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.
A naturally occuring monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid abundant in olive oil, various nuts and seeds, and animal fat that has some insecticidal activity
Example pests controlled
Cockroaches; Spider mites; Beetles including Asian cabinet beetle (Trogoderma granarium)
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
-
Chemical structure
Isomerism
Isomeric. Oleic acid is the cis-isomer and occurs naturally. The trans-isomer is known as elaidic acid and is abundant in diet as a major component of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
No direct insecticidal activity but can disrupt the lipid structure of insect cuticles, making it easier for other chemicals to penetrate. It may also influence insect behaviour making them better exposed ro control.
CAS RN
112-80-1
EC number
204-007-1
CIPAC number
-
US EPA chemical code
-
PubChem CID
445639
Molecular mass
282.47
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)
(Z)-octadec-9-enoic acid
IUPAC name
(Z)-octadec-9-enoic acid
CAS name
-
Forever chemical
-
Other status information
GRAS
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards
-
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)
Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)
Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)
Not classified
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)
Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance
-
Physical state
Colourless to pale yellow, visous oily liquid
Commercial
Property
Value
Availability status
Current
Introduction & key dates
late 19th century, first agricultural use
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
Bayer CropScience
Evergreen Garden Care UK
Example products using this active
Flipper
RoseClear 3 in 1
Formulation and application details
Often supplied as ready-to-use formulations and as liquid concentrates
Commercial production
Commercial production of oleic acid involves extracting this monounsaturated fatty acid primarily from vegetable oils such as olive, sunflower, and canola oil, though animal fats like tallow and lard are also used in some regions. The process typically begins with hydrolysis, where triglycerides in the oils or fats are broken down into glycerol and free fatty acids. Oleic acid is then isolated and purified using fractionation techniques like distillation and crystallisation. In some cases, chemical catalysis, including hydrogenation and esterification, is employed to convert other fatty acids into oleic acid.
Impact on climate of production and use
GHG emissions during the production of oleic acid vary significantly depending on the feedstock and processing method. Based on GREET model data and similar LCAs Vegetable oil-derived oleic acid emits approximately 1.5–3.5 kg CO₂e per kg; tallow-derived oleic acid emits slightly higher GHG due to methane emissions from livestock. Petroleum-derived oleic acid , a less common production approach, has estimated emissions of 5–7 kg CO₂e per kg. These estimates include agricultural emissions, oil extraction and refining and fatty acid distillation and purification where appropriate.
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)
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
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
5.37 X 1007
Calculated
-
Log P
7.73
Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 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
-
Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)
DT₅₀ (typical)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
-
-
-
DT₉₀ (field)
-
-
-
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
-
-
-
Note
-
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
-
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
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
Ecotoxicity
Warning:
Human health
