Albendazole	Last updated: 09/02/2024
(Also known as: SLA 3505; SKF-62979)

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SUMMARY

A potent anthelmintic insecticide. It has a low aqueous solubility. Little has been published regarding its behaviour in the environment or its toxicity to fauna and flora. It is moderately toxic to humans and may cause reproduction or fertility problems. .

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	A broad spectrum benzimidazole antiparasitic veterinary drug
Availability status	Current
Introduction & key dates	1977, registered UK
Examples of veterinary uses	Primary use is as a topical pesticide for livestock for control of parasites in particular various worm infestations.
Examples of species treated	Domestic and farm animals including cattle & sheep

Approval status

VMR 2013/2033 approval status (GB/UK)	Approved
EU Regulatory approval status	-

Chemical structure

Isomerism	-
Chemical formula	C₁₂H₁₅N₃O₂S
Canonical SMILES	CCCSC1=CC2=C(C=C1)N=C(N2)NC(=O)OC
Isomeric SMILES	-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	HXHWSAZORRCQMX-UHFFFAOYSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C12H15N3O2S/c1-3-6-18-8-4-5-9-10(7-8)14-11(13-9)15-12(16)17-2/h4-5,7H,3,6H2,1-2H3,(H2,13,14,15,16)
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre diagrams

Common Name	Relationship	Link
albendazole	-

General status

Veterinary substance type	Insecticide, Antiparasitic, Anthelmintic
Substance groups	Benzimidazole
Minimum active substance purity	>98%
Known relevant impurities	-
Substance origin	Synthetic
Mode of action	Causes degenerative alterations in parasite cell walls, inhibiting tubulin polymerization which results in the loss of cytoplasmic microtubules.
Molecular targets	[Tubulin alpha-3 chain, Antagonist], [Tubulin beta-2C chain, Antagonist], [Fumarate reductase flavoprotein subunit, Antagonist]
CAS RN	54965-21-8
EC number	259-414-7
CIPAC number	None allocated
US EPA chemical code	-
PubChem CID	2082
Therapeutic Class	Antiparasitic products, insecticides & repellents: Anthelmintics
ATCvet Code	QP52AC11
Controlled Drug?	No
Regulation 37/2010 MRL Classification	Allowed substance (Table 1: Ruminants)
Molecular mass	265.33
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	-
IUPAC name	methyl N-(6-propylsulfanyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)carbamate
CAS name	5-(propylthio)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl, methyl ester carbamic acid
Other status information	-
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards	-
Physical state	Off-white crystalline powder
Related substances & organisms	albendazole sulfoxide

Formulations

Property	Product	Manufacturer	Authorisation Route	Legal Class (GB/UK)
Example products (past and present) using this active	Albenil 2.5% SC Oral Suspension	Virbac Ltd	UK National authorisation (IC)	Prescription only medicine to be authorised by suitably qualified person (POM-VPS)
	Albacert Oral suspension	Chanelle Animal Health Ltd	UK National authorisation (IC)	Prescription only medicine to be authorised by suitably qualified person (POM-VPS)
	Endospec SC Oral Suspension	Bimeda Animal Health Ltd	UK National authorisation	Prescription only medicine to be authorised by suitably qualified person (POM-VPS)
	Tramazole Oral Suspension	Tulivin Labs	UK National authorisation (IC)	Prescription only medicine to be authorised by suitably qualified person (POM-VPS)
Formulation and application details	Usually supplied as a solution for oral use

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		0.56	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data	Low
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Melting point (°C)		209	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data	-
Boiling point (°C)		-	-	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-	-	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	1.86 X 1001	Calculated	-
	Log P	1.27	V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source	Low
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		-	-	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		10.26	R4 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 4 = Verified data	-
		pKa(2) = 2.80
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		-	-	-
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)		-	-	-
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		Environmental release can occur via four main routes (i) point source releases at production sites, (ii) releases at administration location, (iii) direct releases from treated animals as parent and metabolites in manure and slurries, and (iv) inappropriate waste disposal sites

Degradation

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)	DT₅₀ (typical)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	Note	-
Manure DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Aqueous photolysis DT₅₀ (days) at pH 7	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7	Value	-	-	-
	Note	-
Water-sediment DT₅₀ (days)		-	-	-
Water 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.

Soil adsorption and mobility

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Linear	Kd	-	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-mobile
	Koc	17650
	Notes and range	Literature range 7800-27500
Freundlich	Kf	251	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	Non-mobile
	Kfoc	16233
	1/n	0.92
	Notes and range	US data: Kf range 109.6-501.2 mL g⁻¹, Kfoc range 7800-27500 mL g⁻¹, 1/n range 0.77-1.21, Soils=3
pH sensitivity		-

Fate indices

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
GUS leaching potential index		-	-	-
Bio-concentration factor	BCF (l kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	CT₅₀ (days)	-		-

Known soil and groundwater metabolites

None

Other known metabolites

Metabolite name and reference	Aliases	Formation medium / Rate	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction	Metabolising enzymes
albendazole sulfoxide Note: C12H15N3O3S	-	Human (Liver); Livestock	-	-
albendazole sulfone Note: C12H15N3O4S	-	Human (Liver); Livestock	-	-

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		1320	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	Moderate
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		-	-	-
		-	-	-
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	-	-	-
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)		86.0	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	Moderate
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		> 0.036	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 Danio rerio EC₅₀ Embryo	High
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.024	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	High
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		0.017	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
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 - Acute 7 day EC₅₀, biomass (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute 72 hour EC₅₀, growth (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mesocosm study data	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-

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)		1320	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	Moderate
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		-	-	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		Intravenous LD₅₀ = 265 mg kg⁻¹	V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		0.005	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	-
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	-
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		Rapidly metabolised and lost via (probably) biliary excretion. Little is found in the urine.	F4 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 ) 4 = Verified data	-

Health issues

Specific human health issues		Carcinogen Genotoxic Endocrine disruptor No data found 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 ; E1 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 1 = Positive ?Possibly, status not identified Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant ?Possibly, status not identified XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem 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		Mutagenic potential Possible tetragenic effect Possible liver toxicant

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	No information available
CLP classification 2013	Health: H315, H319, H335, H360, H361 Environment: H400, H410
WHO Classification	Not listed (Not listed)
UN Number	-
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	albendazole
French	albendazole
German	Albendazol
Danish	-
Italian	-
Spanish	albendazol
Greek	-
Polish	albendazol
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	-
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	09/02/2024
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