Alpha-endosulfan	Last updated: 26/07/2024
(Also known as: endosulfan I)

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SUMMARY

Alpha-endosulfan is an insecticide that is not generally approved for use in the developed world. It has some potential for bio-concentration, is highly toxic to mammals and a neurotoxin. Alpha-endosulfan has a low aqueous solubility and moderately. It is moderately persistent in the soil but has a low mobility. It is moderately toxic to birds and most aquatic species.

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 High alert: Potential for particle bound transport: High	Ecotoxicity High alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: High	Human health High alert: Mammals acute toxicity: High; Endocrine disrupter; Neurotoxicant

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	An insecticide and acaricide used to control sucking, chewing and boring insects
Example pests controlled	Mites; Ticks; Tstetse fly; Colorado beetle; Aphids; White flies; Leaf hoppers
Example applications	Cotton; Potatoes; Tomatoes; Apples
Efficacy & activity	-
Availability status	-
Introduction & key dates	circa 1956, introduced

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 pesticide

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	-

Chemical structure

Isomerism	This is one of two isomers, endo and exo (also known as I and II)
Chemical formula	C₉H₆Cl₆O₃S
Canonical SMILES	C1C2C(COS(=O)O1)C3(C(=C(C2(C3(Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl
Isomeric SMILES	C1[C@@H]2[C@H](COS(=O)O1)[C@@]3(C(=C([C@]2(C3(Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	RDYMFSUJUZBWLH-AZVNHNRSSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C9H6Cl6O3S/c10-5-6(11)8(13)4-2-18-19(16)17-1-3(4)7(5,12)9(8,14)15/h3-4H,1-2H2
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre diagrams

Common Name	Relationship	Link
enosulfan	Unstated isomer

General status

Pesticide type	Insecticide; Acaricide
Substance groups	Organochloride insecticide; Cyclodiene insecticide
Minimum active substance purity	-
Known relevant impurities	-
Substance origin	Synthetic
Mode of action	Non-systemic with contact and stomach action. Non-competitive GABA-gated chloride channel antagonist.
CAS RN	959-98-8
EC number	625-034-9
CIPAC number	89
US EPA chemical code	-
PubChem CID	12309460
CLP index number	602-052-00-5
Molecular mass	406.93
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	an equimolar mixture of 2 asymmetric, twisted-chair conformers of (5aR,6S,9R,9aS)-6,7,8,9,10,10-hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro-6,9-methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepine 3-oxide
IUPAC name	equimolar mixture of 2 asymmetric, conformers of (5aR,6S,9R,9aS)-6,7,8,9,10,10-hexachloro-1,5,5a,6,9,9a-hexahydro-6,9-methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepine 3-oxide
CAS name	(3α,5αβ,6α,9α,9αβ)-6,7,8,9,10,10-hexachloro-1,5,5α,6,9,9α-hexahydro-6,9-methano-2,4,3-benzodioxathiepin 3-oxide
Other status information	POP candidate; OSPAR pfa/soc; WFD priority substance; Chemical subject to PIC regulations; Subject to the provisions of the UK Poisons Act 1972
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards	EU Directive 2008/105/EC EQS surface waters: annual average 0.005 µg l⁻¹; max measured 0.01 µg l⁻¹
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)	Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)	Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)	2A
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)	Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance	None identified
Physical state	Brown crystals
Related substances & organisms	endosulfan beta-endosulfan

Formulations

Property	Value
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Bayer CropScience
Example products using this active	-
Formulation and application details	-

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		0.32	E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 3 = Unverified data of known source	Low
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		200000	C3 C = AGRITOX dataset. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source Ethyl acetate	-
		6500	C3 C = AGRITOX dataset. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source Ethanol	-
		24000	C3 C = AGRITOX dataset. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source Hexane	-
		200000	C3 C = AGRITOX dataset. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source Toluene	-
Melting point (°C)		109.2	E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Boiling point (°C)		401.28	E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-	-	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	5.50 X 1004	Calculated	-
	Log P	4.74	E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 3 = Unverified data of known source	High
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	Soluble	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	-
	Data type	Regulatory data - observed in metabolism and farm animal feeding studies	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	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		-	-	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		-	-	-
		-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		8.3	E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 3 = Unverified data of known source	Moderately volatile. If applied directly to plants or soil, drift is a concern & mitigation is advisable
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)		1.48	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Moderately 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)	50	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Moderately persistent
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	39	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Moderately persistent
	DT₅₀ (field)	86	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Moderately persistent
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ modelling endpoint	-	-	-
	Note	-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix	Value	1.5	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data	-
	Note	Published data RL₅₀ range 0.7-2.2 days, 4 field grown crops inc. peppers & tomatoes, various matrices, n=6
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix	Value	1.4	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data	-
	Note	Published data RL₅₀ range 0.2-2.7 days, 3 field grown crops inc. peppers & tea, various matrices, n=4
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	20	C3 C = AGRITOX dataset. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-persistent
	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		[Wheat grain (dried): 97.1 days @ ~25 DegC, ~80% RH; Lab study]

Soil adsorption and mobility

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Linear	Kd (mL g⁻¹)	-	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-mobile
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	11500
	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		-0.12	Calculated	Low leachability
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate	Value	5.35 X 10-03	Calculated	-
	Note	Estimated concentrations of chemicals with Koc values greater than 9995 ml g⁻¹ are beyond the scope of the regression data used in SCI-GROW development. If there are concerns for such chemicals, a higher tier groundwater exposure assessment should be considered, regardless of the concentration returned by SCI-GROW
Potential for particle bound transport index		High	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)	2755	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 Whole fish	Threshold for concern
	CT₅₀ (days)	Not available		-

Known soil metabolites

Metabolite	Major/Minor fraction	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction	Notes
endosulfan sulfate	-	-	-

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)		38	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	High
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)		111	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Anas platyrhynchos	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)		14	C3 C = AGRITOX dataset. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source Eisenia foetida	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)	7.81	C3 C = AGRITOX dataset. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source	Moderate
	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)		-	-	-

Aquatic ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.002	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	High
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)		0.44	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 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)		0.24	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	Moderate
Sediment dwelling organisms - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.1	F2 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 ) 2 = Unverified data of unknown source Chironomus riparius 2 day	Moderate
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, static, water (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, sediment (mg kg⁻¹)		0.96	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 Chironomus dilutus	Moderate
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)		2.15	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 Anabaena doliolum	Moderate
Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
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)		38	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	High
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		500	R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.013	L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	-
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		List I	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	-
	Occupational	Can be absorbed following ingestion, inhalation and skin contact
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 ; E0 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 0 = No data ✓Yes, known to cause a problem Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant No data found XNo, known not to cause a problem ✓Yes, known to cause a problem Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser No data found No data found No data found Eye irritant Phototoxicant   No data found No data found
General human health issues		Mutagenic potential Highly toxic Endocrine toxicant

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	Corrosive IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6.1
CLP classification 2013	-
WHO Classification	II (Moderately hazardous)
UN Number	UN2811
Waste disposal & packaging	Packaging Group II (moderate danger)
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	Chemically stable under standard ambient conditions

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	alpha-endosulfan
French	alphaendosulfan
German	alpha-Endosulfan
Danish	alpha-endosulfan
Italian	alfaendosulfan
Spanish	alfaendosulfan
Greek	alfa endosulphan
Polish	alfa-endosulfan
Swedish	-
Hungarian	alpha endoszulfan
Dutch	alfa-endosulfan
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	26/07/2024
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