(Also known as: acrylaldehyde; ethylene aldehyde; acrylic aldehyde; magnacide; aqualin)
SUMMARY
Acrolein is a herbicide used mainly as an algicide. It is highly soluble in water, highly volatile and, based on its chemical properties, it is mobile and has a high potential to leach to groundwater. It is not considered to be persistent in soil or aquatic systems. It is highly toxic to mammals and there is some concern that it may bioaccumulate. It is classified as an irritant. It shows a high level of toxicity to birds and moderate to high toxicity for most aquatic species. There is little information on its toxicity to biodiversity.
Data alerts
The following 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.
Environmental fate
Ecotoxicity
Human health
Environmental fate High alert: GUS: High leachability; Drainflow: Very mobile
Ecotoxicity High alert: Birds acute ecotoxicity: High; Fish chronic ecotoxicity: High; Daphnia acute ecotoxicity: High
Human health High alert: Mammals acute toxicity: High
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
An algicide, slimicide and aquatic herbicide used for clearing ditches and drainage canals
Example pests controlled
Submersed weeds such as potamogeton, spirogyra, zannichella; Floating weeds such as watercress, water hyacincth, water primrose; Algae; Snails
Example applications
Irrigation canals; Ditches; Drainage channels
Efficacy & activity
-
Availability status
Current
Introduction & key dates
1959, first registered USA as a biocide; 1975, first registered USA as a herbicide
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 pesticide
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
A cellular toxicant. Contact action which degrades cell structure by cross-linking proteins exerting direct cytotoxic effects or interrupting cell signalling pathways
CAS RN
107-02-8
EC number
203-453-4
CIPAC number
None allocated
US EPA chemical code
000701
PubChem CID
7847
CLP index number
605-008-00-3
Molecular mass
56.06
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)
prop-2-enal
IUPAC name
prop-2-enal
CAS name
2-propenal
Other status information
Marine Pollutant; Water pollutant
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards
-
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)
Not known
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)
Not known
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)
Not applicable
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)
Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance
-
Physical state
Colourless to yellow liquid with strong acrid smell
Formulations
Property
Value
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
Miscible
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Benzene
-
Miscible
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Diethyl ether
-
Melting point (°C)
-87
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
-
Boiling point (°C)
52.5
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
-
Degradation point (°C)
-
-
-
Flashpoint (°C)
-17.8
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
(closed cup)
-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Highly volatile. If applied directly to plants or soil, drift is a concern & mitigation is advisable
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)
19.5
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Moderately volatile
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) (aerobic)
DT₅₀ (typical)
17
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-persistent
DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
0.4
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-persistent
DT₅₀ (field)
17
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-persistent
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
-
-
-
Note
General literature values DT₅₀ range laboratory 7.5-10.2 hrs, field studies DT₅₀ range 7-28 days
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
4
Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source
Moderately fast
Note
-
Aqueous hydrolysis DT₅₀ (days) at 20 °C and pH 7
Value
1.5
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources 3 = Unverified data of known source
Non-persistent
Note
pH sensitive: 3.5 days at pH 5, 0.2 days at pH 10
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.
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate
Value
5.60 X 10-01
Calculated
-
Note
-
Potential for particle bound transport index
Low
Calculated
-
Potential for loss via drain flow
Very mobile
Calculated
-
Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀ (hrs) as indicator of long-range air transport risk
-
-
-
Bio-concentration factor
BCF (l kg⁻¹)
344
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
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
No data found
XNo, known not to cause a problem
XNo, known not to cause a problem
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
Highly toxic, causes respiratory congestion and heart failure IARC Group 3 carcinogen - not classifiable; US EPA Possible human carcinogen May be fatal if inhaled
Handling issues
Property
Value and interpretation
General
Highly flammable IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6.1 Corrosive
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
Environmental fate
