| bensulfuron (Ref: IN-R9419) |
 |
Environmental Fate - Ecotoxicology - Human Health - A to Z Index - Home
SUMMARY
Bensulfuron is a herbicide normally used as the methyl variant. It is not expected to be persistent in soil and as it is considered moderately mobile there are some risks of leaching to groundwater. Based on bensulfurons physico-chemical properties there may also be a risk of bio-concentration. Its is moderately toxic to aquatic plants and to earthworms. GENERAL INFORMATION 
for bensulfuron
Description: A pyrimidinylsulfonylurea herbicide used to control annual and perennial weeds and sedges. Usually used as the methyl variant. Pesticide transformation product.
Example pests controlled: Pigweed; Chickweed; Wild mustard; Stinkgrass; Barnyardgrass; Rice flatsedge; Dwarf umbrella grass; Nut-grass; Creeping water primrose
Example applications: Cereals especially wheat; Rice
Efficacy & activity: -
Availability status: Current
Introduction & key dates: 1985
EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414):
| Status | Approved |
| Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur | Italy/Spain |
| Date inclusion expires | 31/10/2022 |
| EU Candidate for substitution (CfS) | No |
| Listed in EU database | Yes |
Approved for use (
) or known to be used (
) in the following European countries: 
AT |
BE |
BG |
CY |
CZ |
DE |
DK |
EE |
EL |
ES |
FI |
FR |
HR |
HU |
IE |
IT |
LT |
LU |
LV |
MT |
NL |
PL |
PT |
RO |
SE |
SI |
SK |
UK |
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Chemical structure:
| Isomerism | - |
| Chemical formula | C15H16N4O7S |
| Canonical SMILES | COC1=CC(=NC(=N1)NC(=O)NS(=O)(=O)CC2=CC=CC=C2C(=O)O)OC |
| Isomeric SMILES | No data |
| International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey) | PPWBRCCBKOWDNB-UHFFFAOYSA-N |
| International Chemical Identifier (InChI) | InChI=1S/C15H16N4O7S/c1-25-11-7-12(26-2)17-14(16-11)18-15(22)19-27(23,24)8-9-5-3-4-6-10(9)13(20)21/h3-7H,8H2,1-2H3,(H,20,21)(H2,16,17,18,19,22) |
| 2D structure diagram/image available? | Yes |
General status:
| Pesticide type | Herbicide, Metabolite | |
| Metabolite Type | Soil | |
| Substance group | Sulfonylurea | |
| Minimum active substance purity | - | |
| Known relevant impurities | EU dossier - None declared | |
| Substance origin | Synthetic | |
| Mode of action | Selective, systemic action being absorbed through foliage and roots. Inhibits plant amino acid synthesis - acetohydroxyacid synthase AHAS | |
| CAS RN | 99283-01-9 | |
| EC number | - | |
| CIPAC number | 502 | |
| US EPA chemical code | - | |
| PubChem CID | 107828 | |
| Molecular mass (g mol-1) | 396.38 | |
| PIN (Preferred Identification Name) | 2-({[(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-yl)carbamoyl]sulfamoyl}methyl)benzoic acid | |
| IUPAC name | α-[(4,6-dimethoxypyrimidin-2-ylcarbamoyl)sulfamoyl]-o-toluic acid | |
| CAS name | 2-[[[[[(4,6-dimethoxy-2-pyrimidinyl)amino]carbonyl]amino]sulfonyl]methyl]benzoic acid | |
| Other status information | - | |
| Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards | - | |
| Herbicide Resistance Classification (HRAC) | B | |
| Herbicide Resistance Classification (WSSA) | 2 | |
| Insecticide Resistance Classification (IRAC) | Not applicable | |
| Fungicide Resistance Classification (FRAC) | Not applicable | |
| Examples of recorded resistance | - | |
| Physical state | - | |
| Related substances & organisms | ||
Can be a metabolite of:
| Parent | Formation medium | Estimated maximum occurrence fraction | 1107/2009 relevancy |
|
| bensulfuron-methyl | Soil | 0.277 | Major fraction, Relevant | |
Formulations:
| Property |
Value | |||
| Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically |
|
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| Example products using this active | - | |||
| UK LERAP status | No UK approval for use as a pesticide under EC Regulation 1107/2009 | |||
| Formulation and application details | Usually formulated as the methyl variant. | |||
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
for bensulfuron
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| Solubility - In water at 20oC (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Solubility - In organic solvents at 20oC (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Melting point (oC) | - | - | - | |
| Boiling point (oC) | - | - | - | |
| Degradation point (oC) | - | - | - | |
| Flashpoint (oC) | - | - | - | |
| Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20oC | P | 1.20 X 1002 | Calculated | - |
| Log P | 2.08 | Q2 | Low | |
| Bulk density (g ml-1)/Specific gravity | 1.52 | Q2 | - | |
| Dissociation constant (pKa) at 25oC | - | - | - | |
| Note: | ||||
| Vapour pressure at 20oC (mPa) | - | - | - | |
| Henry's law constant at 25oC (Pa m3 mol-1) | - | - | - | |
GUS leaching potential index  |
2.33 | Calculated | Transition state | |
| SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l-1) for a 1 kg ha-1 or 1 l ha-1 application rate |
Value | 1.08 X 10-01 | Calculated | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Potential for particle bound transport index |
- | - | - | |
| Maximum UV-vis absorption L mol-1 cm-1 | - | - | - | |
| Surface tension (mN m-1) | - | - | - | |
Degradation:
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
General biodegradability | - |
| Soil degradation (days) (aerobic) | DT50 (typical) | 11 | A5 | Non-persistent |
| DT50 (lab at 20oC) | 26.2 | A5 | Non-persistent | |
| DT50 (field) | - | - | - | |
| DT90 (lab at 20oC) | 86.6 | A5 | - | |
| DT90 (field) | - | - | - | |
| DT50 modelling endpoint | - | - | - | |
| Note | EU dossier lab studies DT50 range 8-54 days, DT90 range 27-15 days | |||
| Dissipation rate RL50 on plant matrix | Value | - | - | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Dissipation rate RL50 on and in plant matrix | Value | - | - | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Aqueous photolysis DT50 (days) at pH 7 | Value | - | - | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Aqueous hydrolysis DT50 (days) at 20oC and pH 7 | Value | - | - | - |
| Note | - | |||
| Water-sediment DT50 (days) | 5.2 | A5 | Fast | |
| Water phase only DT50 (days) | 8.0 | A5 | Moderately fast | |
Soil adsorption and mobility:
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| Linear | Kd | - | - | - |
| Koc | - | |||
| Notes and range | - | |||
| Freundlich | Kf | 8.8 | A5 | Moderately mobile |
| Kfoc | 226 | |||
| 1/n | 0.9 | |||
| Notes and range | EU dossier Kf range 0.3-17.4 mL/g, Kfoc range 28-580 mL/g, 1/n range 0.89-0.93, Soils=5 | |||
| pH sensitivity | No | |||
Key metabolites:
| Metabolite | Formation medium | Estimated maximum occurrence fraction | 1107/2009 relevancy |
|
| 2-((aminosulfonyl)methyl)benzoic acid (Ref: IN-D1R84) |
Soil | 0.182 | Major fraction, Relevant | |
| 2-amino-4,6-dimethoxypyrimidine (Ref: AE-F092944) |
Soil | 0.460 | Major fraction, Relevant | |
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| Bio-concentration factor | BCF (l kg-1) | Low risk | Q3 Based on LogP < 3 | Low potential |
| CT50 (days) | - | - | ||
| Mammals - Acute oral LD50 (mg kg-1) | - | - | - | |
| Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL | (mg kg-1) | - | - | - |
| (ppm diet) | - | - | ||
| Birds - Acute LD50 (mg kg-1) | - | - | - | |
| Birds - Short term dietary (LC50/LD50) | - | - | - | |
| Fish - Acute 96 hour LC50 (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC50 (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Aquatic crustaceans - Acute 96 hour LC50 (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Sediment dwelling organisms - Acute 96 hour LC50 (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, static, water (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Sediment dwelling organisms - Chronic 28 day NOEC, sediment (mg kg-1) | - | - | - | |
| Aquatic plants - Acute 7 day EC50, biomass (mg l-1) | 6.2 | A5 Lemna gibba | Moderate | |
| Non-target plants | - | - | - | |
| - | - | - | ||
| Algae - Acute 72 hour EC50, growth (mg l-1) | 26.4 | A5 Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata | Low | |
| Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Honeybees (Apis 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) | - | - | - | |
| Unknown mode acute LD50 (worst case from 24 , 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee-1) | - | - | - | |
| 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 pollinators (1) | Acute LD50 (worst case from 24 , 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect-1) | - | - | - |
| Mode of exposure | - | |||
| Other pollinators (2) | Acute LD50 (worst case from 24 , 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect-1) | - | - | - |
| Mode of exposure | - | |||
| Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC50 (mg kg-1) | > 1000 | A5 Eisenia foetida | Low | |
| Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg-1) | - | - | - | |
| Other soil macro-organisms | Acute LC50 (mg kg-1) | - | - | - | Chronic NOEC (mg kg-1) | - | - | - |
| Other arthropod (1) | LR50 g ha-1 | - | - | - |
| % Effect | - | - | - | |
| Other arthropod (2) | LR50 g ha-1 | - | - | - |
| % Effect | - | - | - | |
| Soil micro-organisms | - | - | - | |
| Mesocosm study data | NOEAEC mg l-1 | - | - | - |
| NOEAEC mg l-1 | - | - | - | |
HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION
for bensulfuron
General:
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class) |
High (class III) | - | - | |
| Mammals - Acute oral LD50 (mg kg-1) | - | - | - | |
| Mammals - Dermal LD50 (mg kg-1 body weight) | - | - | - | |
| Mammals - Inhalation LC50 (mg l-1) | - | - | - | |
| Other Mammal toxicity endpoints | - | - | ||
| ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg-1bw day-1) | 0.2 | A5 | - | |
| ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg-1bw day-1) | None allocated | A5 | - | |
| AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg-1 bw day-1) | - | - | - | |
| AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg-1bw day-1) | 0.12 | A5 | - | |
| Dermal penetration studies (%) | - | - | - | |
| Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464 | - | - | - | |
| Exposure Routes | Public | - | ||
| Occupational | - | |||
| European MRLs | Click here for the EU MRL pesticide database | |||
| Drinking Water Standards | - | - | - | |
| Drinking Water MAC (μg l-1) | - | - | - | |
Health issues:
| Carcinogen | Genotoxic | Endocrine disrupter | Reproduction / development effects | Cholinesterase inhibitor | Neurotoxicant | |||
|
A0; B0; C0; D0; E0 |
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- |
- |
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| Respiratory tract irritant | Skin irritant | Skin sensitiser | Eye irritant | Phototoxicant | ||||
- |
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| General human health issues | Possible liver toxicant | |||||||
| Key: Genotoxicity A: Chromosome aberration (EFSA database) B: DNA damage/repair (EFSA database) C: Gene mutation (EFSA database) D: Genome mutation (EFSA database) E: Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 0: No data 1: Positive 2: Mixed/ambiguous results 3: Negative |
Key: Other : Yes, known to cause a problem  : No, known not to cause a problem  : Possibly, status not identified - : No data found |
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Handling issues:
| Property |
Value | Source/Quality Score/Other Information |
Interpretation |
|
| General |
Not explosive or oxidising | |||
| CLP classification 2013 | - | |||
| EC Risk Classification |
Reproduction risk category 3: R63 Xn - Harmful: R43 N - Dangerous for the environment: R50, R53 |
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| EC Safety Classification |
S35, S57, S60, S61 | |||
| WHO Classification | U | - | Unlikely to present an acute hazard | |
| UN Number | - | |||
| Waste disposal & packaging |
- | |||
| Language | Name |
| English | bensulfuron |
| French | bensulfuron |
| German | Bensulfuron |
| Danish | bensulfuron |
| Italian | bensulfuron |
| Spanish | bensulfuron |
| Greek | - |
| Slovenian | - |
| Polish | bensulfuron |
| Swedish | - |
| Hungarian | benszulforon |
| Dutch | - |
Record last updated: Tuesday 29 October 2019
Contact: aeru@herts.ac.uk