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The information in this profile may be out-of-date.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

Dinocap

Trade and Other Names: Trade names include Arathane, Caprane, Capryl, Cekucap 25 WP, Crotonate, Crotothane, DCPC, Dicap, Dikar (a mixture of dinocap and mancozeb), DNOPC, Ezenoan, Iscothane, Karathane, Mildane, and Mildex.

Regulatory Status: Dinocap is a slightly toxic pesticide in EPA toxicity class III. Labels for products containing dinocap must bear the Signal Word CAUTION. It is a General Use Pesticide (GUP).

Chemical Class: dinitrophenyl

Introduction: Dinocap, a dinitrophenyl, was first registered in the late 1950s and has been used as a contact fungicide to control fungus and, to a lesser extent, as an acaricide for control of ticks and mites. It is applied to limit mites in apple crops, as well as foliage for control of powdery mildew on fruit, vegetable, nursery, and ornamental crops. It is available as dust, liquid concentrate, and wettable powder formulations.

Formulation: It is available as dust, liquid concentrate, and wettable powder formulations.

Toxicological Effects:

• Acute toxicity: Dinocap is slightly to moderately toxic by ingestion, with reported oral LD50 values of 980 mg/kg in rats, 2000 mg/kg in male rabbits, 53 mg/kg in mice, and 100 mg/kg in dogs [8,29,30]. It is slightly toxic by skin absorption, with a reported dermal LD50 in rabbits of 9400 mg/kg [29]. It is irritating to the skin and eyes of rabbits, and may irritate those areas as well as the eyes and mucous membranes lining the nose, throat, and lungs in humans [8,31]. The acute 4-hour inhalation LC50 in rats for an emulsifiable concentrate formulation is 0.36 mg/L, indicating moderate toxicity by this route. Dinocap is included in a class of compounds which cause the following symptoms upon acute exposure: headaches, fatigue, weakness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, excessive sweating, rapid breathing and heart beats, shortness of breath, thirst, dehydration, heat stroke, and convulsions [29]. Inhalation of dinocap can cause tightness in the chest and fluid retention in the lungs, a condition called pulmonary edema [29]. Alcohol use may exacerbate the systemic effects of dinocap.
• Chronic toxicity: Rat growth and survival were reduced with a dietary level of 125 mg/kg/day of dinocap [29]. Spleen enlargement occurred in male rats receiving 125 mg/kg/day of the fungicide. Only male rats showed growth retardation in a 2-year study [29]. Degenerative changes and cell death were seen in the livers, kidneys, and stomachs of rabbits given oral doses of 30 or 150 mg/kg/day of dinocap for 90 days [8]. The composition of blood and urine also changed [8]. At a dietary dose of 25 mg/kg/day of dinocap, dogs showed decreased appetite and drastic weight loss, followed by death within 6 weeks. At dietary doses of 6.25 and 25 mg/kg/day, localized cell death occurred in areas of the the liver [8]. Neuropathy and effects on the nervous system have been hypothesized as an effect of prolonged exposure to dinocap (on the basis of its structural similarity to dinitrophenol) [32], but there is no evidence of these effects. Greenhouse workers developed liver function abnormalities in association with exposure to the fungicide; the severity of the abnormalities varied with the length of work exposure [8].
• Reproductive effects: Reproductive effects (effects on on fertility or fecundity) have not been observed in animals studies [29].
• Teratogenic effects: Numerous animal studies have demonstrated the teratogenic potential of dinocap [29]. When pregnant rabbits were given dermal doses of 25, 50, or 100 mg/kg/day, developmental toxicity in the form of reduced fetal weight was observed at the highest dose [33]. No developmental effects were seen at 50 mg/kg/day [33]. Fetal growth retardation, cleft palate, and abnormal rib formations were seen in offspring of pregnant mice exposed to dinocap during organogenesis, the organ forming period of pregnancy [8,29]. Growth retardation was seen at doses of 5 mg/kg/day, and malformations were seen at 20 mg/kg/day and higher [8,29]. Birth defects observed in the offspring of rabbits given oral or dermal doses of dinocap during pregnancy included abnormalities of the neural tube, spine, and skull at 3 mg/kg/day [34]. No birth defects were discovered in rabbits given dermal doses up to and including those that cause severe skin irritation and obvious maternal poisoning [8]. Following dermal applications of 100 mg/kg/day to rabbits, reduced fetal weight and an increased occurrence of skull malformations were observed [35]. Dinocap may cause teratogenic effects at very high oral doses during the critical time of pregnancy.
• Mutagenic effects: No data are currently available.
• Carcinogenic effects: Dinocap did not cause tumor development in mice that were fed the highest tolerated dose of the fungicide [32]. This suggests that dinocap is not carcinogenic.
• Organ toxicity: Dinocap has shown effects on the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract [29,32]. Effects on the nervous system are thought to be possible due to the structural similarity between dinocap and dinitrophenol [32].

• Fate in humans and animals: Dinocap is readily eliminated through urine and feces in mammalian systems [8]. Biological accumulation of dinocap is unlikely [29].

Ecological Effects:

• Effects on birds: Dinocap is moderately toxic to birds; the reported 5- to 8-day dietary LC50 for dinocap is 790 ppm [36]. Ducks fed 50 ppm of this fungicide in their food developed cataracts [32].
• Effects on aquatic organisms: Dinocap is very highly toxic to fish; the reported 96-hour LC50 values for dinocap are 15 ug/L in rainbow trout, 33 ug/L in goldfish, and 20 ug/L in bluegill [37]. The 96-hour LC50 is 75 ug/L in the sideswimmer (G. fasciatus, an invertebrate) [37].
• Effects on other organisms: Dinocap is nontoxic to bees and other beneficial insects [8].

Environmental Fate:

• Breakdown in soil and groundwater: Dinocap is of low persistence in the soil environment, with reported field half-lives of 4 to 6 days [11]. It is highly photosensitive, and is readily broken down by sunlight [11]. It is also subject to microbial degradation [38]. Dinocap is moderately adsorbed to top soils and has only slight solubility in water [11]. These facts, combined with its low persistence make it unlikely to contaminate groundwater.
• Breakdown in water: Dinocap is slightly soluble in water, and if found in water will most likely be adsorbed to suspended colloidal materials or precipitated in sediment.
• Breakdown in vegetation: Dinocap is readily absorbed and translocated by treated plants. It builds up in the growing shoots and leaf tips [38]. Since this material penetrates foliage rapidly, it is not likely to be washed off by rain [38]. There is good crop tolerance to dinocap for the recommended uses [8]. The approximate trace, or 'residual,' period of dinocap in plants is 1 to 2 weeks [39].

Physical Properties:

• Appearance: Dinocap is dark reddish brown liquid [1].
• Chemical Name: 2,6-dinitro-4-octylphenyl crotonates; 2,4-dinitro-6-octylphenyl crotonates [1]
• CAS Number: 39300-45-3
• Molecular Weight: 364.41
• Water Solubility: (<0.1 mg/L); practicaly insoluble in water [1]
• Solubility in Other Solvents: s. in most organic solvents such as benzene and ether [1]
• Melting Point: Not Available
• Vapor Pressure: 0.0053 mPa @ 20 C [1]
• Partition Coefficient: 4.5366 [1]
• Adsorption Coefficient: 550 (estimated) [11]

Exposure Guidelines:

• ADI: 0.001 mg/kg/day [12]
• MCL: Not Available
• RfD: Not Available
• PEL: Not Available
• HA: Not Available
• TLV: Not Available

Basic Manufacturer:

Rohm and Haas Co.
Agricultural Chemicals
Independence Mall West
Philadelphia, PA 19106

• Phone: 215-592-3000
• Emergency: Not Available
  

References:

References for the information in this PIP can be found in Reference List Number 10

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.