Ethion is an organophosphate insecticide and acaricide which is not approved for use in the UK nor the EU. It has a low water solubility but is miscible with most organic solvents. It is moderately persistent in soils but can be persistent in water bodies under certain conditions. It is not mobile. Based on its physico-chemical parameters, ethion is not expected to leach to groundwater. It demonstrates a moderate to high level of toxicity for most species. There are concerns regarding its toxicity to humans being moderately toxic via the oral route, an acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor and neurotoxin.
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: Persistent; Potential for particle bound transport: High
Ecotoxicity High alert: Daphnia acute ecotoxicity: High; Daphnia chronic ecotoxicity: High
Human health High alert: Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor; Neurotoxicant
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
An insecticide and acaricide used to control a range of pests. Can also be a pesticide transformation product
Example pests controlled
Red spidermite (Tetranychus urticae); Planthoppers; Aphids; Scale insects; Codling moth
Example applications
Fruit including apples, pears, citrus; Onions; Cotton; Cereals
Efficacy & activity
-
Availability status
Current
Introduction & key dates
1957, first reported; 2002, withdrawn UK
GB regulatory status
GB COPR regulatory status
Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires
Expired
GB LERAP status
No UK approval for use as a plant protection agent
EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)
EC Regulation 1107/2009 status
Not approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur
France
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
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
Bayer CropScience
Cheminova
King Tech Corp
Hikal Ltd.
Example products using this active
Rhodocide
Ethio
Tefethion
Ethiomobeed
Nialate
Hylemox
Formulation and application details
Available in a variety of formulations including dusts, emulsifiable concentrates and solutions, granules and wettable powders.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
2
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Low
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
Miscible
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Acetone
-
Miscible
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Ethanol
-
Miscible
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Xylene
-
Miscible
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Methanol
-
Melting point (°C)
-12
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Boiling point (°C)
165
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
-
Degradation point (°C)
-
-
-
Flashpoint (°C)
176
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
(closed cup)
-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
1.17 X 1005
Calculated
-
Log P
5.07
G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data
High
Fat solubility of residues
Solubility
-
-
-
Data type
-
-
-
Density (g ml⁻¹)
1.22
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)
0.2
G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data
Low volatility. If applied directly to plants, drift is a concern & mitigation is advisable
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)
3.85 X 10-02
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)
90
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Moderately persistent
DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
150
Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source
Persistent
DT₅₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
-
-
-
Note
Tropical soils DT₅₀ range 9-16 days, temperate sandy soils DT₅₀ 49-56 day, 168 days organic soils
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix
Value
5.5
R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data
-
Note
Published literature RL₅₀ range 3.0-10.5 days, 5 field crops, various matrices, n=6
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix
Value
4.4
R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data
-
Note
Published literature RL₅₀ range 2.0-9.4 days, 10 field crops, various matrices, n=11
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
[Grapes: 6.3 days @ 25 DegC; Field study], [Grapes: 10.4 days @ 4 DegC; Field study]
Soil adsorption and mobility
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Linear
Kd (mL g⁻¹)
-
G3 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-mobile
Koc (mL g⁻¹)
10000
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
0.00
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)
586
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
L2 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source
Rat 2 yr
High
(ppm diet)
6
-
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
-
-
-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
128
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Phasianidae
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)
-
-
-
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)
11
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)
-
-
-
Unknown mode acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)
20.6
G3 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
Moderate
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)
0.5
G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data
Salmonidae spp.
Moderate
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)
0.013
P3 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 3 = Unverified data of known source
Pimephales promelas 33 day
Moderate
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)
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
;
E3 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 3 = Negative
No data found
Reproduction / development effects
Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor
Neurotoxicant
?Possibly, status not identified
✓Yes, known 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
Bioaccumulates
Handling issues
Property
Value and interpretation
General
Prevent generation of mists Use foam, carbon dioxide or dry chemicals to tackle fires May produce toxic gases in a fire IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6.1
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
