(Also known as: oil of sesame; benniseed oil; teel oil; gingilli oil)
SUMMARY
Hazard 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. These hazard alerts do not take account of usage patterns or exposure, thus do not represent risk.
Environmental fate
Ecotoxicity
Human health
Human health Low alert
Warning: Significant data are missing
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
An oil from the sesame plant used to control soil-borne pests and diseases
Example pests controlled
Soil-borne pests and diseases; Common housefly Musca domestica; Nematodes including the peanut root knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita Chitwood and soybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines
Example applications
Agricultural and horticultural crops
Efficacy & activity
-
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
Not applicable
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; Canada; Morocco
Chemical structure
Isomerism
Sesame seed oil itself is a complex mixture and some of its individual components can exist as isomers. For example, Sesamin and sesamolin are stereoisomers, linoleic acid can exist in both the cis- and trans-forms.
Chemical formula
-
Canonical SMILES
-
Isomeric SMILES
-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)
-
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)
-
2D structure diagram/image available?
No
General status
Pesticide type
Insecticide; Nematicide; Fungicide
Substance groups
Plant-derived substance; Plant oil
Minimum active substance purity
-
Known relevant impurities
-
Substance origin
Natural; Complex mixture
Mode of action
Non-toxic mode of action. As an insecticide it has a suffocating and synergistic mode of action (with pyrethrins and synthetic pyrethroids)
used for centuries in traditional medicine and agriculture; late 20th century, informal use recorded; 2000s, listed for agricultral use as low risk substance
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
Fediol
Unilever
Sesaco USA
Joyva USA
Example products using this active
-
Formulation and application details
Sesame oil is often combined with other essential oils like thyme, clove, or peppermint and formulated into foliar sprays, soil drenches and ready-to-use products
Commercial production
Commercial production of sesame oil begins with the cultivation of Sesamum indicum. Once harvested, the sesame seeds are cleaned and dried before undergoing one of several extraction methods. The most common industrial techniques include mechanical pressing using screw or hydraulic presses and cold pressing, which preserves the oil’s nutritional value and flavour. In some regions, traditional methods like stone mill extraction are still used, especially for premium or aromatic varieties. The extracted oil is then filtered to remove impurities and may be refined depending on its intended use.
Impact on climate of production and use
Data for specific plant oils is scarce. However, from publicly available data the carbon footprint of plant oils has been estimated at between 1.0 and 4.0 kg CO₂e per kg of oil. This depends on the plant oil content, agricultural practices and processing methods used.
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
-
-
-
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
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
-
Fate indices
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
GUS leaching potential index
-
-
-
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate
Value
Cannot be calculated
-
-
Note
-
Potential for particle bound transport index
-
-
-
Potential for loss via drain flow
-
-
-
Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀ (hrs) as indicator of long-range air transport risk
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
;
E3 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 3 = Negative
No data found
Reproduction / development effects
Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor
Neurotoxicant
No data found
No data found
No data found
Respiratory tract irritant
Skin irritant
Skin sensitiser
No data found
?Possibly, status not identified
No data found
Eye irritant
Phototoxicant
?Possibly, status not identified
No data found
General human health issues
Exhibits anti-oxidant properties Possible allergen - cases of the oil causing anaphylaxis shock Some data suggests sesame oil is an equivocal carcinogen
Handling issues
Property
Value and interpretation
General
Not explosive Not compatible with strong oxidising agents
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
Human health
Warning:
