Dicofol in the yard and garden

What is dicofol?

CAS number

115-32-2

Molecular formula

C14H9Cl5O

Molecular weight

370.49 g/mol

SMILES

OC(C1=CC=C(Cl)C=C1)(C2=CC=C(Cl)C=C2)C(Cl)(Cl)Cl

PubChem CID

8254

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Dicofol. The classifications differ — that's the data.

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where your yard encounter dicofol

• Pesticide
• Environmental Contaminant

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Dicofol:

• Abamectin
  Trade-offs: Alternative approach; specific tradeoffs depend on application context, scale, and regulatory requirements. Full hazard assessment of alternative recommended before adoption to avoid regrettable substitution.
  Relative cost: 1.2-2×
• Spiromesifen
  Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
  Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions