INTRODUCTION

Common Name: Ethephon 10% SP

Use: To promote pre-harvest ripening in apples, currants, blackberries, blueberries, cranberries, morello cherries, citrus fruit, figs, tomatoes, sugar beet and fodder beet seed crops, coffee, capsicums, etc.; to accelerate post-harvest ripening in bananas, mangoes, and citrus fruit; to facilitate harvesting by loosening of the fruit in currants, gooseberries, cherries, and apples; to increase flower bud development in young apple trees; to prevent lodging in cereals, maize, and flax; to induce flowering of Bromeliads; to stimulate lateral branching in azaleas, geraniums, and roses; to shorten the stem length in forced daffodils; to induce flowering and regulate ripening in pineapples; to accelerate boll opening in cotton; to modify sex expression in cucumbers and squash; to increase fruit setting and yield in cucumbers; to improve the sturdiness of onion seed crops; to hasten the yellowing of mature tobacco leaves; to stimulate latex flow in rubber trees, and resin flow in pine trees; to stimulate early uniform hull split in walnuts.

Company Name: Penzeal Industry Co., Ltd.

Situation      : Asia

Nationality    : China

Address       : Rm.709 East Block Huatai Zonghe Building, No.76 Xinwen Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, P. R. China

Remarks      : Penzeal Industry Co., Ltd. is a specialized formulation factory in the field of agrochemical products. We possess very strong networks of relationships, complete techniques and staffing. We own a very professional team, whose members have been engaged in agrochemical products for more than 10 years. We have established long-term and good co-operation with most outstanding technical factories in China, so we are fully confident to offer products with good quality but low price to our esteemed customers. In terms of shipment, we have very perfect Export service system, and have established good relationship with many shipping and air companies, so that we can choose the best shipping or air lines for your goods to different countries and areas, of course accordingly we offer a series of service including fast custom declaration and insurance.

APPLICANT

Name         : Penzeal Industry Co., Ltd.

Address       : Rm.709 East Block Huatai Zonghe Building, No.76 Xinwen Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, P. R. China

Nationality     : China

Tel.           : 86-755-83864316

Authority cert.  : We are registered in the Ministry of Agriculture as an Established Company.

Indentity cert.  : We are registered in the Ministry of Agriculture as an Established Company.

Remarks       : Penzeal Industry Co., Ltd. is a specialized trade company in the field of import & export of agrochemical products. The company possesses very strong networks of relationships, complete techniques and staffing. In respect of products sources, we own a very professional team, whose members have been engaged in purchasing and operation of agrochemical products for more than 10 years. For more, we have established long-term and good co-operation relationship with most outstanding suppliers in China, so we are fully confident to offer products with good quality but low price to our esteemed customers. In terms of shipment, we have very perfect Import & Export service system, and have established good co-operation relationship with many shipping and air companies, so that we can chose the best shipping or air lines for your goods to different countries and areas, of course accordingly we offer a series of service including fast custom declaration and insurance.

Chemistry of The Product

SYNONYMS

Common Name: Ethephon

Code Number: N/A

Trade Name: Color Touch 10% SP

Initial Regist.: N/A

Chemical Class: Ethylene generator

Local Synonyms: N/A

Chemical Name:

Source: Ethephon

Structural Formula:

Physical and Chemical Properties:

Molecular Weight: 144.5

Physical Form: Liquid, semisolid or solid

Technical Purity: 85%

Vapour Pressure: <0.01 mPa (20^oC)

Colour & Odour: Colouless or white to slight brown, odourless

Density: 1.409±0.2 (20^oC, in liquid)

Solubility: In water c. 1 kg/l (23 ºC). Readily soluble in methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, acetone, diethyl ether, and other polar organic solvents. Sparingly soluble in non-polar organic solvents such as benzene and toluene. Insoluble in kerosene and diesel oil.

Octanol Number : logP <-2.20 (25^oC)

Type of Formulations And Specifications

SPECIFICATIONS OF FORMULATIONS

Appearance            : Off-white powder

Alkalinity or Acidity     : N/A

Suspensibility           : N/A

Emulsification Properties : N/A

Density                : N/A

Viscosity               : N/A

Persistent foam                   : N/A

Flash Point             : N/A

Freeze Point            : N/A

Wettability             : N/A.

Particle Size            : N/A

Compatability          : Incompatible with strong acid or alkaline agrochemicals

Heat Stability          : After storage at 54±2 ^oC for 14 days, the determined average active ingredient content must not be lower than 95% relative to the determined average content found before storage and the product shall continue to comply with pH range and dilution stability in water.

Storage Stability        : Qualified in storage stability test

Mixing Properties       : N/A

Methods of Analysis     : GC

Levels of Impurities     : Mono 2-chloroethyl ester, 2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid 2% max, 1,2-dichloroethane 0.05% max.

Biological Spectrum

Pesticidal efficacy (list of pests):

Promote pre-harvest ripening, accelerate post-harvest ripening, facilitate harvesting by loosening of the fruit, increase flower bud development, prevent lodging, induce flowering, stimulate lateral branching, shorten the stem length in foreced daffodils, induce flowering and regulate ripening, accelerate boll opening, modify sex expression, increase friot setting and yield, hasten the yellowing of mature, stimulate latex flow and resin flow, stimulate early uniform hull split.

Mode of action:

Plant growth regulator with systemic properties. Penetrates into the plant tissues, and is decomposed to ethylene, which affects the growth process.

Use and Recommendations:

Phytotoxicity:

Phytotoxic to plant at high dosage.

PHI:

Tomatoes 2 d, peaches 2 d, bananas 2 d, grapes 3 d

Toxicological Studies

Acute Mammalian Toxicity:

Chronic Toxicity

A chronic toxicity/oncogenicity study using Swiss albino mice included 85 mice fed diets containing 0, 4.5, 45, or 150 mg/kg/day of ethephon for 78 weeks. Inhibition of plasma cholinesterase activity was significant at the 45 and 150 mg/kg/day dose levels in males and females. The No Observable Effect Level (NOEL) for plasma cholinesterase activity is 4.5 mg/kg/day for both sexes and the Lowest Effect Level (LEL) for this effect was 45 mg/kg/day for both sexes. There appeared to be a dose-related decrease in red blood cell cholinesterase activity in females. There was significant depression in RBC cholinesterase activity at the 45 and 150 mg/kg/day dose levels, while females in the 4.5 mg/kg/day dose groups exhibited depression in RBC cholinesterase activity at 52 weeks and 78 weeks, which was not considered statistically significant. Because of the apparent dose-related decrease in RBC cholinesterase activity in females in the 4.5 mg/kg/day dose group, the NOEL for this effect in females is considered to be below 4.5 mg/kg/day, the lowest dose tested. RBC cholinesterase activity was nominally decreased in males at the mid- and high-dose groups. Brain cholinesterase activity was not different from control values at any dose level in males or females. In two-year feeding studies, rats receiving greater than or equal to 12,500 mg/kg diet showed no ill-effect except at top dose levels toward the end of the trial . The highest dose without adverse effects reported in rats was 375 mg/kg/day for 90 days. 

Carcinogenicity (WHO-IARC)

Male and female Swiss Albino mice (85/sex/group) were fed diets containing ethephon (purity 75%) at concentrations of 0, 30, 300, or 1000 ppm for 78 weeks, equivalent to 0, 4.5, 45, or 150 mg/kg bw/day. Statistically significant decreases in survival were noted among 300 and 1000 ppm males. The increased mortality was considered related to genitourinary infections, dermatitis and haematopoietic tumours and not compound-related. Ethephon caused a dose-related inhibition of plasma ChE activity in both sexes (9-34% in the 300 ppm group, and 37-64% in the 1000 ppm group). Similar results were observed in erythrocyte ChE activity measurements (11-56% at 300 ppm and 13-51% at 1000 ppm). Ethephon treatment did not cause biologically significant inhibition of brain ChE at any dietary concentration (0-9%). The incidences of haematopoietic tumours were 4, 3, 13, and 11% in males and 22, 18, 39 and 29% in females at 0, 30, 300, and 1000 ppm, respectively. The major contributing factor to the increase of 39% in the 300 ppm females was the incidence of thymic lymphoma involving the thymus itself (incidence of 5, 5, 19, and 13% at dose levels of 0, 30, 300, and 1000 ppm, respectively). Since the incidence of haematopoietic tumours was not significantly increased in females at the 1000 ppm level, the increased incidence in the 300 ppm females was considered as random variation and unrelated to ethephon administration. Based on inhibition of erythrocyte ChE activity, the NOAEL was 30 ppm, equivalent to 4.5 mg/kg bw/day. There was no evidence of carcinogenicity

Delayed neurotoxicity (WHO)

Groups of 10 white Vantress chickens received by intubation 1000 mg/kg bw/day ethephon (purity 88%) on days 1 through 5, or 1000 mg ethephon/kg bw on day 1 and thereafter 500 mg/kg bw/day on days 2 through 10. Two positive control groups received 60 mg/kg bw/day tri-o-cresyl phosphate. Two negative control groups received 300 mg/kg bw/day of olive oil. Fifteen out of 40 animals died in the test groups and 8 out of 20 in the positive control groups. Only the deaths which occurred in the positive control group were considered to be due to neurotoxicity. No clinical signs of neurotoxicity and no gross pathology was observed in any of the necropsied chickens. Microscopic examination showed no cytopathologic changes in the spinal cord or sciatic nerve of the animals receiving ethephon. Administration of tri-o-cresyl phosphate caused clinical signs of neurotoxicity and some spinal axonal dystrophy in 10 chickens and sciatic neuropathy in one chicken. The Meeting concluded that there was no evidence of delayed neurotoxicity at doses up to 1500 mg/kg bw/day (Weatherholtz & Shott, 1970).

Hormonal disruption (WHO)

No effect on hormone.

Teratogenicity & Reproduction (WHO)

Sexually mature, virgin female Charles River COBS(R) CD rats were acclimated for 10 days before being mated with males of the same strain at an age of 15 weeks. Groups of pregnant rats (25 rats/group) were dosed orally by garage (10 ml 0.5% aqueous Methocel(R) suspension/kg bw) with 0, 200, 600, or 1800 mg/kg bw/day ethephon (purity not given) on days 6 through 19 of gestation. There were no biologically significant differences in maternal appearance, behaviour and body-weight gain, and there were no signs of fetotoxicity or teratogenicity in the 200 and 600 mg/kg bw/day group when compared to the control group. At 1800 mg/kg bw/day, 14 of the 25 dams died during the treatment period and only nine litters with viable fetuses were available for evaluation. The NOAEL was 600 mg/kg bw/day, based on maternal toxicity

Mutagenicity (WHO)

Ethephon studies in Salmonella typhimurium indicated no mutagenic effect up to 1,000 micrograms/100 microliters, without enzyme activation

ECOTOXICOLOGY

1. Aquatic Organisms

Ethephon is slightly toxic to fish. Studies indicated LC50 values for fish of 170 mg/l for rainbow trout; and 180 mg/l for bluegill sunfish. Also, a 96-hour LC50 for rainbow trout ranged from 254 mg/l to 350 mg/l and for bluegill sunfish 222 mg/l to 300 mg/l (Worthing and Hance, 1991).

EC50(48 h) for daphnia 1000mg/L(tech).

2- Earthworms

No toxicity to earthworms

3-Honey bees

Ethephon is considered relatively non-toxic to honeybees.

4- Birds

Data indicate that technical-grade ethephon is slightly toxic on an acute oral basis to bobwhite quail, and slightly toxic on a subacute dietary basis to bobwhite quail and mallard ducks. The acute oral LC50 in bobwhite quail is from 596 to 804 mg/kg. The acute oral LC50 is 3,750 ppm for mallard ducks and greater than 2,160 ppm in bobwhite quail. The average acute oral toxicity for formulated products is greater than 10,000 ppm in bobwhite quail, or practically non-toxic. Another source reported the oral LD50 for bobwhite quail to be 1,000 mg/kg. The chronic toxicity LC50 for birds was reported to be 804 mg/kg for quail and 3,750 ppm for ducks; and the LC50 (8 days) for mallard ducks was greater than 10,000 mg/kg diet.

.

5- Parasites and Predators

It is not dangerous to parasites and predators when used as recommended.

ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

Fate in Soil:

The decomposition of ethephon to ethylene, phosphate and chloride ion occurs by the same process as described above. It is unlikely that there is a significant biological component to the degradation.

Effect on microbial Process:

Ethephon is not persistent in the environment.  The major routes of dissipation appear to be chemical hydrolysis and microbial degradation. The major degradates are ethylene gas and 2-hydroxy ethyl phosphonic acid, then is composed into phosphoric oxide, H2O and COx.

Method of Res.Analysis: GC

Fate in Plant:

The uptake, movement and metabolism of ethephon have been described for many plant species, reflecting its wide use; however, comparatively little information about the metabolic pathways has been gained. Leaf discs of mature tobacco convert [14C]ethephon to ethylene but no 14CO2 was detected and no metabolites were found in methanol extracts of leaf tissue (Domir and Foy, 1978). It was not proven that ethylene formation was bio-catalysed.

Ethephon was translocated in field barley (Foster and Reid, 1992), possibly as a conjugate, but the acidic conditions required for extraction (to prevent decomposition of ethephon) would not allow an acid-labile conjugate to remain intact. Yamaguchi et al. (1971) reported very little translocation in tomatoes; no metabolites were detected. An unidentified metabolite was translocated in summer squash. After 6 days, all of the translocated radioactivity was present as this metabolite. Translocation, but no metabolism, was observed in apples and cherries (Edgerton and Hatch, 1972). It can be assumed that ethylene was formed and liberated from these systems.

Fate in Water:

Ethephon is stable to photolysis in water. Ethephon was stable towards photodegradation in a sterile pH 5 aqueous buffered solution exposed to continuous artificial sunlight for 15 days at 25 ± 1EC.  Ethylene gas was the only radiolabeled degradate, however, phosphoric acid was also identified in solution. These two degradates were also identified in the dark controls and are attributed to hydrolysis. There were no distinctive photolytic products formed. The half-life under irradiated conditions was calculated to be 61 days. Under the non-irradiated control conditions, the half-life was 111 days. If it is assumed that hydrolysis occurs concurrently to the same degree under irradiated

conditions, then a "photodegradation-only" half-life can be determined to be 139 days. (MRID 41545601).

Photo degradation Rate:

Photodegradation on soil does not appear to be a significant route of dissipation of ethephon.  Ethephon degraded with a half-life of 5.1 days on sandy loam soil that was irradiated with an artificial light source on a 12-hour photoperiod for 30 days. Ethephon degraded with a half-life of 8.0 days in the dark controls. Based on the calculated rate constants, photodegradation accounted for approximately 36% of the total degradation observed over a given 24-hour period. Other degradative processes accounted for the additional 64%. The major degradates were ethylene gas and soil-bound 2-hydroxy ethyl phosphonic acid. 2-Hydroxy ethyl phosphonic acid appeared to be persistent; its concentration increasing throughout the study period. Both degradates were found in the irradiated and dark control systems. (MRID 41681401).

Rate of hydrolysis at PH levels :

Stable in aqueous solutions having pH <5; at higher pH, decomposition occurs with the liberation of ethylene; DT50 2.4 d (pH 7, 25 °C)

Methods of analysis: GC

Fate in Animal:

Ethephon is rapidly excreted unchanged in the urine of dosed animals; it is also degraded to ethylene which is eliminated in the expired air (PM). This is likely to be due to the spontaneous degradation described above. Some metabolism of liberated ethylene to ethylene oxide, thence to ethanediol and hydroxyethyl-glutathione and mercapturic acid would be expected but this has not been reported. No ethephon residues were detected in the milk or faeces of a lactating dairy cow; some 10% of the dose was eliminated unchanged in the urine (Gutenman et al., 1973).

SAFETY HANDLING STORAGE AND DISPOSAL

Storage:

Requirements for storage areas and containers

  Keep out of the reach of children.

Advice on common storage

  Keep away from food, drink and animal feedingstuffs.

Suitable materials

  Rigid material with protection against moisture.

Shelf Life:

2 years.

Handling Precautions:

Do not breathe dust. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, or clothing. Wash thoroughly after handling. Wash clothing after use. Do not store or consume food, drink, or tobacco in areas where they may become contaminated with this material.

Containers (Lining):

100 g, 250 g, 500 g, 1 kg aluminium bag, 25 kg fiber drum. Or other packing according to requirement.

Signs and symptoms of Over Exposure:

Dizziness, headache, nausea, abdomen convulsion, vomit, hidrosis, myosis, weep, spit hypersecretion, can cause lethal danger if contact or inhale to much directly.

Note to Physician:

No special advice. Treat symptomatically.

FIRST AID:

IF Swallowed:

If the victim is convulsing or unconscious, administer a glass of water, ensure that the victim's airway is open and if symptoms developed, call a physician immediately..

If in eyes: 

Hold eye open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present, after the first 5 minutes, then continue rinsing eye. Call a poison control center or doctor for treatment advice.

If on skin or clothing: Take off contaminated clothing. Rinse skin immediately with plenty of water for 15-20 minutes. Call a poison control center or doctor for treatment advice.

IF Inhaled

If person is not breathing, call an ambulance, then give artificial respiration, preferably mouth-to-mouth if possible. Call a poison control center or doctor for further treatment advice. Take affected person to fresh air.

ANTIDOTE:

No special antidote.

Administer glasses of water if swallow.

REMARKS:

The information above is believed to be accurate and represents the best information currently available to us. However, we make no warranty of merchant ability or any other warranty, express or implied, with respect to such information, we assumes no legal responsibility for use or reliance upon these data. The date on this sheet relates only to the specific material designated herein, and users should make their own investigations to determine the suitability of the information for their particular purposes.