Aldrin (Ref: OMS 194)	Last updated: 22/08/2024
(Also known as: HHDN; compound 118; octalene; ENT 16225; OMS 194)

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SUMMARY

Aldrin is an obsolete organochlorine insecticide. It is banned from most of the developed world. It is virtually insoluble in water, quite volatile but unlikely to leach to groundwater. There are field studies that have shown that aldrin can be persistent in soils. It is highly toxic to mammals and has a high potential for bioaccumulation. Aldrin is considered to be a carcinogen and neurotoxicant. It is highly toxic to most biodiversity.

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: Very persistent; Potential for particle bound transport: High	Ecotoxicity High alert: Birds acute ecotoxicity: High; Fish acute ecotoxicity: High; Daphnia acute ecotoxicity: High; Bees acute oral ecotoxicity: High	Human health High alert: Mammals acute toxicity: High; Neurotoxicant

GENERAL INFORMATION

Description	An obsolete persistent organochlorine insecticide that was mainly used to control soil dwelling insects
Example pests controlled	Termites; Wireworms; Rootworms; Weevils; Grasshoppers; White grubs; Corn root worm
Example applications	Corn; Alfalfa; Cotton; Vines; Bananas; Potted ornamentals
Efficacy & activity	-
Availability status	Considered obsolete but may be available in some countries; Banned in many countries
Introduction & key dates	circa 1950, first introduced

UK regulatory status

UK COPR regulatory status	Not approved
Date COPR inclusion expires	Not applicable
UK LERAP status	No UK approval for use as a pesticide

EC Regulation 1107/2009 (repealing 91/414)

EC Regulation 1107/2009 status	Not approved
Dossier rapporteur/co-rapporteur	Not applicable
Date EC 1107/2009 inclusion expires	Not applicable
EU Candidate for substitution (CfS)	Not applicable
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	-

Chemical structure

Isomerism	A chiral molecule, aldrin is one of the several isomers of of hexachlorohexahydrodimethanonaphthalene.
Chemical formula	C₁₂H₈Cl₆
Canonical SMILES	C1C2C=CC1C3C2C4(C(=C(C3(C4(Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl
Isomeric SMILES	C1[C@@H]2C=C[C@H]1[C@H]3[C@@H]2[C@]4(C(=C([C@@]3(C4(Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl)Cl
International Chemical Identifier key (InChIKey)	QBYJBZPUGVGKQQ-SJJAEHHWSA-N
International Chemical Identifier (InChI)	InChI=1S/C12H8Cl6/c13-8-9(14)11(16)7-5-2-1-4(3-5)6(7)10(8,15)12(11,17)18/h1-2,4-7H,3H2/t4-,5-,6-,7+,10-,11-/m0/s1
2D structure diagram/image available?	Yes

Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre diagrams

Common Name	Relationship	Link
aldrin	Unstated isomer

General status

Pesticide type	Insecticide
Substance groups	Organochloride insecticide; Cyclodiene insecticide
Minimum active substance purity	-
Known relevant impurities	-
Substance origin	Synthetic
Mode of action	Central nervous system stimulant. GABA-gated chloride channel antagonist. Also stomach and contact toxin
CAS RN	309-00-2
EC number	206-215-8
CIPAC number	27
US EPA chemical code	045101
PubChem CID	12310947
CLP index number	602-048-00-3
Molecular mass	364.91
PIN (Preferred Identification Name)	(1R,4S,4aS,5S,8R,8aR)-1,2,3,4,10,10-hexachloro-1,4,4a,5,8,8α-hexahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanonaphthalene
IUPAC name	(1R,4S,4aS,5S,8R,8aR)-1,2,3,4,10,10-hexachloro-1,4,4a,5,8,8α-hexahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanonaphthalene
CAS name	(1R,4S,4aS,5S,8R,8aR)-rel-1,2,3,4,10,10-hexachloro-1,4,4a,5,8,8α-hexahydro-1,4:5,8-dimethanonaphthalene
Other status information	WFD priority substance; POP - regulated by Stockholm Convention; PAN Bad Actor; LRTAP Annex I; OSPAR soc; Marine Pollutant; Rotterdam Convention (Class O) - Subject to PIC regulations
Relevant Environmental Water Quality Standards	EU Directive 2008/105/EC EQS sum of all cyclodiene pesticides in: inland surface waters: 0.01 µg l⁻¹; Other surface waters: 0.005 µg l⁻¹ as annual average
Herbicide Resistance Class (HRAC MoA class)	Not applicable
Herbicide Resistance Class (WSSA MoA class)	Not applicable
Insecticide Resistance Class (IRAC MoA class)	2A
Fungicide Resistance Class (FRAC MOA class)	Not applicable
Examples of recorded resistance	Agriotes lineatus, Agriotes obscurus, Anopheles annularis, Brontispa longissima, Cylas formicarius, plus others
Physical state	White to brown crystals
Related substances & organisms	isodrin

Formulations

Property	Value
Example manufacturers & suppliers of products using this active now or historically	Miller Chemical and Fertilizer Corp Shell
Example products using this active	Seedrin Drinox Octalox Aldrex Altox octalene Master 2 Aldrin
Formulation and application details	-

ENVIRONMENTAL FATE

Property		Value	Source; quality score; and other information	Interpretation
Solubility - In water at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		0.027	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	Low
Solubility - In organic solvents at 20 °C (mg l⁻¹)		6000000	A4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Acetone	-
		6000000	A4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Benzene	-
		6000000	A4 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 ) 4 = Verified data Xylene	-
Melting point (°C)		104	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	-
Boiling point (°C)		145	V3 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
Degradation point (°C)		-	-	-
Flashpoint (°C)		-	-	-
Octanol-water partition coefficient at pH 7, 20 °C	P	3.16 X 1006	Calculated	-
	Log P	6.5	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
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)		1.6	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	-
Dissociation constant pKa) at 25 °C		Not applicable	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
		No dissociation
Vapour pressure at 20 °C (mPa)		8.6	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	Moderately 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)		1.72 X 1001	V2 V = ChemID Online Databases; Chemspider; PubChem. (ChemID ) 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Moderately 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)	28	G4 G = Extension Toxicology network database EXTOXNET. Available online but no longer updated. (click here ) 4 = Verified data	Non-persistent
	DT₅₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ (field)	365	Q3 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 3 = Unverified data of known source	Very persistent
	DT₉₀ (lab at 20 °C)	-	-	-
	DT₉₀ (field)	-	-	-
	DT₅₀ modelling endpoint	-	-	-
	Note	FAO state DT₅₀ 20-100 days
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on plant matrix	Value	1.7	R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
	Note	Alfalfa leaves, n=1
Dissipation rate RL₅₀ (days) on and in plant matrix	Value	7.0	R3 R = Peer reviewed scientific publications 3 = Unverified data of known source	-
	Note	Apples 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)		-	-	-
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)	-	H3 H = The US ARS pesticide properties database. Dataset is no longer available. 3 = Unverified data of known source	Non-mobile
	Koc (mL g⁻¹)	17500
	Notes and range	Other sources: 500 mL g⁻¹ (US3), 400-49000 mL g⁻¹ (R3)
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		-0.62	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	-
Photochemical oxidative DT₅₀ (hrs) as indicator of long-range air transport risk		-	-	-
Bio-concentration factor	BCF (l kg⁻¹)	3348	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 (Literature data ranges Log BCF 2.3-5.1 (R3))	Threshold for concern
	CT₅₀ (days)	1-5		-

Known soil metabolites

Metabolite	Major/Minor fraction	Estimated maximum occurrence fraction	Notes
dieldrin (Ref: ENT 16225 )	-	-	-

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)		39	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	High
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)		6.6	Q2 Q = Miscellaneous data from online sources 2 = Unverified data of unknown source Colinus virginianus	High
Birds - Short term dietary (LC₅₀/LD₅₀)		-	-	-
Birds - Chronic 21d NOEL (mg kg⁻¹ bw d⁻¹)		-	-	-
Earthworms - Acute 14 day LC₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹)		60	F2 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 ) 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	Moderate
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)	0.35	F2 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 ) 2 = Unverified data of unknown source	High
	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)		0.0046	J3 J = Pesticide Action Network database (click here ) 3 = Unverified data of known source Lepomis macrochirus	High
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)		0.028	J4 J = Pesticide Action Network database (click here ) 4 = Verified data Daphnia magna	High
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)		-	-	-
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)		39	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	High
Mammals - Dermal LD₅₀ (mg kg⁻¹ body weight)		-	-	-
Mammals - Inhalation LC₅₀ (mg l⁻¹)		-	-	-
Other Mammal toxicity endpoints		-	-	-
ADI - Acceptable Daily Intake (mg kg⁻¹ bw day⁻¹)		-	-	-
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	-	-
Exposure Routes	Public	-
	Occupational	May be absorbed through intact skin
MRLs	European	EU MRL pesticide database
	Great Britain	GB MRL Register
	Notes	-
Drinking Water Standards		-	-	-
Drinking Water MAC (μg l⁻¹)		0.03	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 PIC DGD - WHO recommendation max limit 0.03 µg l⁻¹	-
Mammalian dose elimination route and rate		-	-	-

Health issues

Specific human health issues		Carcinogen Genotoxic Endocrine disruptor ?Possibly, status not identified 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 ?Possibly, status not identified 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 ?Possibly, status not identified ?Possibly, status not identified No data found Eye irritant Phototoxicant   ?Possibly, status not identified No data found
General human health issues		Highly toxic by ingestion IARC Group 3 carcinogen - not classifiable; CLP data - suspected carcinogen; US EPA - probable human carcinogen Endocrine issues - Competitive binding to androgen receptors

Handling issues

Property	Value and interpretation
General	Not expected to auto-ignite; Not highly flammable IMDG Transport Hazard Class 6.1
CLP classification 2013	Health: H301, H311, H351, H372 Environment: H400, H410
WHO Classification	Not classified: Obsolete (Not classified: Obsolete)
UN Number	UN2761
Waste disposal & packaging	-
Shelf-life, storage, stability and reactivity	-

TRANSLATIONS

Language	Name
English	aldrin
French	aldrine
German	Aldrin
Danish	aldrin
Italian	aldrin
Spanish	aldrin
Greek	aldrin
Polish	aldryna
Swedish	-
Hungarian	-
Dutch	aldrine
Norwegian	-

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Record last updated:	22/08/2024
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