Geraniol (Ref: Mevalone 3AEY)

Geraniol (Ref: Mevalone 3AEY)	Last updated: 09/09/2025
(Also known as: (E)-geraniol; (E)-nerol; AI3-00206; Lemonol)

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description

A plant derived alcohol that has been shown to repel various insects

Examples of veterinary uses

Used as repellent for various insects including flies, mosquitoes, ticks and fleas

Examples of species treated

Dogs; Cats; Cattle

Approval status

VMR 2013/2033 approval status (GB/UK)

Not approved

EU Regulatory approval status

Not approved

Chemical structure

Isomerism

Geraniol exhibits isomerism primarily through its geometrical and structural forms. It exists as a trans-isomer, while its cis-isomer counterpart is nerol. Geraniol also has structural isomers like linalool and citronellal, which differ in atom connectivity or functional groups, leading to distinct aromas and applications. Although geraniol itself is not optically active, some of its isomers are.

Chemical formula

C₁₀H₁₈O

Canonical SMILES

CC(=CCCC(=CCO)C)C

Isomeric SMILES

CC(=CCC/C(=C/CO)/C)C

International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)

GLZPCOQZEFWAFX-JXMROGBWSA-N

International Chemical Identifier (InChI)

InChI=1S/C10H18O/c1-9(2)5-4-6-10(3)7-8-11/h5,7,11H,4,6,8H2,1-3H3/b10-7+

2D structure diagram/image available?

Yes

General status

Veterinary substance type

Insect repellent

Substance groups

Plant-derived substance

Minimum active substance purity

980 g/Kg

Known relevant impurities

EU dossier - none declared

Substance origin

Natural

Mode of action

Though to distrupt the cell walls, membranes and organelles of micro-organisms. Geraniol interacts with voltage-gated sodium channels and detoxifying enzymes like glutathione-S-transferase, disrupting normal function.

Molecular targets

[Voltage-gated sodium channel, Binder], [Glutathione-S-transferase, Detoxifier]

CAS RN

106-24-1

EC number

203-377-1

CIPAC number

US EPA chemical code

597501

PubChem CID

Therapeutic Class

ATCvet Code

None allocated

Controlled Drug?

Regulation 37/2010 MRL Classification

Molecular mass

154.25

PIN (Preferred Identification Name)

IUPAC name

(E) 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol

CAS name

(E) 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-1-ol

Forever chemical

Other status information

FEMA=2507; FLAVIS=02.012; USEPA minimum risk pesticide

Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards

Physical state

Colourless to pale yellow, clear viscous liquid with a floral odor

Related substances & organisms

thymol

nerolidol

citronella oil

trans-citral

Commercial

Property

Product

Manufacturer

Authorisation Route

Legal Class (GB/UK)

Availability status

Current

Introduction & key dates

Example products (past and present) using this active

Bugband Insect Repellent

Bugband USA

Not licensed

Formulation and application details

Commercial production

The commercial production of geraniol, typically involves two main approaches: natural extraction and biotechnological synthesis. Traditionally, geraniol is obtained through steam distillation of plant materials, which separates the volatile oil from the biomass. Microbial fermentation uses genetically engineered strains of Escherichia coli or Saccharomyces cerevisiae that express terpene biosynthetic pathways. These microbes are cultivated in bioreactors under controlled conditions, and geraniol is either secreted or retained intracellularly, requiring downstream purification. To overcome toxicity issues and improve yield, some systems employ in vivo esterification, converting geraniol into geranyl acetate, which is easier to extract and more stable.

Impact on climate of production and use

Data for specific plant extracts is scarce. However, from publicly available data the carbon footprint of plant extracts has been estimated at between 1.0 and 4.0 kg CO₂e per kg of product. This depends on the plant composition, 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)

572

Moderate

Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)

250000

n-Heptane

250000

Methanol

250000

Ethyl acetate

250000

Acetone

Melting point (°C)

Boiling point (°C)

230

Degradation point (°C)

Flashpoint (°C)

96.5

Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C

6.46 X 10⁰³

Calculated

Log P

3.81

High

Fat solubility of residues

Solubility

Data type

Density (g ml⁻¹)

0.889

Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C

Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)

4600

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)

1.22

Moderately volatile

Volatilisation as max % of applied dose lost

From plant surface

From soil surface

Maximum UV-vis absorption L mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹

No absorption >290nm

Surface tension (mN m⁻¹)

40.7

Refractive Index

Environmental release

Degradation

Property

Value

Source; quality score; and other information

Interpretation

Soil degradation (days) (aerobic)

DT₅₀ (typical)

DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)

DT₅₀ (field)

DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)

DT₉₀ (field)

Note

Manure DT₅₀ (days)

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

K_d (mL g⁻¹)

Mobile

K_oc (mL g⁻¹)

Notes and range

Data caluated using predictive software

Freundlich

K_f (mL g⁻¹)

K_foc (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

Bio-concentration factor

BCF (l kg⁻¹)

CT₅₀ (days)

Known metabolites

None

ECOTOXICOLOGY

Terrestrial ecotoxicology

Property

Value

Source; quality score; and other information

Interpretation

Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)

> 4000

Rat

Low

Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL

(mg kg⁻¹)

(ppm diet)

Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)

Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)

> 10000

Colinus virginianus as product

Low

Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)

> 5866 mg kg bw⁻¹ day⁻¹

Colinus virginianus as product

Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)

Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)

> 500

Eisenia foetida as product corr

Moderate

Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg⁻¹)

Soil micro-organisms

Nitrogen mineralisation: No significant adverse effect
Carbon mineralisation: No significant adverse effect

Dose 54.5 mg product/kg soil

Collembola

Acute LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)

Chronic NOEC (mg kg⁻¹)

Non-target plants

Vegetative vigour ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)

Seedling emergence ER₅₀ (g ha⁻¹)

Honeybees (Apis spp.)

Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)

> 200

as formulation

Low

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)

Chronic

Notes

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 bee species (1)

Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)

Mode of exposure

Other bee species (2)

Acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg insect⁻¹)

Mode of exposure

Beneficial insects (Ladybirds)

Beneficial insects (Lacewings)

Beneficial insects (Parasitic wasps)

Beneficial insects (Predatory mites)

Beneficial insects (Ground beetles)

Aquatic ecotoxicology

Property

Value

Source; quality score; and other information

Interpretation

Temperate Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)

11.6

Oncorhynchus mykiss

Moderate

Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)

Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)

Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)

16.1

Daphnia magna

Moderate

Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)

Tropical Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (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 (free-floating, fonds growth, fresh) - 7 day (mg l⁻¹)

Aquatic plants (rooted, growth rate, fresh) - 14 day (mg l⁻¹)

Algae - Acute (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹) (72 hr ErC₅₀, Static)

48.0

Raphidocelis subcapitata

Low

Algae - Chronic (growth rate, fresh; mg l⁻¹)

Mesocosm study data

NOEAEC mg l⁻¹

Marine bivalves

HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION

General

Property

Value

Source; quality score; and other information

Interpretation

Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class)

Low (class I)

Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)

> 4000

Rat

Low

Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)

2000

Rat

Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)

Other Mammal toxicity endpoints

Subcutaneous LD₅₀ = 1090 mg kg⁻¹

Mouse

Intravenous LD₅₀ = 50 mg kg⁻¹

Mouse

ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)

0.5

Rat SF=100

ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)

None allocated

AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)

Not applicable

AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)

0.5

Rat SF =100

Dermal penetration studies (%)

100

Default

Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464

Exposure Routes

Public

Acceptable for proposed uses

Occupational

Acceptable for proposed uses

Mammalian dose elimination route and rate

Extensively and rapidly absorbed, excreted via urine (>50% in 24hr)

Health issues

Specific human health issues

Carcinogen

Genotoxic

Endocrine disruptor

; ; ; ;

Reproduction / development effects

Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor

Neurotoxicant

No data found

Respiratory tract irritant

Skin irritant

Skin sensitiser

Eye irritant

Phototoxicant

No data found

General human health issues

May case gastric irritation
Possible liver, heart and kidney toxicant

Handling issues

Property

Value and interpretation

General

Not explosive or oxidising

CLP classification 2013

Health: H319, H315, H317

WHO Classification

Not listed (Not listed)

UN Number

Not regulated

Waste disposal & packaging

Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity

TRANSLATIONS

Language

Name

English

geraniol

French

German

Danish

Italian

Spanish

Greek

Polish

Swedish

Hungarian

Dutch

Norwegian

Record last updated:	09/09/2025
Contact:	aeru@herts.ac.uk
Please cite as:	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