| naphthalene |
 |
Environmental Fate - Ecotoxicology - Human Health - A to Z Index - Home
SUMMARY
Naphthalene is only used for non-food applications. Slightly toxic if ingested but more serious effects may be seen if inhaled. It is considered a skin and eye irritant. It is also thought to be carcinogenic. Little is known about its environmental fate mainly because its usage patterns would minimise its release. Data suggests that it would be rapidly lost from the soil by evaporation, volatilization, and biodegradation. Non-toxic to birds and earthworms. It is moderately toxic to aquatic species but exposure is unlikely. No data for the risk posed to honeybees has been identified. GENERAL INFORMATION 
for naphthalene
Description: A largely obsolete insecticide once used as a moth repellant for the protection of textiles and as an animal repellant against nuisance vertebrate pests. It is also a constituent of some inert product additives.
Example pests controlled: Moths
Example applications: Non-cropped situations; Wool clothing and textiles
Efficacy & activity: -
Availability status: Obsolete
Introduction & key dates: 1948, first registered as a pestcide USA
EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414):
| Status | Not approved |
| Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur | Not applicable |
| Date inclusion expires | Not applicable |
| EU Candidate for substitution (CfS) | Not applicable |
| Listed in EU database | No |
Approved for use (
) or known to be used (
) in the following European countries: 
AT |
BE |
BG |
CY |
CZ |
DE |
DK |
EE |
EL |
ES |
FI |
FR |
HR |
HU |
IE |
IT |
LT |
LU |
LV |
MT |
NL |
PL |
PT |
RO |
SE |
SI |
SK |
UK |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Also used in: USA
Chemical structure:
| Isomerism | - |
| Chemical formula | C10H8 |
| Canonical SMILES | C1=CC=C2C=CC=CC2=C1 |
| Isomeric SMILES | No data |
| International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey) | UFWIBTONFRDIAS-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| International Chemical Identifier (InChI) | InChI=1S/C10H8/c1-2-6-10-8-4-3-7-9(10)5-1/h1-8H |
| 2D structure diagram/image available? | Yes |
General status:
| Pesticide type | Repellent, Other substance, Fumigant | |||
| Other constituent type | Constituent of some solvents | |||
| Substance group | Aromatic hydrocarbon | |||
| Minimum active substance purity | - | |||
| Known relevant impurities | - | |||
| Substance origin | Synthetic | |||
| Mode of action | Repellent action caused by strong odour | |||
| CAS RN | 91-20-3 | |||
| EC number | 202-049-5 | |||
| CIPAC number | 8222 | |||
| US EPA chemical code | 055801 | |||
| PubChem CID | 931 | |||
| Molecular mass (g mol-1) | 128.17 | |||
| PIN (Preferred Identification Name) | naphthalene | |||
| IUPAC name | naphthalene | |||
| CAS name | naphthalene | |||
| Other status information | Prohibited in Europe since 2008; WFD priority substance | |||
| Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards | EU Directive 2008/105/EC EQS Inland surface waters: 2.4 ug/L; other surface waters 1.2 ug l-1 as annual average | |||
| Herbicide Resistance Classification (HRAC) | Not applicable | |||
| Herbicide Resistance Classification (WSSA) | Not applicable | |||
| Insecticide Resistance Classification (IRAC) | Not applicable | |||
| Fungicide Resistance Classification (FRAC) | Not applicable | |||
| Examples of recorded resistance | - | |||
| Physical state | White crystalline flaky solid | |||
| Related substances & organisms | - | |||
Formulations:
| Property |
Value | |||
| Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically |
|
|||
| Example products using this active | - | |||
| UK LERAP status | No UK approval for use as a pesticide under EC Regulation 1107/2009 | |||
| Formulation and application details | Usually supplied as pellets, granules or flakes and applied by hand. | |||
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
for naphthalene
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| Solubility - In water at 20oC (mg l-1) | 31.0 | F4 - @ 25 DegC | Low | |
| Solubility - In organic solvents at 20oC (mg l-1) | 285000 | L3 - Benzene | - | |
| 77000 | L3 - Methanol | - | ||
| 500000 | L3 - Chloroform | - | ||
| Melting point (oC) | 81.2 | Q3 | - | |
| Boiling point (oC) | 218 | L3 | - | |
| Degradation point (oC) | - | - | - | |
| Flashpoint (oC) | 88 | L3 - (closed cup) | - | |
| Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20oC | P | 1.95 X 1003 | Calculated | - |
| Log P | 3.29 | F4 | High | |
| Bulk density (g ml-1)/Specific gravity | 1.14 | Q3 | - | |
| Dissociation constant (pKa) at 25oC | - | - | - | |
| Note: | ||||
| Vapour pressure at 20oC (mPa) | 6500 | L3 | Highly volatile | |
| Henry's law constant at 25oC (Pa m3 mol-1) | 2.78 X 1001 | L3 | Moderately volatile | |
GUS leaching potential index  |
2.14 | Calculated | Transition state | |
| SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l-1) for a 1 kg ha-1 or 1 l ha-1 application rate |
Value | 9.84 X 10-02 | Calculated | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Potential for particle bound transport index |
- | Calculated | Medium | |
| Maximum UV-vis absorption L mol-1 cm-1 | - | - | - | |
| Surface tension (mN m-1) | - | - | - | |
Degradation:
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
General biodegradability | - |
| Soil degradation (days) (aerobic) | DT50 (typical) | 80 | F3 | Moderately persistent |
| DT50 (lab at 20oC) | - | - | - | |
| DT50 (field) | - | - | - | |
| DT90 (lab at 20oC) | - | - | - | |
| DT90 (field) | - | - | - | |
| DT50 modelling endpoint | - | - | - | |
| Note | Literature data reports DT50's of around 80 days unless the soil is contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which will facilitate much quicker degradation rates. | |||
| Dissipation rate RL50 on plant matrix | Value | - | - | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Dissipation rate RL50 on and in plant matrix | Value | - | - | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Aqueous photolysis DT50 (days) at pH 7 | Value | Stable | Q3 | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Aqueous hydrolysis DT50 (days) at 20oC and pH 7 | Value | Stable | Q3 | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Water-sediment DT50 (days) | Stable | Q3 | - | |
| Water phase only DT50 (days) | Stable | Q3 | - | |
Soil adsorption and mobility:
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| Linear | Kd | - | F3 | Slightly mobile |
| Koc | 750 | |||
| Notes and range | Literature states Koc values range 200-1470 ml/g | |||
| Freundlich | Kf | - | - | - |
| Kfoc | - | |||
| 1/n | - | |||
| Notes and range | - | |||
| pH sensitivity | - | |||
Other known metabolites:
| Metabolite name and reference | Aliases | Formation medium / Rate | Estimated maximum occurrence fraction | Metabolising enzymes |
| cis-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene | - | - | - | - |
| 1,2-dihydroxy-naphthalene | - | - | - | - |
| 2-hydroxchromene-2-carboxylate | HCCA | - | - | - |
| trans-o-hydroxy-benzylidenpyruvate | tHBPA | - | - | - |
| salicyladehyde | - | - | - | - |
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| Bio-concentration factor | BCF (l kg-1) | 714 | F3 Cyprinodon variegatus, (whole body) | Threshold for concern |
| CT50 (days) | Not available | - | ||
| Mammals - Acute oral LD50 (mg kg-1) | > 2200 | L3 Rat | Low | |
| Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL | (mg kg-1) | - | - | - |
| (ppm diet) | - | - | ||
| Birds - Acute LD50 (mg kg-1) | > 5620 | F4 Colinus virginianus | Low | |
| Birds - Short term dietary (LC50/LD50) | - | - | - | |
| Fish - Acute 96 hour LC50 (mg l-1) | > 0.11 | F4 Oncorhynchus mykiss | Moderate | |
| Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l-1) | > 0.67 | P3 Oncorhynchus kisutch, 40 day | Moderate | |
| Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC50 (mg l-1) | > 15.0 | F4 Daphnia magna | Moderate | |
| Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (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 - Acute 7 day EC50, biomass (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Non-target plants | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | ||
| Algae - Acute 72 hour EC50, growth (mg l-1) | > 25.0 | F4 Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata | Low | |
| Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l-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) | - | - | - | |
| 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 pollinators (1) | Acute LD50 (worst case from 24 , 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect-1) | - | - | - |
| Mode of exposure | - | |||
| Other pollinators (2) | Acute LD50 (worst case from 24 , 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect-1) | - | - | - |
| Mode of exposure | - | |||
| Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC50 (mg kg-1) | > 2730 | F4 Eisenia foetida | Low | |
| Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg-1) | - | - | - | |
| Other soil macro-organisms | Acute LC50 (mg kg-1) | - | - | - | Chronic NOEC (mg kg-1) | - | - | - |
| Other arthropod (1) | LR50 g ha-1 | - | - | - |
| % Effect | - | - | - | |
| Other arthropod (2) | LR50 g ha-1 | - | - | - |
| % Effect | - | - | - | |
| Soil micro-organisms | - | - | - | |
| Mesocosm study data | NOEAEC mg l-1 | - | - | - |
| NOEAEC mg l-1 | - | - | - | |
HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION
for naphthalene
General:
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class) |
High (class III) | - | - | |
| Mammals - Acute oral LD50 (mg kg-1) | > 2200 | L3 Rat | Low | |
| Mammals - Dermal LD50 (mg kg-1 body weight) | > 2500 | V3 Rat | - | |
| Mammals - Inhalation LC50 (mg l-1) | > 0.34 | V3 Rat, 1 hr | - | |
| Other Mammal toxicity endpoints | - | - | ||
| ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg-1bw day-1) | - | - | - | |
| ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg-1bw day-1) | - | - | - | |
| AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg-1 bw day-1) | - | - | - | |
| AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg-1bw day-1) | - | - | - | |
| Dermal penetration studies (%) | - | - | - | |
| Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464 | - | - | - | |
| Exposure Routes | Public | - | ||
| Occupational | Exposure may occur via inhalation, skin absorption, ingestion, skin and/or eye contact | |||
| European MRLs | Click here for the EU MRL pesticide database | |||
| Drinking Water Standards | - | - | - | |
| Drinking Water MAC (μg l-1) | - | - | - | |
Health issues:
| Carcinogen | Genotoxic | Endocrine disrupter | Reproduction / development effects | Cholinesterase inhibitor | Neurotoxicant | |||
|
A0; B0; C0; D0; E0 | - |
|
- |
|
|||
| Respiratory tract irritant | Skin irritant | Skin sensitiser | Eye irritant | Phototoxicant | ||||
|
- |
- |
|
- |
|
|||
| General human health issues | Blood toxicant at high doses Liver toxicant May cause hemolytic anemia IARC Group 2B carcinogen |
|||||||
| Key: Genotoxicity A: Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) B: DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) C: Gene mutation (EFSA database) D: Genome mutation (EFSA database) E: Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 0: No data 1: Positive 2: Mixed/ambiguous results 3: Negative |
Key: Other : Yes, known to cause a problem  : No, known not to cause a problem  : Possibly, status not identified - : No data found |
|||||||
Handling issues:
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| General |
Flammable | |||
| CLP classification 2013 | Health: H302, H351 Environment: H400, H410 |
|||
| EC Risk Classification |
Carcinogen category 3: R40 Xn - Harmful: R22 N - Dangerous for the environment: R50/53 |
|||
| EC Safety Classification |
S2, S36/37, S46, S60, S61 | |||
| WHO Classification | O | - | Obsolete substance | |
| UN Number | - | |||
| Waste disposal & packaging |
- | |||
| Language | Name |
| English | naphthalene |
| French | naphtalene |
| German | - |
| Danish | - |
| Italian | - |
| Spanish | - |
| Greek | - |
| Slovenian | - |
| Polish | naftalen |
| Swedish | - |
| Hungarian | - |
| Dutch | - |
Record last updated: Tuesday 10 December 2019
Contact: aeru@herts.ac.uk