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 High alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: High
Warning: Significant data are missing
Human health Moderate alert: Mammals acute toxicity: Moderate; Reproduction/development effects
Warning: Significant data are missing
Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP) Type I alert
Highly Hazardous Pesticide (HHP) Type II alert
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
A naturally occurring multiuse fumigant pesticide and bactericide also used as a food flavouring
Repellency due to noxious smell and taste acting on sensory receptors such as TRPA1 and TRPV1. As a herbicide and fungicide it disrupts various cellular processes inhibiting germination, affecting protein structure, and can induce oxidative stress, leading to cell death
Insecticide behavioural & physiological effects
-
Substance source
Substance is found in various cruciferous vegetables including mustard and horseradish
C1 Criterion 1: Pesticide active ingredients that meet the criteria of classes Ia or Ib of the WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard
]
Type II
Yes [
R01 Rule 1: Pesticide active ingredients that meet the criteria of classes Ia or Ib of the WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard (or those with a CLP classification of H330)
;
R09 Rule 9: Pesticide active ingredients that have demonstrated a high aquatic toxicity (where acute ecotoxicity for fish, invertebrates or algae =< 0.1 mg l⁻¹)
]
Other status information
-
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)
Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)
Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)
Not applicable
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)
Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance
-
Physical state
Colourless to pale yellow oily liquid with pungent odour
Commercial
Property
Value
Availability status
Current
Introduction & key dates
1890s, first publications; 1964, first biological study
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
-
Example products using this active
Formulation and application details
Used as a fumigant
Commercial production
Produced from the hydrolysis of sinigrin, a natural glucosinolate found in cruciferous plants using myrosinase as a catylst
Impact on climate of production and use
-
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C at pH 7 (mg l⁻¹)
-
Q4 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 4 = Verified data
decomposes
-
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
-
-
-
Melting point (°C)
-
-
-
Boiling point (°C)
148
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
Degradation point (°C)
-
-
-
Flashpoint (°C)
46
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
-
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)
112
E4 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets 4 = Verified data
Rat
Moderate
Mammals - Short Term Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
-
-
-
Mammals - Long Term (Chronic) Oral NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
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
No data found
Reproduction / development effects
Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor
Neurotoxicant
?Possibly, status not identified
No data found
No data found
Respiratory tract irritant
Skin irritant
Skin sensitiser
✓Yes, known to cause a problem
✓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
Toxic at high concentrations
Handling issues
Property
Value and interpretation
General
Will produce toxic gases in a fire Vapours enhance the risk of fire and explosition Flammable IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6.1. Incompatible with acids, bases, oxidisers, alcohols, amides and water
Tzilivakis, J., Lewis, K.A., Green, A. and Warner, D.J. (2026) A decade of growth and impact of the Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB). Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 1–26. DOI: 10.1080/10807039.2026.2702066
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:
Human health
