Diethyl sulphate

Toxicity to terrestrial plants

Administrative data

Endpoint:

toxicity to terrestrial plants: long-term

Type of information:

experimental study

Adequacy of study:

other information

Reliability:

3 (not reliable)

Rationale for reliability incl. deficiencies:

other: No LD50 or NOEC determined because only 1 concentration was tested. Very few details are available in this short note.

Data source

Reference

Reference 1

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

MUTATION STUDIES WITH DIETHYL SULFATE (DES)

Author:

Corcos A

Year:

1981

Bibliographic source:

Arabidopsis inf serv 18: 150-152

Reference 2

Reference Type:

publication

Title:

Further mutation studies with Diethyl sulfate (DES)

Author:

Corcos A

Year:

1982

Bibliographic source:

Arabidopsis inf serv 19: 123

Materials and methods

Test guideline

Qualifier:

no guideline followed

Principles of method if other than guideline:

Exposure of seeds to one concentration of DES and the growth and survival of the plants are followed up to the production of seeds and germination of this second generation.
In the second publication, the same study was repeated with 0.15% of DES.

GLP compliance:

not specified

Test material

Test material information

Constituent 1

Reference substance name:

Diethyl sulphate

EC Number:

200-589-6

EC Name:

Diethyl sulphate

Cas Number:

64-67-5

Molecular formula:

C4H10O4S

IUPAC Name:

diethyl sulfate

Details on test material:

no data

Sampling and analysis

Analytical monitoring:

no

Test substrate

Vehicle:

no

Test organisms

Species:

other: Arabidopsis thaliana

Plant group:

Dicotyledonae (dicots)

Details on test organisms:

- Common name: thale cress
- Plant family: Brassicaceae
- Variety: Columbia
- Source of seed: no data
- Prior seed treatment/sterilization: no data
- Historical germination of seed (germination of seed lot tested): no data
- Seed storage: no data

Study design

Test type:

other: whole life cycle experiment

Study type:

laboratory study

Substrate type:

not specified

Limit test:

no

Remarks:

no data

Results and discussion

Effect concentrations

Effect concentrations 1

Species:

other: Arabidopsis thaliana

Dose descriptor:

other: effect at the only concentration tested

Effect conc.:

0.5 other: %

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

other: germination, growth, flowering, seed production and germination of the M2 generation

Effect concentrations 2

Species:

other: Arabidopsis thaliana

Dose descriptor:

other: effect at the only concentration tested

Effect conc.:

0.15 other: %

Nominal / measured:

nominal

Conc. based on:

test mat.

Basis for effect:

other: seed germination of the M2 generation

Any other information on results incl. tables

Germination was not affected by the treatment since 111 out of 114 seeds germinated (97.3%). Among the control, 40 out of 40 germinated.

The control plants flowered 19 days after germination. So did 38 of the treated plants (33.3% of the treated seeds), however, 71 (62.3% of the treated seeds) did not flower by that time and 5 had died (4%).

The control plants produced seeds 56 days after germination. So did the 38 non delayed plants. Among the delayed ones, 24 had flowered by that time (33.8% of the delayed plants), but the plants were small. The other plants died without flowering (66.2% of the delayed plants).

Germination of the M2 plants has been seriously affected by the treatment with DES (Table 1). The size of the M2 plants was in general smaller than the controls. Only among the progeny of M1 plants 4,5,and 6 were normal sized plants.

Table 1: Germination results of M2 plants (exposure at 0.5%)

M1	numbers	%
Plant 1	13 out of 40	32.5
Plant 2	15 out of 40	37.5
Plant 3	15 out of 40	37.5
Plant 4	11 out of 40	27.5
Plant 5	27 out of 40	64.5
Plant 6	25 out of 40	62.5

Table 2: Germination results of M2 plants (exposure at 0.15%)

M1	numbers	%
Plant 1	8 out of 20	40
Plant 2	3 out of 10	30
Plant 3	9 out of 20	45
Plant 4	4 out of 20	20
Plant 5	4 out of 20	20
Plant 6	6 out of 20	30
Plant 7	5 out of 20	25
Plant 8	4 out of 20	20
Plant 9	4 out of 20	20
Plant 10	7 out of 24	29
Plant 11	6 out of 43	14
Plant 12	1 out of 10	10
Plant 13	6 out of 36	16
Plant 14	23 out of 43	53
Plant 15	4 out of 14	28
Plant 16	4 out of 9	44
Plant 17	3 out of 7	42
Plant 18	1 out of 6	16
Plant 19	6 out of 18	33
Total	108 out of 333	32

Applicant's summary and conclusion

Validity criteria fulfilled:

not applicable

Remarks:

Not a standard study

Conclusions:

The drenching of seeds in DES solution at 0.5% induced effects on survival, plant growth, flowering time and seed production and germination of the second generation. The repetition of the study with 0.15% had the same effect on the germination of the M2 plants.

Executive summary:

Seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana were exposed to DES (0.5%) and then grown. Survival, germination, growth, flowering time and seed production were determined. Seeds from some of these plants were then reexposed to DES and germination was determined.

DES produced effects on survival, plant growth, flowering time and seed production of the M1 generation and also decreased the germination rate of M2 generation (average germination: 44%).

The repetition of the study with 0.15% had the same effect on the germination of the M2 plants (32%).