Common name: Glyphosate

Other name: glyphosate (BSI, E-ISO, (m) F-ISO, ANSI, WSSA, JMAF)

Iupac name: N-(phosphonomethyl)gtycine

Chemical abstracts name:     N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine

Type: Herbicide

CAS RN: [1071-83-6]

M.F.: C₃H₈NO₅P

Mol Wt: 169.1

 

Form (appearance): Colourless crystals.

Composition:: Tech. is ≥95% pure. Zwitterion structure

M.P.: 189.5±0.5℃

B.P.: Decomp. >200℃

V.P.: 1.31 × 10^-2 mPa (25℃)

F.P.: Not flammable

S.G.: 1.705 (20℃)

Solubility.: In water 11.6 g/l (25℃). Insoluble in common organic solvents, e.g. acetone, ethanol and xylene. The alkali metal and amine salts are readily soluble in water.

Stability: Glyphosate and all its salts are non-volatile, do not phot0chemically degrade and are stable in air. Glyphosate is stable to hydrolysis at pH 3, 6 and 9 (5-35℃).

Henry: <2.1 × 10^-7 Pa m³ mol^-1

K_owlogP: < -3.2 (pH 2-5, 20℃) (OECD 107; EEC AS)

Pka: 5.77±0.03, 2.18±0.02 (20±2℃) (OECD 112)

 

Formulation types: SG; SL.

Biochemistry: Inhibits 5 enolpyruvytshikimate 3 phosphate synthase (EPSPS), an enzyme of the aromatic acid biosynthetic pathway. This prevents synthesis of essential aromatic amino acids needed for protein biosynthesis.

Mode of action: Non-selective systemic herbicide, absorbed by the foliage, with rapid transtocation throughout the plant, Inactivated on contact with soil.

Uses: Control of annual and perennial grasses and broad leaved weeds, pre harvest, post-planting/pre-emergence and in stubble, in cereals, peas, beans, oilseed rape, flax and mustard, at c. 1.5- 2 kg/ha; as a directed spray in vines and olives, at c. 4.3 kg/ha; in orchards, pasture, forestry and industrial weed control, at c. 4.3 kg/ha. As an aquatic herbicide, at c. 2 kg/ha.

Compatibility: Mixing with other herbicides may reduce the activity of glyphosate.

 

Oral: Acute oral LD₅₀ for rats 5600, mice 11300, goats 3530 mg/kg. Skin and eye Acute percutaneous LD₅₀ for rabbits >5000 mg/kg. Eye irritant; non-irritating to skin (rabbits).

Inhalation: LC₅₀ (4 h) for rats >4.98 mg/l air.

Noel: In 2 y feeding trials, no itl-effects were observed in rats receiving 410 mg/kg diet daily (average) and, in 1 y feeding trials, no ill-effects were observed in dogs receiving 500 mg/kg daily (highest dose treated).

ADI: (JMPR) 0.3 mg/kg b.w. [1986, 1997] (for sum of gtyphosate and its metabolite AMPA).
Water GV Unnecessary to recommend a guideline value because not hazardous to health at concentrations normally found in drinking water`.
Other Not mutagenic, not carcinogenic, not teratogenic, not neurotoxic. No adverse effects on reproduction.

 

Birds: Acute oral LD₅₀ for bobwhite quail >3851 mg/kg. Dietary LC₅₀ (8 d) for quail and ducks >4640 mg/kg diet.

Fish: LC₅₀ (96 h) for trout 86, bluegill sunfish 120, harlequin fish 168, sheepshead minnow >1000 mg/l.

Daphnia: LC₅₀ (48 h) 780 mg/l.

Algae: EC₅₀ (72 h) for Selenastrum capricornutum 48.5 mg/l, (7 d) 13.8 mg/l; (96 h) for Skeletonema costatum 1.2 mg/l, (7 d) 0.64 mg/l; (7 d) for Navicula petliculosa 42, Anabaena rios-aquae 15 mg/l.
/Other aquatic spp. LC₅₀ (96 h) for mysid shrimp (Mysidopsis bahia) >1000, grass shrimp 281, fiddler crab 934 mg/l. EC₅₀ (96 h) for sea urchin >1000 mg/l; (14 d) for Lemna gibba 25.5 mg/l. EC₅₀ (48 h) for Litoria moorei tadpole 111 mg/l.

 

Plant: EHC 159 (WHO, 1994). Animals In mammals, following oral administration, glyphosate is very rapidly excreted unchanged and does not bioaccumulate.
Slowly metabolised to aminomethylphosphonic acid ([1066-51-9]), which is the major plant metabotite.

Soil/Environment: In soil (field), DT₅₀ 3-174 d, depending on edaphic and climatic conditions. In water, DT₅₀ varies from a few to 91 d. Photodegradation in water occurs under natural conditions, DT₅₀ ≤2.8 d; no substantial photodegradation in soil was recorded over 31 d. In lab. whole system with water and sediment, DT₅₀ <14 d (aerobic), 14-22 d (anaerobic). The major metabolite in soil and water is aminomethylphosphonic acid.