1,3-Dichloropropene
Chemical compound

1,3-Dichloropropene, sold under diverse trade names, is an organochlorine compound with the formula C3H4Cl2. It is a colorless liquid with a sweet smell. It is feebly soluble in water and evaporates easily. It is used mainly in farming as a pesticide, specifically as a preplant fumigant and nematicide. It acts non-specifically and is in IRAC class 8A. It is widely used in the US and other countries, but is banned in 34 countries (including the European Union).
01Production, chemical properties, biodegradation
It is a byproduct in the chlorination of propene to make allyl chloride.
It is usually obtained as a mixture of the geometric isomers, called (Z)-1,3-dichloropropene, and (E)-1,3-dichloropropene. Although it was first applied in agriculture in the 1950s, at least two biodegradation pathways have evolved. One pathway degrades the chlorocarbon to acetaldehyde via chloroacrylic acid.

02Safety
The TLV-TWA for 1,3-dichloropropene (DCP) is 1 ppm. It is a contact irritant. A wide range of complications have been reported.
Carcinogenicity
Evidence for the carcinogenicity of 1,3-dichloropropene in humans is inadequate, but results from several cancer bioassays provide adequate evidence of carcinogenicity in animals. In the US, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined that 1,3-dichloropropene may reasonably be anticipated to be a carcinogen. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has determined that 1,3-dichloropropene is possibly carcinogenic to humans. The EPA has classified 1,3-dichloropropene as a probable human carcinogen.
03Use
1,3-Dichloropropene is used as a pesticide in the following crops:
| Crop | Pounds (lb) | Primary Pesticide? |
|---|---|---|
| Tobacco | 12,114,887 | Yes |
| Potatoes | 12,044,736 | Yes |
| Sugar Beets | 5,799,613 | Yes |
| Cotton | 3,735,543 | Yes |
| Peanuts | 3,463,003 | Yes |
| Sweet Potatoes | 1,210,872 | Yes |
| Onions | 674,183 | Yes |
| Carrots | 531,752 | Yes |
| Watermelons | 133,801 | No |
| Cantaloups | 121,395 | No |
| Cucumbers | 76,735 | No |
| Strawberries | 71,753 | No |
| Sweet Peppers | 28,247 | No |
| Melons | 12,471 | No |
| Blueberries | 3,090 | No |
| Asparagus | 1,105 | No |
04Contamination
The ATSDR has extensive contamination information available.
05Market history
Under the brand name Telone, 1,3-D was one of Dow AgroSciences's products until the merger into DowDuPont. Then it was spun off with Corteva, and as of 2020 has been licensed to Telos Ag Solutions and is no longer a Corteva product.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “1,3-Dichloropropene”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- Cis-1,3-Dichloropropene.svg by Fvasconcellos 12:35, 25 April 2007 (UTC), Public domain
- Frequency of npl sites with DCP contam.png by CDC, Public domain
Fathomly is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. Spotted a problem? Tell us.