Urea	Last updated: 17/07/2024
(Also known as: carbamide )

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SUMMARY

Urea has several different applications in crop protection demonstrating both fungicidal and insecticidal activity as well as having value as a wood preservative. Urea rapidly degrades to carbon dioxide and ammonia and so is not expected to present significant environmental risks although it may contribute to nitrate leaching. There are no significant ecotoxicological or huma toxicological concerns.

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: Drainflow: Very mobile	Ecotoxicity Moderate alert: Fish acute ecotoxicity: Moderate Warning: Significant data are missing	Human health High alert: Reproduction/development effects

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	Normally thought of as a nitrogen fertiliser, however, it is also used to control certain insect and wood rotting pests
Example pests controlled	Olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae); Conifer root & butt rot (Heterobasidion annosum
Example applications	Olive trees; Conifers; Pines; Wood structures
Efficacy & activity	-
Appearance and life cycle	-
Availability status	Current
Introduction & key dates	1773, discovered
Taxonomic classification	-

GB regulatory status

GB COPR regulatory status	Approved
Date COPR inclusion expires	31/08/2029
GB LERAP status	No UK approval for use as a pesticide

EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)

EC Regulation 1107/2009 status	Approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur	Greece/Finland
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires	30/11/2026
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)	No
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

Known to be also used in the following countries	-

Chemical structure

Isomerism	None
Chemical formula	CH₄N₂O
Canonical SMILES	C(=O)(N)N
Isomeric SMILES	-
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	XSQUKJJJFZCRTK-UHFFFAOYSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/CH4N2O/c2-1(3)4/h(H4,2,3,4)
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

General status

Biopesticide type	Fungicide, Insecticide, Other substance
Other bioactivity & uses	Fertiliser, Wood preservative, Microbiocide
Substance groups	Animal-derived substance
Minimum active substance purity	98% w/w
Known relevant impurities	EU dossier - None declared
Substance origin	Natural
Mode of action	Unclear but thought to be related to elevation in pH and ammonia levels as urea degrades
Substance source	A naturally occurring molecule that is produced by protein metabolism and found abundantly in mammalian urine
Substance production	Mainly produced on an industrial scale by a two step process where the ammonia and carbon dioxide react to form ammonium carbamate which is then dehydrated to urea
Uses	Crop protection and general pest control
Target pests	Olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae); Conifer root & butt rot (Heterobasidion annosum
Target host	Olive trees; Conifers; Pines; Wood structures
Farming system suitability	-
CAS RN	57-13-6
EC number	200-315-5
CIPAC number	913
US EPA chemical code	085702
PubChem CID	1176
CLP index number	No data found
Molecular mass	60.06
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	-
IUPAC name	urea
CAS name	urea
Other status information	-
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)	UNM
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)	NC
Examples of recorded resistance	None identified
Physical state	White solid with ammoniacal odour
Related substances & organisms	thiourea urea sulphate

Formulations

Property	Product	Manufacturer
Example products	-	-
Formulation and application details	-

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		590000	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	High
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Melting point (°C)		133	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	-
Boiling point (°C)		Decomposes before boiling	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	-
Degradation point (°C)		135	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	-
Flashpoint (°C)		73	O2 O = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	2.57 X 10-02	Calculated	-
	Log P	-1.59	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	Low
Fat solubility of residues	Solubility	-	-	-
	Data type	-	-	-
Density (g ml⁻¹)		1.32	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		13.90	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
		Data as pKb
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		1.1	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 at 25 °C	Low volatility. 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)		4.4 X 10-08	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	Non-volatile
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)	5.0	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-persistent
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	5	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-persistent
	DT₅₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ modelling endpoint	-	-	-
	Note	Soil nutrient - main mode of degradation is via enzymatic mineralisation
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)		-	-	-
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)	-	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	Very mobile
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	14
	Notes and range	In high peat soils Koc ~ 0.79 mL g⁻¹
Freundlich	Kf (mL g⁻¹)	-	-	-
	Kfoc (mL g⁻¹)	-
	1/n	-
	Notes and range	-
pH sensitivity		No but adsorption increases with organic carbon

Known soil metabolites

Metabolite	Major/Minor fraction	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction	Notes
ammonia	-	-	-
carbon dioxide	-	-	-

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)		> 8471	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 Rat	Low
Mammals - Short term dietary NOEL	(mg kg⁻¹)	-	-	-
	(ppm diet)	-		-
Mammals - Chronic 21d NOAEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		> 2250	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 Rat Reproductive NOAEL	Low
Birds - Acute LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		-	-	-
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)	-	-	-
	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	-	-	-
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)		> 50.0	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 Cyprinus carpio	Moderate
Temperate Freshwater Fish - Chronic 21 day NOEC (mg l⁻¹)		> 2000	P3 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 3 = Unverified data of known source Heteropneustes fossilis	Low
Tropical Freshwater Fish - Acute 96 hour LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		> 4.65	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 Danio rerio	Moderate
Temperate Freshwater Aquatic invertebrates - Acute 48 hour EC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		> 10000	P3 P = Other non-EU, UK or US Governments and Regulators 3 = Unverified data of known source Daphnia magna	Low
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 - Acute 7 day EC₅₀, biomass (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Algae - Acute 72 hour EC₅₀, growth (mg l⁻¹)		10.7	J3 J = Pesticide Action Network database (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Unknown species	Low
Algae - Chronic 96 hour NOEC, growth (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Mesocosm study data	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
	NOEAEC mg l⁻¹	-	-	-
Marine bivalves – Acute EC₅₀ development (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-

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)		> 8471	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 Rat	Low
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		8200	O3 O = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source Rat	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		0.022	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 Rat (dust)	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		-	-	-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		None allocated	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)		None allocated	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	-
AAOEL - Acute Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		None allocated	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	-
AOEL - Acceptable Operator Exposure Level - Systemic (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		None allocated	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	-
Dermal penetration studies (%)		-	-	-
Dangerous Substances Directive 76/464		-	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	-
	Occupational	-
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		-	-	-

Health issues

Specific human health issues		Carcinogen Genotoxic Endocrine disruptor XNo, known not to cause a problem 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 ; E0 E = Unspecified genotoxicity type (miscellaneous data source) 0 = No data XNo, known not to cause a problem Reproduction / development effects Acetyl cholinesterase inhibitor Neurotoxicant ✓Yes, known to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem Respiratory tract irritant Skin irritant Skin sensitiser ✓Yes, known to cause a problem ✓Yes, known to cause a problem XNo, known not to cause a problem Eye irritant Phototoxicant   ✓Yes, known to cause a problem No data found
General human health issues		May cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea May cause cardiac disturbances May damage vital organs

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	Uncontaminated urea is not explosive but it may form explosive products with chlorinating substances
CLP classification 2013	Health: H315, H319, H334, H371 Environment: H413
WHO Classification	Not listed (Not listed)
UN Number	-
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	urea
French	-
German	-
Danish	-
Italian	-
Spanish	-
Greek	-
Polish	-
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	-
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	17/07/2024
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