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.
Human health Moderate alert: Reproduction/development effects; Neurotoxicant
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
Streptomycin is used to combat the growth of bacteria, fungi, and algae on fruit and vegetable crops. It also has applications as a drug specifically as a bactericidal antibiotic.
Example pests/issues controlled
Bacterial shot-hole; Bacterial rots; Bacterial canker; Bacterial wilts; Fire blight; Crown gall; Wildfire Blue mold
Example applications
Fruit including apples, pears, stone fruit, citrus; Olives; Vegetables including beans, peppers; Potatoes; Celery; Tobacco; Greenhouse crops; Cotton; Ornamentals; Plant cuttings
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 as streptomycin
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
USA; Japan
Chemical structure
Isomerism
Streptomycin exhibits stereoisomerism, which arises from its multiple chiral centres. Structurally, it is an aminoglycoside antibiotic composed of three key moieties: streptidine, streptose, and N-methyl-L-glucosamine, all of which contain several chiral centres. The spatial arrangement of these groups is critical for its biological activity, particularly its ability to bind to the 30S subunit of bacterial ribosomes and disrupt protein synthesis. While streptomycin itself is typically used as a single stereoisomer in clinical settings, its biosynthesis by Streptomyces griseus can theoretically yield different stereoisomeric forms. However, only the naturally occurring stereoisomer has the desired antibiotic activity.
White to pale yellow hydroscopic powder with meal-like odour
Commercial
Property
Value
Availability status
-
Introduction & key dates
1943, discovered; Circa 1955, veterinary use starts; 1990s, first EU approvals
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
NuFarm Inc., USA
Ferti-Lome, USA
UK National authorisation
Example products using this active
Formulation and application details
Available in a variety of different formulations including sprays for crop use and solutions for injection for animal use
Commercial production
The production of streptomycin sulphate begins with cultivating the actinomycete Streptomyces griseus. The process starts with preparing a nutrient-rich fermentation medium, for example containing glucose, soybean meal, and mineral salts, optimised for aeration and pH between 7.0 and 8.0. Fermentation proceeds for a period of around a week and then the broth is harvested before cell lysis begins. Streptomycin is then recovered using filtration to remove biomass, followed by adsorption onto activated carbon or ion-exchange resins. It is eluted, concentrated, and purified, often using methanol, before being crystallised as streptomycin sulphate.
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)
100,000
E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 3 = Unverified data of known source
High
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
-
-
-
Melting point (°C)
-
-
-
Boiling point (°C)
-
-
-
Degradation point (°C)
-
-
-
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)
-
-
-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C
-
-
-
-
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)
> 9000
E4 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 4 = Verified data
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)
-
-
-
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 4640
E4 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 4 = Verified data
Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)
> 100
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
Apis mellifera
Low
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)
-
-
-
Beneficial insects (Butterflies)
Contact
-
-
-
Notes
-
Oral
-
-
-
Notes
-
Aquatic ecotoxicology
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)
> 180
E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 3 = Unverified data of known source
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Low
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)
-
-
-
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻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
Human health
