(Also known as: 2-aminopentanedioic acid; L-glutamate; amino acid)
Hazard alerts
The following Pesticide Hazard Tricolour (PHT) 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. The alerts for Highly Hazardous Pesticides (HHPs) are based on applying the FAO/WHO (Type 1) and the PAN (Type II) criteria to PPDB data. Further details on the HHP indicators are given in the tables below. Neither the PHT nor the HHP hazard alerts take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus they do not represent risk.
PHT: Environmental fate
PHT: Ecotoxicity
PHT: Human health
Highly Hazardous Pesticide
Ecotoxicity Low alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: Low
Warning: Significant data are missing
Human health Low alert
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
A naturally occurring amino acid that demonstrates fungicidal and plant growth regulation properties
Example pests/issues controlled
Powdery mildew; Other fungal infections
Example applications
Fruit; Vegetables; Nuts; Lawns/grass; Ornamentals
Efficacy & activity
-
Appearance and life cycle
-
Taxonomic classification
-
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 plant protection agent
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
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
ISIceland
NONorway
Additional information
Also used in
-
Chemical structure
Isomerism
L-glutamic acid exhibits optical isomerism, due to the presence of a chiral centre. This central carbon is bonded to four distinct groups: a hydrogen atom, an amino group, a carboxyl group and a side chain containing another carboxylic acid group. As a result, glutamic acid exists in two enantiomeric forms: the L-isomer and the D-isomer. The L-isomer is the naturally occurring form found in proteins and is biologically active in humans and most organisms.
A major amnio acid present in plant and animal proteins that is involved in many physiological functions. The microorganisms Micrococcus glutamicus and Corynebacterium glutamicum also produce L-glutamic acid
Uses
Crop protection; Quality enhancement
Farming system suitability
Suitable for use in all farming systems where approved for use in that country
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
Auxein Corporation
Example products using this active
Formulation and application details
Usually supplied as a wettable powder and applied as a spray, soil drench or via a suitable irrigation system
Commercial production
The commercial production of L-glutamic acid is predominantly achieved through microbial fermentation, typically using Corynebacterium glutamicum. Fermentation is carried out in large bioreactors using carbohydrate-rich substrates like glucose, molasses, or sucrose, along with nitrogen sources, inorganic salts, and biotin. Biotin levels are carefully controlled, as its deficiency enhances cell membrane permeability, promoting glutamic acid excretion. During fermentation, glucose is metabolized via the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas and pentose phosphate pathways, funneling intermediates into the TCA cycle where alpha-ketoglutarate is converted to L-glutamic acid by glutamate dehydrogenase. After fermentation, the broth is processed to isolate glutamic acid, often by ion exchange and crystallisation, yielding L-glutamic acid.
Impact on climate of production and use
As microbial-based products tend to use fermentation-based production processes rather than chemical synthesis, they typically have a lower fossil fuel input in formulation and active ingredient creation, and also have reduced downstream emissions due to biodegradability and minimal soil disruption, their life-cycle GHG emissions are expected to be low. Whilst hard and precise data is not available, broad estimates suggest that typically emissions are likely to be below 5 kg CO₂e/kg.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C at pH 7 (mg l⁻¹)
8640
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
High
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
-
-
-
Melting point (°C)
Decomposes on melting
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Boiling point (°C)
-
-
-
Degradation point (°C)
199
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Flashpoint (°C)
-
-
-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
-
-
-
Log P
-
-
-
Fat solubility of residues
Solubility
-
-
-
Data type
-
-
-
Density (g ml⁻¹)
1.4601
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C
2.23
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
-
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)
-
-
-
Degradation
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
General biodegradability
-
Soil degradation (days)
DT₅₀ (typical)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
-
-
-
Note
-
Soil mineralisation
Aerobic (at 20 °C)
-
-
-
Anaerobic (at 20 °C)
-
-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix
Value
-
-
-
Note
-
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)
-
-
-
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)
-
-
-
Koc (mL g⁻¹)
-
Notes and range
-
Freundlich
Kf (mL g⁻¹)
-
-
-
Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)
-
1/n
-
Notes and range
-
pH sensitivity
-
Known metabolites
None
ECOTOXICOLOGY
Terrestrial ecotoxicology
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 5000
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Rat
Low
Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
-
-
-
Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻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
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Ecotoxicity
Warning:
