Choline chloride	Last updated: 15/09/2025
(Also known as: hepacholine; biocolina; lipotril; choline hydrochloride)

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SUMMARY

Choline chloride is a plant growth regulator. It is highly soluble in water, is not volatile or persistent in soil systems. Based on its physico-chemical properties it has potential to leach to groundwaters. It tends not to be highly toxic to biodiversity although available data is limited. Choline chloride has a low mammalian toxicity and whilst it may be a skin and eye irritant no evidence has been found to suggest exposure may cause chronic health conditions.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	Quarternary ammonium compound which is an essential nutrient for normal animal growth and performance
Examples of veterinary uses	Used as a poultry growth accelerator administered as a feed additive. Acts as a liver detoxifier. May also be used to treats epilepsy and cognitive dysfunction
Examples of species treated	Chickens; Turkeys; Dogs

Approval status

VMR 2013/2033 approval status (GB/UK)	Not approved
EU Regulatory approval status	Not approved

Chemical structure

Isomerism	None
Chemical formula	C₅H₁₄ClNO
Canonical SMILES	C[N+](C)(C)CCO.[Cl-]
Isomeric SMILES	-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	SGMZJAMFUVOLNK-UHFFFAOYSA-M
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C5H14NO.ClH/c1-6(2,3)4-5-7;/h7H,4-5H2,1-3H3;1H/q+1;/p-1S
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre diagrams

Common Name	Relationship	Link
choline chloride	-

General status

Veterinary substance type	Medicinal drug, Performance enhancer
Substance groups	Quarternary ammonium PGR; Animal-derived substance
Minimum active substance purity	-
Known relevant impurities	-
Substance origin	Natural
Mode of action	Probable enhanced formation of plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA). Serves as a precursor molecule in several essential biological pathways
Molecular targets	[No specific molecular target]
CAS RN	67-48-1
EC number	200-65-54
CIPAC number	None allocated
US EPA chemical code	018102/718102,
PubChem CID	6209
CLP index number	No data found
Therapeutic Class	-
ATCvet Code	None allocated
Controlled Drug?	No
Regulation 37/2010 MRL Classification	-
Molecular mass	139.62
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	2-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethylethan-1-aminium chloride
IUPAC name	ethanaminium, 2-hydroxy-N,N,N-trimethyl-, chloride
CAS name	(2-hydroxyethyl)trimethylammonium chloride
Forever chemical	-
Other status information	-
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards	-
Physical state	White hygroscobic crystals

Commercial

Property	Value
Availability status	Current
Introduction & key dates	2016, registration US
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	BASF Univar Solutions Eastman Chemical Company
Example products using this active	Meteor Upright Persevere Promote
Formulation and application details	Tends to be formulated as powders and liquid concentrates
Commercial production	Choline chloride is produced commercially primarily via the reaction of ethylene oxide, hydrochloric acid, and trimethylamine. Ethylene oxide is reacted with trimethylamine to form choline hydroxide. The choline hydroxide is then neutralised with hydrochloric acid to produce choline chloride. The resulting choline chloride is purified to remove any impurities.
Impact on climate of production and use	The production of choline chloride emits approximately 15.00 kg of CO₂-equivalent per kilogram of product. This is a fairly high footprint for a single compound, especially considering its widespread use in animal feed and industrial applications and is due to the energy-intensive processing and the significant emissions associated with the precursors and solvents used in production. The reported figure focuses solely on factory-level emissions, excluding packaging and logistics.

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		650000	P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data	High
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Melting point (°C)		247	P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data	-
Boiling point (°C)		-	-	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-	-	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	1.70 X 10-04	Calculated	-
	Log P	-3.77	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	Low
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		1.1	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	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		-	-	-
		-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		6.57 X 10-05	P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data	Low volatility
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)		2.06 X 10-11	P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data	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)		-	-	-
Refractive Index		-	-	-
Environmental release		-

Degradation

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)	DT₅₀ (typical)	7	S1 S = Expert judgement 1 = Estimated data with little or no verification	Non-persistent
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	Note	Best available data
Manure DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	Stable	P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data	Stable
	Note	Stable under normal environmental conditions
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		-

Soil adsorption and mobility

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Linear	Kd (mL g⁻¹)	-	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Very mobile
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	0
	Notes and range	Estimated
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		5.07	Calculated	High leachability
Bio-concentration factor	BCF (l kg⁻¹)	0.59	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	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)		3400	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	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)		-	-	-
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	Vegetative vigour ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Seedling emergence ER₅₀ (g ha⁻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)	-	-	-
	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)		100	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown 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)		349	P4 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 4 = Verified data Daphnia magna	Low
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, fonds growth, fresh) - 7 day (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Aquatic plants (rooted, growth rate, fresh) - 14 day (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹) (EC₅₀)		1000	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source Raphidocelis subcapitata	Low
Algae - Chronic (growth rate, fresh; 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)		3400	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	Low
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		-	-	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
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		-	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	-
	Occupational	Possible exposure via skin contact and inhallation
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		Mainly eliminated via renal excretion	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-

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 XNo, known not to cause a problem Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem ?Possibly, status not identified Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser ?Possibly, status not identified ✓Yes, known to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem Eye irritant Phototoxicant   ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found
General human health issues		May cause hypotension May cause nausea and diarrhoea Gastrointestinal toxicant May cause dermatitis

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	Prevent generation of dust Hygroscopic
CLP classification 2013	Health: H315, H319, H335 Environment: H400
WHO Classification	Not listed (Not listed)
UN Number	-
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	choline chloride
French	chloride de choline
German	Cholinchlorid
Danish	cholin klorid
Italian	cloruro di colina
Spanish	cloruro de colina
Greek	-
Polish	chlorek choliny
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	-
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	15/09/2025
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