Pelargonic (nonanoic) acid renewed until 30 September 2041: food-grade E570 specification with water by Karl Fischer, hexanoic, heptanoic and octanoic acids together below 50 g/kg; EFSA — up to 13.29 µg/L in groundwater under alkaline soils
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1696, published on 15 July 2026, renews the approval of the herbicide pelargonic acid from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2041 and separates it from the previous joint fatty acids entry in Regulation (EU) No 540/2011. It is based on the EFSA conclusion of 29 July 2021 and its update of 16 April 2025 (on non-target arthropods for home garden uses). EFSA identified no critical areas of concern, but for some uses a risk to groundwater, aquatic organisms, bees and other arthropods and soil organisms.
- Annex: pelargonic acid (nonanoic acid), CAS No 112-05-0, CIPAC 888, purity ≥ 889 g/kg, food grade according to the E570 “Fatty acids” specification of Regulation (EU) No 231/2012: residue on ignition ≤ 0.1 %, unsaponifiable matter ≤ 1.5 %, water ≤ 0.2 % (Karl Fischer method), arsenic ≤ 3 mg/kg, lead ≤ 1 mg/kg, mercury ≤ 1 mg/kg. Toxicologically relevant impurities — hexanoic, heptanoic and octanoic acid — together below 50 g/kg. Member States must protect groundwater where vulnerable aquifers lie under predominantly alkaline soils.
- Methods (EFSA): methods for residues in food, feed, body fluids, tissues and the environment are not required because no residue definition was set; pelargonic acid remains in Annex IV of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. Data gaps: validation of the GC-MS method for the substance in the technical material for one of the sources, methods for the relevant impurities in four products (NEU 1170 H, VVH86086/BCP1004D, COM 508 16 EW, MON 74134) and validation of the method used in the n-octanol/water partition coefficient study.
- Toxicology and residues (EFSA): no reference values were set — the substance is food grade, of low toxicity (NOAEL ≥ 1000 mg/kg bw per day in short-term studies), classified as a skin (cat. 2) and eye irritant; comparison with a typical fatty acid intake of 821 mg/kg bw per day. Natural occurrence: oilseed rape 0.104 mg/kg in the whole plant, 0.35 in straw, 0.45 in seed; wheat 1.22, 2.21 and 0.135 mg/kg in grain; in lettuce, potatoes and plums below the LOQ. In surface water monitoring background up to 7.6 µg/L, mostly below the LOQ of 5 µg/L.
- Environment (EFSA): adsorption depends on pH — 95 mL/g for soils with pH CaCl₂ ≤ 6.2 and 8.4 mL/g above; DT50 1.6 days (river die-away test, result for the C10 chain). Under alkaline soils groundwater concentrations exceeded 0.1 µg/L: ABP-811 in vines up to 1.159 µg/L (Porto), in potatoes 0.221 µg/L (Jokioinen), MON 74134 with eight applications of 18.3 kg/ha up to 13.29 µg/L (Jokioinen); with eight spot treatments of 0.915 kg/ha — below 0.1 µg/L in all scenarios except Jokioinen (summer and spring application) and Piacenza (spring). Under the SANCO guidance high acute risk to bees for most uses (for MON 74134 in home gardens EFSA concluded low risk); to aquatic organisms — in some FOCUS scenarios.