Dicofol is an organochloride acaricide. It has a low aqueous solubility, volatile and, based on its chemical properties, is unlikely to leach to groundwater. It is moderately persistent in soils but does not normally persist in water. It is moderately toxic to mammals and has a high tendency to bioaccumulate. Dicofol is also an irritant and neurotoxin. It has a moderate toxicity to most biodiversity including 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 High alert: Potential for particle bound transport: High
Ecotoxicity High alert: Fish chronic ecotoxicity: High
Human health High alert: Endocrine distrupter; Neurotoxicant
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
An acaricide used to control many species of phytophagous mite on a range of food and ornamental crops
Example pests controlled
Various mites including Pacific mite; two-spotted spider mite, tropical mites, tomato russet mite, citrus mite, European red mite
Example applications
Vegetables including beans, squash, peppers; Cotton; Cucumbers; Hops; Fruit including apples, pears, citrus, grapes
Efficacy & activity
-
Availability status
Current
Introduction & key dates
1956, first reported; 1957, first marketed USA
UK regulatory status
UK COPR regulatory status
Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires
Expired
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
Spain
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
Additional information
Also used in
-
Chemical structure
Isomerism
Isomeric - the o,p'-substituted isomer is chiral and may have enantiomer-specific activity but, the stereospecific activity of o,p'-dicofol has not been reported.
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Acetone
-
Melting point (°C)
370.5
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
-
Boiling point (°C)
193
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Degradation point (°C)
-
-
-
Flashpoint (°C)
193
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
(open cup)
-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
2.00 X 1004
Calculated
-
Log P
4.3
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 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
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)
1.45
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C
-
-
-
-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)
0.25
B5 B = UK CRD and ACP evaluation documents / and other Defra (UK) documents (click here ) 5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
Low volatility
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)
2.45 X 10-02
H4 H = The US ARS pesticide properties database (click here ) 4 = Verified data
Non-volatile
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)
80
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Moderately persistent
DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
45
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. MS in preparation 4 = Verified data
Moderately persistent
DT₅₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
-
-
-
Note
Best available data DT₅₀ range 40-80 days
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ on plant matrix
Value
3.7
R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data
-
Note
Published literature RL₅₀ range 1.7-5.9 days, 5 field & undercover grown crops, various matrices, n=6
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ on and in plant matrix
Value
2.7
R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data
-
Note
Published literature RL₅₀ range 2.6-2.8 days, 36 field crops, various matrices, n=3
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7
Value
26
K3 K = Research datasets, e.g. Pandora, Demetra 3 = Unverified data of known source
Slow
Note
-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7
Value
3.3
K3 K = Research datasets, e.g. Pandora, Demetra 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-persistent
Note
pH sensitive: DT₅₀ 85 days at pH 5, 26 minutes at pH 9 (L3)
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)
29
K2 K = Research datasets, e.g. Pandora, Demetra 2 = Unverified data of unknown source
Fast
Water phase only DT₅₀ (days)
-
-
-
Soil adsorption and mobility
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Linear
Kd
-
H3 H = The US ARS pesticide properties database (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-mobile
Koc
6064
Notes and range
Other source: 6945 mL g⁻¹ sandy soil (H3); 5000 (G3)
Freundlich
Kf
-
-
-
Kfoc
-
1/n
-
Notes and range
-
pH sensitivity
-
Fate indices
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
GUS leaching potential index
0.36
Calculated
Low leachability
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate
Low risk to Europeans as no longer approved for use
Occupational
Low risk to Europeans as no longer approved for use
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
?Possibly, status not identified
A3 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) 3 = Negative
;
B3 B = DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) 3 = Negative
;
C3 C = Gene mutation (EFSA database) 3 = Negative
;
D0 D = Genome mutation (EFSA database) 0 = No data
;
E3 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 3 = Negative
✓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
✓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
Harmful by inhalation, ingestion and through skin contact IARC group 3 carcinogen; USEPA - possible human carcinogen Endocrine issues - Inhibition of androgen synthesis
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
Environmental fate
