carrots, brassicas, aubergine, onions, celery, peppers; Tobacco; Potatoes
Efficacy & activity	-
Availability status	Current
Introduction & key dates	circa 1950, introduced

GB regulatory status

GB COPR regulatory status	Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires	Expired
GB LERAP status	No UK approval for use as a pesticide

EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)

EC Regulation 1107/2009 status	Not approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur	Ireland
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires	Expired
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)	Not applicable
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	Australia

Chemical structure

Isomerism	None
Chemical formula	C₄H₆N₂S₄Zn
Canonical SMILES	C(CNC(=S)[S-])NC(=S)[S-].[Zn+2]
Isomeric SMILES	-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	AMHNZOICSMBGDH-UHFFFAOYSA-L
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C4H8N2S4.Zn/c7-3(8)5-1-2-6-4(9)10;/h1-2H2,(H2,5,7,8)(H2,6,9,10);/q;+2/p-2
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

General status

Pesticide type	Fungicide, Other substance
Other bioactivity & uses	Biocide, Antifouling agent
Substance groups	Carbamate fungicide; Organometal fungicide; Organozinc fungicide; Dithiocarbamate fungicide
Minimum active substance purity	-
Known relevant impurities	-
Substance origin	Synthetic
Mode of action	Non-specific with protective action. Multi-site activity.
CAS RN	12122-67-7
EC number	235-180-1
CIPAC number	25
US EPA chemical code	014506
PubChem CID	5284484
CLP index number	006-078-00-2
Molecular mass	275.78
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	zinc ethylenebis(dithiocarbamate) (polymeric)
IUPAC name	zinc ethylenebis(dithiocarbamate) (polymeric)
CAS name	((2-((dithiocarboxy)amino)ethyl)carbamodithioato))(2-)-kS,kS')zinc
Other status information	Chemical subject to PIC regulations
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)	Not applicable
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)	M03
Examples of recorded resistance	-
Physical state	Greyish white powder

Formulations

Property	Value
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Bayer CropScience AgroCare King Tech Corp Du Pont FMC Rohm & Haas
Example products using this active	Azzurro Bianco Zinforce Cuprothex Super Mixy Dithane Z 78 Phytox
Formulation and application details	Usually supplied as a wettable powder or dust

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		10	K4 K = Research datasets (e.g. Pandora, Demetra; these datasets no longer available). Norman Ecotoxicology database. (click here ) 4 = Verified data	Moderate
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Melting point (°C)		Decomposes before melting	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Boiling point (°C)		Decomposes before boiling	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Degradation point (°C)		157	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Flashpoint (°C)		90	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	2.00 X 1001	Calculated	-
	Log P	1.3	G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data	Low
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		-	-	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		Not applicable	R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
		No dissociation
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		0.008	G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data	Low volatility
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)		2.76 X 10-04	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known 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)	30	M4 M = GLEAMS Model database (Groundwater Loading Effects of Agricultural Management Systems). Dataset no longer available. 4 = Verified data	Moderately persistent
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (field)	19.5	AC3 AC = EC Joint Research Centre ESIS European Chemical Substance Information Systems including EINECS, now integrated with the database provided by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-persistent
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ modelling endpoint	-	-	-
	Note	IUCLID datasheet field studies DT₅₀ 16-23 days
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix	Value	7.7	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data	-
	Note	Published literature RL₅₀ range 2.42-25.7 days, various field-grown crops/matrices, n=11
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix	Value	3.4	R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
	Note	Asparagus, whole plant, n=1
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7	Value	Stable	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Stable
	Note	-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	8.6	K4 K = Research datasets (e.g. Pandora, Demetra; these datasets no longer available). Norman Ecotoxicology database. (click here ) 4 = Verified data	Non-persistent
	Note	-
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)		37	K4 K = Research datasets (e.g. Pandora, Demetra; these datasets no longer available). Norman Ecotoxicology database. (click here ) 4 = Verified data	Moderately fast
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)	-	G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data	Slightly mobile
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	1000
	Notes and range	-
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		1.29	Calculated	Low leachability
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate	Value	2.61 X 10-02	Calculated	-
	Note	-
Potential for particle bound transport index		Medium	Calculated	-
Potential for loss via drain flow		Slightly mobile	Calculated	-
Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀ (hrs) as indicator of long-range air transport risk		-	-	-
Bio-concentration factor	BCF (l kg⁻¹)	20	P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data	Low potential
	CT₅₀ (days)	Not available		-

Known metabolites

None

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		> 5200	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	Low
Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL	(mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	(ppm diet)	-		-
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		> 2000	G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data Anas platyrhynchos	Low
Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)		-	-	-
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		960	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Moderate
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)	7.1	K3 K = Research datasets (e.g. Pandora, Demetra; these datasets no longer available). Norman Ecotoxicology database. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Apis mellifera	Moderate
	Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)	> 100	K3 K = Research datasets (e.g. Pandora, Demetra; these datasets no longer available). Norman Ecotoxicology database. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Apis mellifera	Low
	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)		Harmful	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source Typhlodromus pyri	-
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)		> 20.8	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 Oncorhynchus mykiss	Moderate
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)		> 40	J4 J = Pesticide Action Network database (click here ) 4 = Verified data Daphnia magna	Moderate
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, growth) - Acute 7 day EC₅₀, biomass (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic plants (rooted, growth) - Acute 14 day EC₅₀, biomass (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute 72 hour EC₅₀, growth (mg l⁻¹)		0.51	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 Scenedesmus acutus	Moderate
Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l⁻¹)		0.05	P3 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 3 = Unverified data of known source Scenedesmus quadricauda Biomass	Moderate
Mesocosm study data	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
Marine bivalves		-	-	-

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)		> 5200	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	Low
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		6000	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.8	AC4 AC = EC Joint Research Centre ESIS European Chemical Substance Information Systems including EINECS, now integrated with the database provided by the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) (click here ) 4 = Verified data Rat 4 hr	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		-	-	-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		0.03	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	-
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 II	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	-
	Occupational	-
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 No data found 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 ; E2 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 2 = Mixed/ambiguous results ?Possibly, status not identified Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found No data found Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser ✓Yes, known to cause a problem ✓Yes, known to cause a problem ?Possibly, status not identified Eye irritant Phototoxicant   ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found
General human health issues		Thyroid, liver & kidney toxicant IARC Group 3 carcinogen - not classifiable

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6,1
CLP classification 2013	Health: H317, H335
WHO Classification	U (Unlikely to present an acute hazard)
UN Number	UN2757
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	zineb
French	zinèbe
German	Zineb
Danish	zineb
Italian	zineb
Spanish	zineb
Greek	zineb
Polish	zineb
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	zineb
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	23/01/2025
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