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Methoxychlor (Ref: OMS 466)
(Also known as: methoxychlore; dimethoxy-DT; dianisyl trichloroethane; ENT 1716; DMDT)
SUMMARY
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:
Persistent; Potential for particle bound transport: High
Ecotoxicity
High alert:
Fish acute ecotoxicity: High; Daphnia acute ecotoxicity: High; Daphnia chronic ecotoxicity: High
Human health
High alert:
Endocrine distrupter; Neurotoxicant
GENERAL INFORMATION
Description
An insecticide effective against a wide range of pests encountered in agricultural (crops and livestock), horticulture and domestic situations
Example pests controlled
Flies, Mosquitoes; Cockroaches; Chiggers
Example applications
Liverstock pest control; Domestic gardens; Pet pest management
Efficacy & activity
-
Availability status
Current
Introduction & key dates
circa 1948
UK regulatory status
UK COPR regulatory status
Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires
Expired
UK LERAP status
No UK approval for use
EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)
EC Regulation 1107/2009 status
Not approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur
-
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires
Expired
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)
-
Listed in EU database
Yes
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
Chemical structure
Isomerism
A prochiral molecule
Chemical formula
C₁₆H₁₅Cl₃O₂
Canonical SMILES
COC1=CC=C(C=C1)C(C2=CC=C(C=C2)OC)C(Cl)(Cl)Cl
Isomeric SMILES
-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)
IAKOZHOLGAGEJT-UHFFFAOYSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)
InChI=1S/C16H15Cl3O2/c1-20-13-7-3-11(4-8-13)15(16(17,18)19)12-5-9-14(21-2)10-6-12/h3-10,15H,1-2H3
2D structure diagram/image available?
Yes
Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre diagrams
Common Name Relationship Link
methoxychlor -
General status
Pesticide type
Insecticide, Veterinary substance
Substance groups
Organochloride insecticide
Minimum active substance purity
-
Known relevant impurities
-
Substance origin
Synthetic
Mode of action
Contact and stomach action. Central nervous stimulant, producing hyperactivity, convulsions and death. Sodium channel modulator.
CAS RN
72-43-5
EC number
200-779-9
CIPAC number
14
US EPA chemical code
034001
PubChem CID
4115
CLP index number
No data found
Molecular mass
345.65
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)
-
IUPAC name
1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethane
CAS name
1,1'-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)bis(4-methoxybenzene)
Other status information
POP candidate; OSPAR pfa
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards
-
Herbicide Resistance Classification (HRAC)
Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Classification (WSSA)
Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Classification (IRAC)
3B
Fungicide Resistance Classification (FRAC)
Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance
Ctenocephalides felis, Cydia pomonella, Euxoa ochrogaster, Haematobia irritans, Helicoverpa zea, many more
Physical state
Colourless crystalline solid
Formulations
Property
Value
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically
  • Kincaid Enterprises
Example products using this active
  • Double-M
  • Chemform
  • Moxie
  • Marlate
Formulation and application details
Supplied in a variety of formulations including emulsifiable concentrates, wettable powders, flowables, seed treatments and aerosols
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
0.1
G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here )
4 = Verified data
 Low
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)
440000
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
3 = Unverified data of known source
Xylene		 -
50000
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
3 = Unverified data of known source
Methanol		 -
700000
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID )
3 = Unverified data of known source
Trichloroethane		 -
1333000
V2 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID )
2 = Unverified data of unknown source
Dichloromethane		 -
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)
- - -
Degradation point (°C)
- - -
Flashpoint (°C)
- - -
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C
P
6.76 X 1005 Calculated -
Log P
5.83
Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources
2 = Unverified data of unknown source
 High
Fat solubility of residues
Solubility
Soluble
A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications )
5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
 -
Data type
Regulatory data - observed in metabolism and farm animal feeding studies
A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications )
5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
 -
Density (g ml⁻¹)
1.41
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
3 = Unverified data of known source
 -
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C
- - -
-
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)
0.08
Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources
2 = Unverified data of unknown source
 Low volatility
Henry's law constant at 25 °C (Pa m³ mol⁻¹)
2.00 X 10-02
V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID )
3 = Unverified data of known source
 Non-volatile
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)
120
G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here )
4 = Verified data
 Persistent
DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)
120
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
 Persistent
DT₅₀ (field)
- - -
DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)
- - -
DT₉₀ (field)
- - -
DT₅₀ modelling endpoint
- - -
Note
Best available data
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ on plant matrix
Value
6.5
R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications
3 = Unverified data of known source
 -
Note
Cherry leaves, n=1
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ on and in plant matrix
Value
1.8
R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications
3 = Unverified data of known source
 -
Note
Collard leaves, n=1
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)
- - -
Soil adsorption and mobility
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Linear
Kd
-
G3 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here )
3 = Unverified data of known source
 Non-mobile
Koc
80000
Notes and range
Best available data
Freundlich
Kf
- - -
Kfoc
-
1/n
-
Notes and range
-
pH sensitivity
-
Fate indices
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
GUS leaching potential index
-1.88 Calculated Low leachability
SCI-GROW groundwater index (μg l⁻¹) for a 1 kg ha⁻¹ or 1 l ha⁻¹ application rate
Value
5.35 X 10-03 Calculated -
Note
Estimated concentrations of chemicals with Koc values greater than 9995 ml g⁻¹ are beyond the scope of the regression data used in SCI-GROW development. If there are concerns for such chemicals, a higher tier groundwater exposure assessment should be considered, regardless of the concentration returned by SCI-GROW
Potential for particle bound transport index
High Calculated -
Potential for loss via drain flow
Non-mobile Calculated -
Bio-concentration factor
BCF (l kg⁻¹)
1622
E3 E = Manufacturers safety data sheets
3 = Unverified data of known source
(Other literature values Log BCF range 2.8-4.1 (R3))		 Threshold for concern
CT₅₀ (days)
Not available -
Known soil metabolites
Metabolite
Major/Minor fraction
Estimated maximum occurrence fraction
Notes
1,1-(2,2-dichloroethylidene)bis(4-methoxybenzene)
- - -
Known groundwater metabolites

None

Other known metabolites

None
ECOTOXICOLOGY
Terrestrial ecotoxicology
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 6000
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
3 = Unverified data of known source
Rat		 Low
Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL
(mg kg⁻¹)
-
L2 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
2 = Unverified data of unknown source
Rat 2 year		 -
(ppm diet)
200 -
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
- - -
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 2000
F4 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 )
4 = Verified data
Anas platyrhynchos		 Low
Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)
- - -
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)
- - -
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
- - -
Earthworms - Chronic NOEC, reproduction (mg kg⁻¹)
- - -
Soil micro-organisms
- - -
Collembola
Acute LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
- - -
Chronic NOEC (mg kg⁻¹)
- - -
Non-target plants
- - -
- - -
Honeybees (Apis spp.)
Contact acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)
> 23.6
F4 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 )
4 = Verified data
Apis mellifera		 Moderate
Oral acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)
5.0
K3 K = Research datasets (e.g. Pandora, Demetra; these datasets no longer available). Norman Ecotoxicology database. (click here )
3 = Unverified data of known source
Apis mellifera		 Moderate
Unknown mode acute LD₅₀ (worst case from 24, 48 and 72 hour values - μg bee⁻¹)
- - -
Chronic
- - -
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
Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)
0.052
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
3 = Unverified data of known source
Oncorhynchus mykiss		 High
Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)
- - -
Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)
0.00078
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
3 = Unverified data of known source
Daphnia magna		 High
Aquatic invertebrates - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)
0.001
P3 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators
3 = Unverified data of known source
Daphnia magna		 High
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)
36.7
R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications
3 = Unverified data of known source
Chironomus dilutus as 10d LC₅₀		 Moderate
Aquatic plants - Acute 7 day EC₅₀, biomass (mg l⁻¹)
- - -
Algae - Acute 72 hour EC₅₀, growth (mg l⁻¹)
0.6
F4 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 )
4 = Verified data
Scenedesmus quadricauda		 Moderate
Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l⁻¹)
- - -
Mesocosm study data
NOEAEC mg l⁻¹
- - -
NOEAEC mg l⁻¹
- - -
HUMAN HEALTH AND PROTECTION
General
Property
Value
Source; quality score; and other information
Interpretation
Threshold of Toxicological Concern (Cramer Class)
High (class III) - -
Mammals - Acute oral LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)
> 6000
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
3 = Unverified data of known source
Rat		 Low
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)
2000
L3 L = Pesticide manuals and hard copy reference books / other sources
3 = Unverified data of known source
Rabbit		 -
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)
- - -
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints
- - -
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)
0.1
A5 A = EU regulatory and evaluation data as published by EC, EFSA (RAR, DAR & Conclusion dossiers), EMA (e.g. EU Annex III PIC DGD) (EU - Pesticides database; EFSA Scientific Publications )
5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
 -
ARfD - Acute Reference Dose (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)
- - -
AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)
- - -
AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)
- - -
Dermal penetration studies (%)
- - -
Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464
List I; List II - -
Exposure Routes
Public
-
Occupational
-
MRLs
European
EU MRL pesticide database 
Great Britain
GB MRL Register 
Notes
-
Drinking Water Standards
Non-statutory WHO drinking water guideline 0.02 mg l⁻¹
B5 B = UK CRD and ACP Evaluation Documents / and other DEFRA (UK) documents; Also Chemicals Regulation Division, Health and Safety Executive (HSE), UK (click here )
5 = Verified data used for regulatory purposes
UK EA QS database 2018		 -
Drinking Water MAC (μg l⁻¹)
- - -
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate
- - -
Health issues
Specific human health issues
Carcinogen
Genotoxic
Endocrine disruptor
?Possibly, status not identified
A3 A = Chromosome aberration (EFSA database)
3 = Negative
;
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
✓Yes, known to cause a problem
Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant
?Possibly, status not identified
XNo, known not to cause a problem
✓Yes, known to cause a problem
Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser
No data found
✓Yes, known to cause a problem
 No data found
Eye irritant Phototoxicant  
✓Yes, known to cause a problem
 No data found  
General human health issues
Endocrine issues - Strong estrogenic effect
Potential kidney & liver toxicant
IARC Group 3 carcinogen
Handling issues
Property
Value and interpretation
General
Highly flammable and easily ignited by heat, sparks and flames
IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6.1
CLP classification 2013
Health: H302, H312, H332, H351, H371
Environment: H400
WHO Classification
U (Unlikely to present an acute hazard)
UN Number
UN2761
Waste disposal & packaging
Packaging Group III (minor danger)
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity
-
TRANSLATIONS
Language
Name
English
methoxychlor
French
methoxychlore
German
Methoxychlor
Danish
methoxychlor
Italian
metossicloro
Spanish
metoxiclor
Greek
-
Polish
metoksychlor
Swedish
-
Hungarian
-
Dutch
-
Norwegian
-
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