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The information in this profile may be out-of-date. It was last revised in 1996. EXTOXNET no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Please visit the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) to find updated pesticide fact sheets. If you don't find a fact sheet related to your question, feel free to call 1-800-858-7378. NPIC is open five days a week from 8:00am to 12:00pm Pacific Time.

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E X T O X N E T

Extension Toxicology Network

Pesticide Information Profiles

A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University, Oregon State University, the University of Idaho, and the University of California at Davis and the Institute for Environmental Toxicology, Michigan State University. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program.

EXTOXNET primary files maintained and archived at Oregon State University

Revised June 1996

Chloropropham

Trade and Other Names: Trade names include Beet-Kleen, Bud Nip, Chloro IPC, CIPC, Furloe, Sprout Nip, Spud-Nic, Taterpex, Triherbide-CIPC and Unicrop CIPC.

Regulatory Status: Chlorpropham is a General Use Pesticide (GUP). The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classifies it as toxicity class III - slightly toxic. Products containing it bear the Signal Word CAUTION.

Chemical Class: carbamate

Introduction: Chlorpropham, a member of the carbamate family of chemicals, is a plant growth regulator. It is used for preemergence control of grass weeds in alfalfa, beans, blueberries, cane berries, carrots, cranberries, ladino clover, garlic, seed grass, onions, spinach, sugar beets, tomatoes, safflower, soybeans, gladioli and woody nursery stock. It is also used to inhibit potato sprouting and for sucker control in tobacco. It works by inhibiting root growth and photosynthesis. Chloropropham is available as granules, dustable powder, and emulsifiable concentrate.

Formulation: Chloropropham is available as granules, dustable powder, and emulsifiable concentrate.

Toxicological Effects:

• Acute toxicity: Chlorpropham may cause irritation of the eyes or skin [8]. Symptoms of poisoning in laboratory animals exposed to high doses have included listlessness, incoordination, nose bleeds, protruding eyes, bloody tears, difficulty in breathing, prostration, inability to urinate, high fevers, and death. Autopsies of animals have shown inflammation of the stomach and intestinal lining, congestion of the brain, lungs and other organs, and degenerative changes in the kidneys and liver [8]. The oral LD50 for chlorpropham in rats ranges from 5000 mg/kg to 7500 mg/kg [10]. In rabbits the LD50 is 5000 mg/kg [10]. The 4-hour inhalation LC50 in rats is greater than 32 mg/L [35].
• Chronic toxicity: Not Available
• Reproductive effects: In reproductive studies with rats, 500 mg/kg/day, the highest dose tested, produced no adverse effects [4]. The evidence suggests that chlorpropham does not cause reproductive effects, even at high doses.
• Teratogenic effects: No birth defects occurred in a three-generation study of rats exposed to chlorpropham [35]. No teratogenic effects were observed in rabbits at doses up to 250 mg/kg/day [31].
• Mutagenic effects: Mutagenicity studies indicate that chlorpropham is either non-mutagenic or slightly mutagenic [8].
• Carcinogenic effects: No evidence of carcinogenicity was found in one study of rats fed chlorpropham. This suggests that the pesticide is not carcinogenic, but does not provide conclusive evidence [8].
• Organ toxicity: Chronic exposure of laboratory animals has caused retarded growth, increased liver, kidney and spleen weights, and lesions of the spleen [4].

• Fate in humans and animals: No data are currently available.

Ecological Effects:

• Effects on birds: Chlorpropham is practically non-toxic to waterfowl [4]. Its LD50 in mallards is greater than 2000 mg/kg [10].
• Effects on aquatic organisms: Chlorpropham is moderately toxic to cold and warm water freshwater fish. The LC50 (48-hour) for chlorpropham is 12 mg/L in bluegill sunfish [10]. The LC50 is 10 mg/L in bass [10].
• Effects on other organisms: Chlorpropham has no effect on streptomyces bacteria or on nitrifying bacteria. It is not dangerous to bees when used as recommended [10].

Environmental Fate:

• Breakdown in soil and groundwater: Chlorpropham is moderately persistent in soil. It is subject to degradation by soil microbes. Photodegradation and volatilization do not readily occur. Soil half-lives of 65 days at 15 C to 30 days at 29 C have been reported [13]. Chlorpropham has some potential to contaminate groundwater because it is soluble in water and it has only a moderate tendency to adsorb to soil particles [13]. However, chlorpropham adsorbs strongly to organic matter, so it is unlikely to leach through soils with high organic matter content [13].

• Breakdown in water: Chlorpropham breaks down very slowly by reaction with water. At pH 4, 7 and 9 at 40 C, about 90% of the chlorpropham remained in a solution maintained in the dark for 32 days [41].
• Breakdown in vegetation: Chlorpropham is absorbed by the roots of susceptible grass seedlings and transported throughout the plant. It is absorbed more slowly by leaves [35].

Physical Properties:

• Appearance: Technical chloropropham is a white to light brown crystalline solid. It is stable under normal temperatures and pressures, but poses a slight fire hazard if exposed to heat or flame, and is a fire and explosion hazard in the presence of strong oxidizers. It may burn but will not readily ignite. Thermal decomposition may release highly toxic fumes of phosgene, toxic and corrosive fumes of chlorides, and oxides of carbon.
• Chemical Name: isopropyl 3-chlorophenylcarbamate
• CAS Number: 101-21-3
• Molecular Weight: 213.67
• Water Solubility: 89 mg/L @ 25 C [10]
• Solubility in Other Solvents: benzene v.s.; xylene v.s.; chloroform v.s.; ketones v.s.; acetone v.s.; methanol v.s.; esters v.s.; minerals and oils s. [10]
• Melting Point: 41.4 C [10]
• Vapor Pressure: 1.33 mPa @ 25 C [13]
• Partition Coefficient: Not Available
• Adsorption Coefficient: 400 (estimated)

Exposure Guidelines:

• ADI: Not Available
• MCL: Not Available
• RfD: 0.2 mg/kg/day [20]
• PEL: Not Available
• HA: Not Available
• TLV: Not Available

Basic Manufacturer:

ELF Atochem North America, Inc.
2000 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103-3222

• Phone: 215-419-7219
• Emergency: 800-523-0900
  

References:

References for the information in this PIP can be found in Reference List Number 3

DISCLAIMER: The information in this profile does not in any way replace or supersede the information on the pesticide product labeling or other regulatory requirements. Please refer to the pesticide product labeling.