PAN Pesticides Database: Chemical ID and pesticide uses

There are a variety of ways to identify a pesticide--by chemical name, trade name, or common name; by identifying numbers assigned by different organizations, and by use type (insecticide, herbicide, etc.).

The chemical name listed is the most common name used for the particular chemical. Synonyms are other names that may be used for the active ingredient. Synonyms include technical chemical names, common product names, common chemical names and trade names as well as chemical identification codes from the U.S. EPA, California DPR and Chemical Abstract Service.

The PAN Pesticide Database synonym database contains 55,000 records. Sources of these chemical synonyms include the synonym table in the U.S. EPA pesticide product dataset, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation's chemical list, the Pesticide Manual, the ChemFinder web site, the Compendium of Pesticide Common Names and registration lists for different countries around the world. The PAN Pesticide Database contains synonyms in French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Hungarian, Danish, and Finnish. In addition, PAN Staff periodically add new entries based on query logs. Last updated December 11, 2003.

The Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) Registry Number is a unique identifier assigned to each chemical and to some mixtures of chemicals by the Chemical Abstracts Service, a division of the American Chemical Society. This number is used worldwide.

The CAS registry number includes up to 9 digits which are separated into 3 groups by hyphens (xxxxxx-xx-x). The first part of the number, starting from the left, has up to 6 digits; the second part has 2 digits. The final part consists of a single check digit or checksum that makes it easy to determine whether a CAS number is valid or not.

CAS numbers listed for each pesticide by California Department of Pesticide Regulation and U.S. EPA were compared, and differences were checked with ChemFinder. Although we believe the PAN Pesticide Database CAS numbers to be the most accurate collection of CAS numbers of pesticides currently available, we are still finding an occasional error in this dataset. Corrections and additions are ongoing. Last updated September 1, 2003.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) assigns a unique chemical code number to serve as an identifier for a particular pesticide active ingredient or mixture of active ingredients.

PAN last downloaded this information from CA DPR on April 8, 2005. This is a relatively static data source, with new chemical codes added when new chemicals are submitted to DPR. DPR updates the list of actively registered products and chemicals each night, so the list stays current. PAN last updated the list from the newly registered chemicals list on April 8, 2005.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) assigns a unique chemical code number to a particular pesticide active ingredient or mixture of active ingredients. The U.S. EPA PC (Pesticide Chemical) Code is sometimes referred to as the Shaugnessy Number.

The U.S. EPA PC code is included in the U.S. EPA pesticide product data; see link below for currency of the U.S. EPA pesticide product data.

Describes the most common use(s) for a pesticide active ingredient. If there is more than one use for the chemical, the most common use is listed first.

Use Type	Description
Adjuvant	Used in pesticide products to increase the effectiveness of the active ingredients, make the product easier to apply, or to allow several active ingredients to mix in one solution. Solvents, emulsifiers, and spreaders fall in this category.
Algaecide	Kills algae.
Antifoulant	Used in paints and other coatings to inhibit growth of algae, barnacles and other shellfish on the hulls of ships.
Avicide	Kills birds.
Bait	Substance used to attract pests, including sugar, honey, meat, oatmeal, etc.
Bear repellent	Repels bears. , usually by producing an offensive odor.
Bird Repellent	Repels birds.
Breakdown product	The chemical transformation product resulting from metabolism of a pesticide in a biological system or from reaction of a pesticide with oxygen, water, light or other substances in the environment. In the PAN database, known breakdown products are listed as related chemicals for the parent pesticide (see Related Chemicals section at the bottom of the Chemical Infomation page); however, it is important to note that not all pesticide transformation products have been identified. Breakdown products can sometimes be more toxic than the starting pesticide.
Defoliant	Kills leaves on broadleaf plants. Commonly used in cotton production to remove leaves before harvest.
Desiccant	Used to remove moisture, such as sulfur dioxide used in producing dried fruits.
Dog and Cat Repellent	Repels dogs and cats, usually by producing an offensive odor.
Dye	Coloring agent.
Fragrance	Chemical used to add a particular odor to a pesticide product. Sometimes these fragrances are attractants for insects; other times, they are added to hide an unpleasant chemical odor.
Fumigant	Exist as gases or produce a gas when they break down in the environment. Fumigants typically kill all living things. Used in agriculture to sterilize soil before planting and to kill pests in stored food or before shipment to other countries. In urban settings, fumigants are used to treat dwellings for termites, ants, and roaches. The target pests for many soil fumigations are nematodes. Most of these pesticides are highly acutely toxic.
Fungicide	Kills molds, mildews, and other fungi.
Herbicide	Kills unwanted plants.
Herbicide safener	Compounds applied prior to the application of an herbicide to increase the tolerance of a specific crop (corn, rice, etc.) to a specific herbicide. Typically used on germinating seeds.
Impurity	Compounds produced during chemical synthesis that contaminate an active ingredient. Sometimes impurities are more toxic than the active ingredient itself, for example dioxin contaminants in 2,4-D.
Insect growth regulator	Interferes with normal growth and development of insects, blocking maturation or causing production of sterile offspring.
Insect Repellent	Repels insects such as mosquitoes, black flies, and deer flies.
Insecticide	Kills insects. As used in the PAN Pesticide Database, the term "insecticide" encompasses miticides, acaracides, and nematicides as well.
Microbiocide	Kills microbes such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi and used in disinfectant or antibacterial products.
Molluscicide	Kills snails, slugs, and shellfish.
Nematicide	Kills nematodes, microscopic soil organisms that can deform roots, limit water uptake, and even kill plants.
pH adjustment	An acidic or basic substance used to alter the acidity (pH) of a solution or product.
Pheromone	Insect sex-attractant hormones used to disrupt mating. These compounds are used in very small quantities and are very selective for a particular insect species.
Piscicide	Kills fish.
Plant growth regulator	Blocks or accelerates plant growth.
Propellant	Gaseous compounds used in spray formulations of pesticides to create an aerosol mist of the pesticide.
Pruning Aid	Used to cover freshly cut surfaces on trees and vines after pruning. Normally a wax or tar-like substance.
Rodenticide	Kills rodents such as rats, mice and gophers.
Soap/Surfactant	Compounds that have surfactant or detergent properties.
Solvent	A liquid compound used to dissolve other substances.
Synergist	A chemical compound that reacts with a pesticide active ingredient to accentuate its pesticidal activity. Often used with pyrethroids.
Water treatment	Chemicals used for treating water to make it potable.
Wood preservative	Used to prevent wood decay from microbial attack. Most wood preservatives are highly toxic.

This dataset is maintained by PAN staff using the references listed below. We are continually adding to this list, as more information becomes available. Last updated September 1, 2003.