Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Terbuthylazine

General Information

• Product Names:

  Ama-204
  Bellacide 325
  Bellacide 329
  Bellacide 320

• Chemical Class: Triazine
• Uses: as a broad-spectrum herbicide, algicide, microbicide, and microbiostat.
• Alternatives: Organic Agriculture
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Possible (27)
• Endocrine Disruption: Not documented
• Reproductive Effects: Not documented
• Neurotoxicity: Not documented
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Not documented
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Not documented
• Birth/Developmental: Not documented
• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Not documented
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes (27)
• Toxic to Bees: Not documented

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) Archive Document (1995)
  • EPA Registration Review Draft Risk Assessment for Terbuthylazine (2019)
• Supporting information:
  • PAN Pesticides Database: Terbuthylazine (Pesticide Action Network)
• Studies:
• Bioaccumulation and toxicity of terbuthylazine in earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Li, S., Yuan, Y., Wang, X., Cai, L., Wang, J., Zhao, Y., Jiang, L., & Yang, X. (2023). Bioaccumulation and toxicity of terbuthylazine in earthworms (Eisenia fetida). Environmental toxicology and pharmacology, 97, 104016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.etap.2022.104016
• Effects of sub-chronic exposure to terbuthylazine on DNA damage, oxidative stress and parent compound/metabolite levels in adult male rats. Tariba Lovaković, B., Pizent, A., Kašuba, V., Kopjar, N., Micek, V., Mendaš, G., Dvoršćak, M., Mikolić, A., Milić, M., Žunec, S., Lucić Vrdoljak, A., & Želježić, D. (2017). Effects of sub-chronic exposure to terbuthylazine on DNA damage, oxidative stress and parent compound/metabolite levels in adult male rats. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association, 108(Pt A), 93–103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2017.07.046
• Assessing pesticide residue occurrence and risks in the environment across Europe and Argentina. Alaoui, A., Christ, F., Abrantes, N., Silva, V., González, N., Gai, L., Harkes, P., Navarro, I., Torre, A., Martínez, M. Á., Norgaard, T., Vested, A., Schlünssen, V., Aparicio, V. C., Campos, I., Pasković, I., Pasković, M. P., Glavan, M., Ritsema, C., & Geissen, V. (2024). Assessing pesticide residue occurrence and risks in the environment across Europe and Argentina. Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987), 363(Pt 1), 125056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.125056
• Occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern and pesticides and relative risk assessment in Tunisian groundwater . Khezami, F. et al. (2024) ‘Occurrence of contaminants of emerging concern and pesticides and relative risk assessment in Tunisian groundwater’, Science of The Total Environment, 906, p. 167319. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167319.
• Environmental pesticide exposure and Alzheimer's disease in southern Spain: A cross-sectional study. Ruiz-González, C. et al. (2024) Environmental pesticide exposure and alzheimer’s disease in southern Spain: A cross-sectional study, Psychiatry Research. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178124002178?via%3Dihub.
• Currently used pesticides and their mixtures affect the function of sex hormone receptors and aromatase enzyme activity . Kjeldsen, L.S., Ghisari, M. and Bonefeld-Jørgensen, E.C. (2013) ‘Currently used pesticides and their mixtures affect the function of sex hormone receptors and aromatase enzyme activity’, Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 272(2), pp. 453–464. doi:10.1016/j.taap.2013.06.028.
• In vitro-in vivo correlations for endocrine activity of a mixture of currently used pesticides.. Taxvig C, Hadrup N, Boberg J, et al. 2013. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol.272(3):757-66
• Residues of agrochemicals in beebread as an indicator of landscape management. Bogo, G. et al. (2024) Residues of agrochemicals in beebread as an indicator of landscape management, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724042232?via%3Dihub.
• Pesticides are the dominant stressors for vulnerable insects in lowland streams. Liess, M., Liebmann, L., Vormeier, P., Weisner, O., Altenburger, R., Borchardt, D., Brack, W., Chatzinotas, A., Escher, B., Foit, K. and Gunold, R. Water Research, 201, p.117262.
• Direct pesticide exposure of insects in nature conservation areas in Germany. Brühl, C.A., Bakanov, N., Köthe, S., Eichler, L., Sorg, M., Hörren, T., Mühlethaler, R., Meinel, G. and Lehmann, G.U. Scientific reports, 11(1), pp.1-10.
• Effects of Microplastics on Bioavailability, Persistence and Toxicity of Plant Pesticides: An Agricultural Perspective. Tang, K. (2025) Effects of Microplastics on Bioavailability, Persistence and Toxicity of Plant Pesticides: An Agricultural Perspective, Agriculture. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/4/356.
• The influence of polyethylene microplastics on pesticide residue and degradation in the aquatic environment. Wang, F., Gao, J., Zhai, W., Liu, D., Zhou, Z., & Wang, P. (2020). The influence of polyethylene microplastics on pesticide residue and degradation in the aquatic environment. Journal of hazardous materials, 394, 122517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.122517
• Screening of pesticides and veterinary drugs in small streams in the European Union by liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry. Casado, J. et al. (2019) Screening of pesticides and veterinary drugs in small streams in the European Union by liquid chromatography high resolution mass spectrometry, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969719311969.
• Widespread Pesticide Distribution in the European Atmosphere Questions their Degradability in Air. Mayer, L., Degrendele, C., Šenk, P., Kohoutek, J., Přibylová, P., Kukučka, P., Melymuk, L., Durand, A., Ravier, S., Alastuey, A., Baker, A. R., Baltensperger, U., Baumann-Stanzer, K., Biermann, T., Bohlin-Nizzetto, P., Ceburnis, D., Conil, S., Couret, C., Degórska, A., Diapouli, E., … Lammel, G. (2024). Widespread Pesticide Distribution in the European Atmosphere Questions their Degradability in Air. Environmental science & technology, 58(7), 3342–3352. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c08488