(Also known as: acetylated monoglycerides & acetoglycerides; ACETEM; E472a)
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.
Botanically derived substances used as adjuvants and low-risk insecticides
Example pests/issues controlled
Mites; Various fungi, yeasts & bacteria; Lipid-coated viruses
Example applications
Food crops; Ornamentals; Stored potatoes
Efficacy & activity
No significant phytotoxicity at recommended application rates; may act as growth enhancers in low doses due to lipid-like properties.
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 crop 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
No
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
Japan
Chemical structure
Isomerism
Not applicable
Chemical formula
-
Canonical SMILES
-
Isomeric SMILES
-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)
-
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)
-
2D structure diagram/image available?
No
General status
Biopesticide type
Inseticide; Other substance
Other bioactivity & uses
Emulsifier; Surfactants
Substance groups
Plant-derived substance
Minimum active substance purity
-
Known relevant impurities
-
Substance origin
Natural; Complex mixture
Mode of action
Acts by disrupting microbial cell membranes, leading to leakage and cell death
Substance source
Derived from edible food oils and fats, such as palm oil or sunflower oil.
Mixture composition
Substance consisting of mixed glycerol esters of acetic acid and longer-chain fatty acids (typically C8-C22, primarily C8-C18 saturated and unsaturated).
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
-
Example products using this active
Formulation and application details
-
Commercial production
Produced commercially through two primary industrial methods. The most common is interesterification, where edible fats or oils (triglycerides from sources like palm, soybean, or other vegetable oils) react with triacetin (glycerol triacetate) in the presence of a catalyst (such as an alkali), followed by purification steps like molecular distillation or steam stripping to yield the desired mixture of partially acetylated mono- and diglycerides. Alternatively, direct acetylation involves first producing monoglycerides (or mono- and diglycerides) via glycerolysis of triglycerides with glycerol, then acetylating them with acetic anhydride or acetic acid under controlled conditions, with excess reagents and by-products removed by vacuum distillation.
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)
-
-
-
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
3.98 X 1003
Calculated
-
Log P
3.6
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
High
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
Readily biodegradable
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.
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
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)
> 2000
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Note: These RTLs have been calculated using the regulatory approach used in the European Union and based on ecotoxocity values in the PPDB.
Species group
RTL
Notes
Mammals
400
Worst case of acute and chronic mammals
Birds
200
Worst case of acute and chronic birds
Soil organisms
No data
No data for acute and chronic earthworms
Terrestrial plants
No data
No data for non-target plants vegetative vigour and seedling emergence
Pollinators
2
Worst case of contact and oral honeybees
Arthropods
No data
No data for parasitic wasps and predatory mites
Fish
0.1
Worst case of temperate acute and chronic fish
Aquatic invertebrates
0.01
Worst case of temperate acute and chronic aquatic invertebrates
Aquatic plants
0.1
Worst case of free-floating plants, rooted plants, acute and chronic algae
HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION
General
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class)
-
-
-
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 4000
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
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)
-
-
-
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)
> 4000
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
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
Human health
