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TALLOW AMINE 15 EO

Tallow Amine 15 EO (polyoxyethylene tallow amine) is a surfactant with known toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Tallow Amine 15 EO was added to the original formulation of the herbicide glyphosate to aid in its application and effectiveness at controlling weeds. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists developing methods to measure Tallow Amine 15 EO in the environment have shown that it’s a complex and variable mixture of related compounds, and that Tallow Amine 15 EO is still a common additive in several newer agricultural and household glyphosate formulations.

TALLOW AMINE 15 EO

CAS NO : 61791-26-2
EC NO : 500-153-8

Synonyms:
Amine ethoxylates; Amines, tallow alkyl, ethoxylated (15 EO); Tallow amine distilled hydrogenated tallow-alkyl; amines, tallow alkyl; farmin T (tallow alkyl)amine; tallow alkylamines; tallow amine, destilled; tallow amine, technical grade; tallowamine; amines, tallow alkyl; Glyphosate; Polyethoxylated tallow amine; POE-TPOEA; TALLOW AMINE; (Tallowalkyl)amine; Amines,tallowalkyl; Tallow amines; GENAMINTA; Amine, Talg-alkyl-; Tallowalkylamines; Rofamin T40 Tallow amine, partially unsaturated, i.v. 40; OCTADECYLAMINE; octadecan-1-amine; 1-Octadecanamine; 124-30-1; Octadecanamine; Stearamine; Stearylamine; 1-Aminooctadecane; n-Octadecylamine; 1-Octadecylamine; n-Stearylamine; Armofilm; Stearyl amine; Monooctadecylamine; Nissan amine AB; Armeen 118D; Alamine 7; Noram SH; PEG-15 Hydrogenated tallow amine; PEG-15 Hydrogenated tallow amine; PEG-8 Hydrogenated tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol (15) tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol (30) tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol (5) tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol (50) tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol 100 tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol 1000 tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol 2000 tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol 400 tallow amine; Polyethylene glycol 500 tallow amine; Polyoxyethylene (10) tallow amine; Polyoxyethylene (15) tallow amine; Polyoxyethylene (2) tallow amine; Amines, tallow alkyl, ethoxylated; Chemeen T series; Ethomeen T; Frigate; Frigate LO-dose; G 3780A; Katapol 25CWS; Katapol PN-430; Katapol PN-730; Katapol PN-810; Katapol T-5; Noramox S; Polyoxyethylated (5) tallowamine; Polyoxyethylene(2) tallowamine; Primary tallow amine ethylene oxide adduct; Tallow alkyl amines ethoxylated; Tallow amine, ethoxylated; Trymeen TAM series; Ethomeen T/15; Katapol VP-532; MON 0818; Tallow amines,polyoxyethylene derivs; Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl)Tollowalkyl amine; Tallow Amine Ethoxylate Ether (15EO); Alamine 7D; Oktadecylamin; Adogenen 142; Armeen 18D; Amine AB; Armeen 18; Farmin 80; Crodamine 1.18D; Kemamine P990; Hydrogenated tallowamine; Kemamine P 990; Oktadecylamin [Czech]; Amines, hydrogenated tallow alkyl; UNII-FFV58UNY7O; NSC 9857; Armid HTD; CCRIS 4688; 61788-45-2; HSDB 1194; Armeen 1180; EINECS 204-695-3; FFV58UNY7O; Tallow amine, hydrogenated; OCTADECANE,1-AMINO; Octadecylamineadogenen 142; AI3-14661; CHEBI:63866; Octadecylamine, 90%, tech.; Octadecyl amine; Steamfilm FG; 1-octadecyl amine; EINECS 262-976-6; Octadecylamine, 97%; ACMC-209aru; 1-Octadecanamine, 9CI; Amine 18-90; EC 204-695-3; EC 262-976-6; NCIOpen2_007744; SCHEMBL12291; Octadecanamine 124-30-1; Amine ethoxylates; Amines, tallow alkyl, ethoxylated (15 EO); Tallow amine distilled hydrogenated tallow-alkyl; amines, tallow alkyl; farmin T (tallow alkyl)amine; tallow alkylamines; tallow amine, destilled; tallow amine, technical grade; tallowamine; amines, tallow alkyl; Glyphosate; Polyethoxylated tallow amine; POE-TPOEA; TALLOW AMINE; (Tallowalkyl)amine; Amines,tallowalkyl; Tallow amines; GENAMINTA; Amine, Talg-alkyl-; Tallowalkylamines; Rofamin T40 Tallow amine; DIETHANOLAMINE; 111-42-2; 2,2'-Iminodiethanol; Diolamine; Iminodiethanol; 2,2'-Dihydroxydiethylamine; Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amine; Diethylolamine; Ethanol, 2,2'-iminobis-; N,N-Diethanolamine; Diethanolamin; 2,2'-Iminobisethanol; 2,2'-Azanediyldiethanol; Di(2-hydroxyethyl)amine; Bis(hydroxyethyl)amine; Diaethanolamin; 2-(2-Hydroxyethylamino)ethanol; Niax DEOA-LF; N,N'-Iminodiethanol; N,N-Bis(2-hydroxyethyl)amine; 2,2'-Iminodi-1-ethanol; Dabco DEOA-LF; 2,2-Iminodiethanol; N,N-Di(hydroxyethyl)amine; 2-[(2-hydroxyethyl)amino]ethan-1-ol; NCI-C55174; H2dea; Diolamine (VAN); Di(beta-hydroxyethyl)amine; 2,2'Iminobisethanol; Diethanolamin [Czech]; Bis-2-hydroxyethylamine; Diaethanolamin [German]; Dihydroxyethyl tallowamine oxide; Diethylamine, 2,2'-dihydroxy-; UNII-AZE05TDV2V; 2,2'-Iminobis[ethanol]; 2-[(2-Hydroxyethyl)amino]ethanol; Ethanol, 2,2'-iminodi-; Diethanolamine (NF); Diethanolamine [NF]; Amines, tallow alkyl dihydroxyethyl, oxides; Tallowamine + 15EO, 1791-26-2, amines, hydrogenated tallow alkyl, ethoxylated (10 mol EO average molar ratio) mazeen T-10, polyethylene glycol (10); hydrogenated tallow amine, polyoxyethylene (10) hydrogenated tallow amine; Tallow Amine; POE (15) TALLOW AMINE(61791-26-2); trymeentamseries; PEG-2 HYDROGENATED TALLOW AMINE; PEG-5 HYDROGENATED TALLOW AMINE; PEG-8 HYDROGENATED TALLOW AMINE; PEG-10 HYDROGENATED TALLOW AMINE; PEG-15 HYDROGENATED TALLOW AMINE; PEG-20 HYDROGENATED TALLOW AMINE; PEG-30 HYDROGENATED TALLOW AMINE, 1791-26-2, ETHOXYLATED AMINES, ETHOXYLATED AMINES; Tallow Amine 15 EO; Tallow Amine 15 EO; Tallow Amine 20 EO; Tallow Amine 40 EO; Tallow Amine 50 EO, Ethoxylated tallow amine; 61791-26-2; Tallow Amine Ethoxylate; Polyoxyethylene Tallow Amine; Ethomeen T, Polyoxyethylene Tallow Amine, a Glyphosate Formulation Adjuvant:Soil Adsorption Characteristics, Degradation Profile, and Occurrenceon Selected Soils from Agricultural Fields in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana,Kansas, Mississippi, and Missour; Talgamin 15 EO, Don yağı amini 15 EO, Stearyl amin 15 EO ( Sterilamin 15 EO ); Talgamin 15 EO; Don yağı amini 15 EO, Stearyl amin 15 EO (Sterilamin 15 EO)


Tallow Amine 15 EO

Tallow Amine 15 EO (polyoxyethylene tallow amine) is a surfactant with known toxic effects on aquatic organisms. Tallow Amine 15 EO was added to the original formulation of the herbicide glyphosate to aid in its application and effectiveness at controlling weeds. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists developing methods to measure Tallow Amine 15 EO in the environment have shown that it’s a complex and variable mixture of related compounds, and that Tallow Amine 15 EO is still a common additive in several newer agricultural and household glyphosate formulations. Since glyphosate is one of the most widely used pesticides in the United States, the findings could indicate that Tallow Amine 15 EO may be widely available for transport into surface water and groundwater. Such additives in pesticide formulations are commonly called "inert" ingredients or adjuvants, and little is known about these ingredients and their occurrence and transport in, and effects on, the environment. This USGS study is the first step in investigating the environmental fate and effects of Tallow Amine 15 EO in herbicide applications.

Summary of polyoxyethylene (15) Tallow Amine 15 EO synthesis. First, ammonia is reacted with animal fat extracts (tallow) to produce a tallow amine. Then, the tallow amine is ethoxylated to form a polyoxyethylene tallow amine. This representation of the different chemicals used to synthetize one molecule of polyoxyethylene (15) Tallow Amine 15 EO is a simplification. In reality, tallow is composed of a melange of fatty acids having different chain lengths: the example presented has a 16 carbon atom chain length while the fatty acids present in the tallow mixtures have between 12 and 18 carbon atoms. In addition, the number of ethylene oxide molecules added to the different fatty amines varies due to the reaction occurring at different rates for each molecule. Thus, the Tallow Amine 15 EO surfactants resulting from these chemical reactions are a mixture, and not a single compound. Red spheres, oxygen atoms; white spheres, hydrogen atoms; blue spheres, nitrogen atoms; grey spheres, carbon atoms.

Tallow Amine 15 EO are nonionic surfactants formed from the reaction of alkyl amine with ethylene oxide. These Tallow Amine 15 EO play an important role in oil & gas and agrochemicals, as well as, in textile processing.
The ethoxylates (Tallow Amine 15 EO) act as the wetting agent, solubilizer, anti-corrosion agent, and adjuvant.
Oxiteno’s product line includes amine ethoxylates based on cocoamine, tallow amine, and other alkyl amines reacted with various moles of ethylene oxide.
Tallow Amine 15 EOs are derived from animal fats based fatty acids via the nitrile process. These Tallow Amine 15 EOs are obtained as mixtures of C12-C18 hydrocarbons, which in turn are derived from the abundant fatty acids in animal fat. The main source of Tallow Amine 15 EO is from animal fats, but vegetable based tallow is also available and both can be ethoxylated to give non-ionic surfactants having similar properties.

Tallow Amine 15 EO ethoxylate are generally used in agriculture formulation for pesticides and as corrosion inhibitors. Venus Goa manufactures TAM-2, 5, 7, 8, 10, 15 and 20 moles EO. Tallow Amine 15 EO ethoxylate function as wetting agent, solubilizer in textile processing, anti-corrosion agent in oil & gas, and adjuvant in agrochemicals. For example, TAM (Tallow Amine 15 EO ethoxylate) -2EO is used in agricultural formulations. It can be used alone or in combination with other surfactants.
Tallow Amine 15 EO is a hard fat consists chiefly of glyceryl esters of oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids (16-18 carbon chains). It is extracted from fatty deposits of animals. Amines derived from these fats are called Tallow Amine 15 EO amines. They are hydrophilic surfactants with a weak ammonia smell. While immiscible in water, Tallow Amine 15 EO are easily dissolved in chloroform, alcohols, ethers, and benzene. 

Tallow Amine 15 EO are widely used in mineral floating agent, waterproof softener of fiber, dyeing assistant, anti-static agent, pigment dispersant, anti-rusting agent, anti-caking agent of fertilizer, additives of lubricating oil, and germicide. They are also used for soaps, leather dressings, candles, food, and lubricants. They are used in producing synthetic surfactants. Tallow Amine 15 EO based alkyl amines are widely used in the synthesis of organic chemicals and cationic and amphoteric surfactants.
Silver Fern Chemical distributes distilled Tallow Amine 15 EO amine and distilled hydrogenated Tallow Amine 15 EO. We also carry a line of ethoxylated Tallow Amine 15 EO under the name FernOx, detailed below.The minimum order for any Tallow Amine 15 EO is a 55 gallon drum, but they are also available in totes and isotanks.

Tallow Amine 15 EO (also polyoxyethyleneamine, POEA) refers to a range of non-ionic surfactants derived from animal fats (tallow). They are used primarily as emulsifiers and wetting agents for agrochemical formulations, such as pesticides and herbicides (e.g. glyphosate).
Synthesis
Animal fat is hydrolysed to give a mixture of free fatty acids, typically oleic (37–43%), palmitic (24–32%), stearic (20–25%), myristic (3–6%), and linoleic (2–3%). These are then converted to fatty amines via the nitrile process before being ethoxylated with ethylene oxide; this makes them water-soluble and amphiphilic. The length of the fatty tail and degree of exothylation will determine the overall properties of the surfactant. Due to it being synthesized from an impure material Tallow Amine 15 EO is itself a mixture of compounds.

Composition and use
The Tallow Amine 15 EO used as a surfactant is referred to in the literature as MON 0139 or polyoxyethyleneamine (Tallow Amine 15 EO). It is contained in the herbicide Roundup. An ethoxylated tallow amine (CAS No. 61791-26-2), is on the United States Environmental Protection Agency List 3 of Inert Ingredients of Pesticides."
Roundup Pro is a formulation of glyphosate that contains a "phosphate ester neutralized Tallow Amine 15 EO" surfactant; as of 1997 there was no published information regarding the chemical differences between the surfactant in Roundup and Roundup Pro.
Tallow Amine 15 EO concentrations range from <1% in ready-to-use glyphosate formulations to 21% in concentrates.[2] Tallow Amine 15 EO constitutes 15% of Roundup formulations and the phosphate ester neutralized Tallow Amine 15 EO surfactant constitutes 14.5% of Roundup Pro.
Surfactants are added to glyphosate to allow effective uptake of water-soluble glyphosate across plant cuticles, which are hydrophobic, and reduces the amount of glyphosate washed off of plants by rain.

Environmental effects
The chemical complexity of Tallow Amine 15 EO makes it difficult to study in the environment.
Tallow Amine 15 EO is toxic to aquatic species like fish and amphibians. As other surfactants as well, it can affect membrane transport and can often act as a general narcotic.
In laboratory experiments Tallow Amine 15 EO has a half-life in soils of less than 7 days. Washout from soil is assumed to be minimal, and the estimated half-life in bodies of water would be about 2 weeks. Field experiments have shown that the half-life of Tallow Amine 15 EO in shallow waters is about 13 hours, "further supporting the concept that any potential direct effects of formulated products on organisms in natural waters are likely to occur very shortly post-treatment rather than as a result of chronic or delayed toxicity."[3]:96

A review of the literature provided to the EPA in 1997 found that Tallow Amine 15 EO was generally more potent in causing toxicity to aquatic organisms than glyphosate, and that Tallow Amine 15 EO becomes more potent in more alkaline environments. (Potency is measured by the median lethal dose (LD50); a low LD50 means that just a little of the substance is lethal; a high LD50 means that it takes a high dose to kill.) Glyphosate has an LD50 ranging from 4.2 times that of Tallow Amine 15 EO for midge larvae at pH 6.5, to 369 times that of Tallow Amine 15 EO for rainbow trout at pH 9.5 (for comparison, at pH 6.5 the LC50 of glyphosate was 70 times that of Tallow Amine 15 EO for rainbow trout).[1]:18 The pH value of most freshwater streams and lakes is between 6.0 and 9.0; fish species are harmed by water having a pH value outside of this range.[4]

Characterization of polyoxyethylene tallow amine surfactants in technical mixtures and glyphosate formulations using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry
Little is known about the occurrence, fate, and effects of the ancillary additives in pesticide formulations. Polyoxyethylene tallow amine (Tallow Amine 15 EO) is a non-ionic surfactant used in many glyphosate formulations, a widely applied herbicide both in agricultural and urban environments. Tallow Amine 15 EO has not been previously well characterized, but has been shown to be toxic to various aquatic organisms. Characterization of technical mixtures using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and mass spectrometry shows Tallow Amine 15 EO is a complex combination of homologs of different aliphatic moieties and ranges of ethoxylate units. Tandem mass spectrometry experiments indicate that Tallow Amine 15 EO homologs generate no product ions readily suitable for quantitative analysis due to poor sensitivity. A comparison of multiple high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UHPLC analytical columns indicates that the stationary phase is more important in column selection than other parameters for the separation of Tallow Amine 15 EO. Analysis of several agricultural and household glyphosate formulations confirms that Tallow Amine 15 EO is a common ingredient but ethoxylate distributions among formulations vary.

Polyethoxylated tallow amine (Tallow Amine 15 EO) surfactants have been used in many glyphosate-based herbicide formulations for agricultural, industrial and residential weed control. The potential for release of these compounds into the environment is of increasing concern due to their toxicity towards aquatic organisms. Current methods for analysis of Tallow Amine 15 EO surfactants require significant time and effort to achieve limits of quantification that are often higher than the concentrations at which biological effects have been observed (as low as 2 ng mL(-1)). We have developed a rapid and robust method for quantifying the Tallow Amine 15 EO surfactant mixture MON 0818 at biologically relevant concentrations in fresh water, sea water and lake sediment using reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry. Water samples preserved by 1:1 v/v dilution with methanol are analyzed directly following centrifugation. Sediment samples undergo accelerated solvent extraction in aqueous methanol prior to analysis. Large volume (100 μL) sample injection and multiple reaction monitoring of a subset of the most abundant Tallow Amine 15 EO homologs provide limits of quantification of 0.5 and 2.9 ng mL(-1) for MON 0818 in fresh water and sea water, respectively, and 2.5 ng g(-1) for total MON 0818 in lake sediment. Average recoveries of 93 and 75% were achieved for samples of water and sediment, respectively spiked with known amounts of MON 0818. Precision and accuracy for the analysis of water and sediment samples were within 10 and 16%, respectively based upon replicate analyses of calibration standards and representative samples. Results demonstrate the utility of the method for quantifying undegraded MON 0818 in water and sediment, although a more comprehensive method may be needed to identify and determine other Tallow Amine 15 EO mixtures and degradation profiles that might occur in the environment.

Polyoxyethylene tallow amine (Tallow Amine 15 EO) is an inert ingredient added to formulations of glyphosate, the most widely applied agricultural herbicide. Tallow Amine 15 EO has been shown to have toxic effects to some aquatic organisms making the potential transport of Tallow Amine 15 EO from the application site into the environment an important concern. This study characterized the adsorption of Tallow Amine 15 EO to soils and assessed its occurrence and homologue distribution in agricultural soils from six states. Adsorption experiments of Tallow Amine 15 EO to selected soils showed that Tallow Amine 15 EO adsorbed much stronger than glyphosate; calcium chloride increased the binding of Tallow Amine 15 EO; and the binding of Tallow Amine 15 EO was stronger in low pH conditions. Tallow Amine 15 EO was detected on a soil sample from an agricultural field near Lawrence, Kansas, but with a loss of homologues that contain alkenes. Tallow Amine 15 EO was also detected on soil samples collected between February and early March from corn and soybean fields from ten different sites in five other states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi). This is the first study to characterize the adsorption of Tallow Amine 15 EO to soil, the potential widespread occurrence of Tallow Amine 15 EO on agricultural soils, and the persistence of the Tallow Amine 15 EO homologues on agricultural soils into the following growing season.

Roundup branded herbicides contain glyphosate, a surfactant system and water. One of the surfactants used is polyethoxylated tallow amine (Tallow Amine 15 EO-T). A toxicology dataset has been developed to derive the most representative points of departure for human health risk assessments. Concentrated Tallow Amine 15 EO-T was very irritating to skin, corrosive to eyes, and sensitizing to skin. The irritation and sensitization potential of Tallow Amine 15 EO-T diminishes significantly upon dilution with water. Repeated dosing of rats with Tallow Amine 15 EO-T produced gastrointestinal effects but no systemic effect on organ systems. Tallow Amine 15 EO-T was not genotoxic and had no effect on embryo-fetal development or reproduction. The occupational risk assessment of Tallow Amine 15 EO- T for the agricultural use of glyphosate products has demonstrated that margins of exposure (MOEs) are 2517 and 100,000 for maximum and geometric mean dermal exposures, respectively. In the food risk assessment for relevant agricultural uses, the range of MOEs for consumption of foods from plant and animal origin were 330 to 2909. MOEs ≥100 are generally considered to be of no toxicological concern. Based on the results of the occupational and food risk assessments, it is concluded that there are no significant human health issues associated with the use of Tallow Amine 15 EO-T as a surfactant in glyphosate products.
Tallow Amine 15 EO are widely used in mineral floating agent, waterproof softener of fiber, dyeing assistant, anti-static agent, pigment dispersant, anti-rusting agent, anti-caking agent of fertilizer, additives of lubricating oil, and germicide. They are also used for soaps, leather dressings, candles, food, and lubricants. They are used in producing synthetic surfactants. Tallow Amine 15 EO based alkyl amines are widely used in the synthesis of organic chemicals and cationic and amphoteric surfactants.
Silver Fern Chemical distributes distilled Tallow Amine 15 EO amine and distilled hydrogenated Tallow Amine 15 EO. We also carry a line of ethoxylated Tallow Amine 15 EO under the name FernOx, detailed below.The minimum order for any Tallow Amine 15 EO is a 55 gallon drum, but they are also available in totes and isotanks.

Human toxicity
A review published in 2000[5] (later shown to be ghost-written by Monsanto [6]), evaluated studies that were performed for regulatory purposes as well as published research reports. It found that "no significant toxicity occurred in acute, subchronic, and chronic studies. Direct ocular exposure to the concentrated Roundup formulation can result in transient irritation, while normal spray dilutions cause, at most, only minimal effects. The genotoxicity data for glyphosate and Roundup were assessed using a weight-of-evidence approach and standard evaluation criteria. There was no convincing evidence for direct DNA damage in vitro or in vivo, and it was concluded that Roundup and its components do not pose a risk for the production of heritable/somatic mutations in humans. ...Glyphosate, AMPA, and Tallow Amine 15 EO were not teratogenic or developmentally toxic....Likewise there were no adverse effects in reproductive tissues from animals treated with glyphosate, AMPA, or Tallow Amine 15 EO in chronic and/or subchronic studies. Results from standard studies with these materials also failed to show any effects indicative of endocrine modulation. Therefore, it is concluded that the use of Roundup herbicide does not result in adverse effects on development, reproduction, or endocrine systems in humans and other mammals. ... It was concluded that, under present and expected conditions of use, Roundup herbicide does not pose a health risk to humans."

Another review, published in 2004,[2] said that with respect to glyphosate formulations, "experimental studies suggest that the toxicity of the surfactant, polyoxyethyleneamine (Tallow Amine 15 EO), is greater than the toxicity of glyphosate alone and commercial formulations alone. There is insufficient evidence to conclude that glyphosate preparations containing Tallow Amine 15 EO are more toxic than those containing alternative surfactants. Although surfactants probably contribute to the acute toxicity of glyphosate formulations, the weight of evidence is against surfactants potentiating the toxicity of glyphosate."
A novel method for the rapid determination of polyethoxylated tallow amine surfactants in water and sediment using large volume injection with high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.

Do not expect the levels of performance you have been used to from many glyphosates this summer following the withdrawal of European approval for ethoxylated tallow amine (Tallow Amine 15 EO) formulations, growers have been warned.
Benchmark trials confirm anecdotal evidence from growers and agronomists that glyphosate products reformulated with alkyl phosphate ester (APE) surfactants – the most popular alternative – perform noticeably less well than their predecessors.
The glasshouse trials, undertaken with the most advanced Roundup and both Tallow Amine 15 EO and APE formulations, compared performance at the same rate of active ingredient use under a range of conditions.
A leading Tallow Amine 15 EO formulation fell short of the Roundup benchmark by more than 6% in its average Italian ryegrass control 21 days after treatment. However, in the same trials control from an APE competitor proved to be a good 17% off the pace (Figure).
Following rainfall an hour after treatment, 21 day broadleaved weed control from the APE formulation was similarly lacking, and under particularly hard water conditions grassweed control was barely half as good as the Tallow Amine 15 EO and only just over a third the level of the Roundup.

Polyethoxylated tallowamine (Tallow Amine 15 EO) is a non-ionic surfactant used in herbicide formulations to increase the efficacy of active ingredients. Tallow Amine 15 EO promotes penetration of herbicide active ingredients into plant cuticles, and in animal species is known to cause alterations in respiratory surfaces. Tallow Amine 15 EO use has increased recently with the advent of "Roundup-Ready" crops; however, its potential effects on aquatic invertebrates are relatively unknown. The aquatic macroinvertebrate Thamnocephalus platyurus (Crustacea, Anostraca) was used to assess the acute toxicity of Tallow Amine 15 EO. Three formulations of Tallow Amine 15 EO consisting of a 5:1, 10:1, and 15:1 average oxide:tallowamine were used in this study. All Tallow Amine 15 EO formulations were found to be extremely toxic to T. platyurus with 48-h LC50 concentrations as low as 2.01 microg/L for 15:1. Tallow Amine 15 EO toxicity increased as the tallowamine chain length was reduced, whereas the oxide chain length appeared to only slightly increase toxicity. Based on these results, Tallow Amine 15 EO has the potential to adversely affect aquatic organisms in areas in which it is used.

Polyoxyethylene tallow amine (Tallow Amine 15 EO) is an inert ingredient added to formulations of glyphosate, the most widely applied agricultural herbicide. Tallow Amine 15 EO has been shown to have toxic effects to some aquatic organisms making the potential transport of Tallow Amine 15 EO from the application site into the environment an important concern. This study characterized the adsorption of Tallow Amine 15 EO to soils and assessed its occurrence and homologue distribution in agricultural soils from six states. Adsorption experiments of Tallow Amine 15 EO to selected soils showed that Tallow Amine 15 EO adsorbed much stronger than glyphosate; calcium chloride increased the binding of Tallow Amine 15 EO; and the binding of Tallow Amine 15 EO was stronger in low pH conditions. Tallow Amine 15 EO was detected on a soil sample from an agricultural field near Lawrence, Kansas, but with a loss of homologues that contain alkenes. Tallow Amine 15 EO was also detected on soil samples collected between February and early March from corn and soybean fields from ten different sites in five other states. This is the first study to characterize the adsorption of Tallow Amine 15 EO to soil, the potential widespread occurrence of Tallow Amine 15 EO on agricultural soils, and the persistence of the Tallow Amine 15 EO homologues on agricultural soils into the following growing season.

Little is known about the occurrence, fate, and effects of the ancillary additives in pesticide formulations. Polyoxyethylene tallow amine (Tallow Amine 15 EO) is a non-ionic surfactant used in many glyphosate formulations, a widely applied herbicide both in agricultural and urban environments. Tallow Amine 15 EO has not been previously well characterized, but has been shown to be toxic to various aquatic organisms. Characterization of technical mixtures using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) and mass spectrometry shows Tallow Amine 15 EO is a complex combination of homologs of different aliphatic moieties and ranges of ethoxylate units. Tandem mass spectrometry experiments indicate that Tallow Amine 15 EO homologs generate no product ions readily suitable for quantitative analysis due to poor sensitivity. A comparison of multiple high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UHPLC analytical columns indicates that the stationary phase is more important in column selection than other parameters for the separation of Tallow Amine 15 EO. Analysis of several agricultural and household glyphosate formulations confirms that Tallow Amine 15 EO is a common ingredient but ethoxylate distributions among formulations vary.

Polyethoxylated tallow amine (also polyoxyethyleneamine, Tallow amine 15 EO) refers to a range of non-ionic surfactants derived from animal fats (tallow). They are used primarily as emulsifiers and wetting agents for agrochemical formulations, such as pesticides and herbicides (e.g. glyphosate).
The polyethoxylated tallow amine used as a surfactant is referred to in the literature as MON 0139 or polyoxyethyleneamine (Tallow amine 15 EO). It is contained in the herbicide Roundup. An ethoxylated tallow amine (CAS No. 61791-26-2), is on the United States Environmental Protection Agency List 3 of Inert Ingredients of Pesticides."
Roundup Pro is a formulation of glyphosate that contains a "phosphate ester neutralized polyethoxylated tallow amine" surfactant; as of 1997 there was no published information regarding the chemical differences between the surfactant in Roundup and Roundup Pro.
Tallow amine 15 EO concentrations range from <1% in ready-to-use glyphosate formulations to 21% in concentrates.[2] Tallow amine 15 EO constitutes 15% of Roundup formulations and the phosphate ester neutralized polyethoxylated tallow amine surfactant constitutes 14.5% of Roundup Pro.
Surfactants are added to glyphosate to allow effective uptake of water-soluble glyphosate across plant cuticles, which are hydrophobic, and reduces the amount of glyphosate washed off of plants by rain.

The chemical complexity of Tallow amine 15 EO makes it difficult to study in the environment.
Tallow amine 15 EO is toxic to aquatic species like fish and amphibians. As other surfactants as well, it can affect membrane transport and can often act as a general narcotic.
In laboratory experiments Tallow amine 15 EO has a half-life in soils of less than 7 days. Washout from soil is assumed to be minimal, and the estimated half-life in bodies of water would be about 2 weeks. Field experiments have shown that the half-life of Tallow amine 15 EO in shallow waters is about 13 hours, "further supporting the concept that any potential direct effects of formulated products on organisms in natural waters are likely to occur very shortly post-treatment rather than as a result of chronic or delayed toxicity."[3]:96

A review of the literature provided to the EPA in 1997 found that Tallow amine 15 EO was generally more potent in causing toxicity to aquatic organisms than glyphosate, and that Tallow amine 15 EO becomes more potent in more alkaline environments. (Potency is measured by the median lethal dose (LD50); a low LD50 means that just a little of the substance is lethal; a high LD50 means that it takes a high dose to kill.) Glyphosate has an LD50 ranging from 4.2 times that of Tallow amine 15 EO for midge larvae at pH 6.5, to 369 times that of Tallow amine 15 EO for rainbow trout at pH 9.5 (for comparison, at pH 6.5 the LC50 of glyphosate was 70 times that of Tallow amine 15 EO for rainbow trout).[1]:18 The pH value of most freshwater streams and lakes is between 6.0 and 9.0; fish species are harmed by water having a pH value outside of this range.

A review published in 2000[5] (later shown to be ghost-written by Monsanto [6]), evaluated studies that were performed for regulatory purposes as well as published research reports. It found that "no significant toxicity occurred in acute, subchronic, and chronic studies. Direct ocular exposure to the concentrated Roundup formulation can result in transient irritation, while normal spray dilutions cause, at most, only minimal effects. The genotoxicity data for glyphosate and Roundup were assessed using a weight-of-evidence approach and standard evaluation criteria. There was no convincing evidence for direct DNA damage in vitro or in vivo, and it was concluded that Roundup and its components do not pose a risk for the production of heritable/somatic mutations in humans. ...Glyphosate, AMPA, and Tallow amine 15 EO were not teratogenic or developmentally toxic....Likewise there were no adverse effects in reproductive tissues from animals treated with glyphosate, AMPA, or Tallow amine 15 EO in chronic and/or subchronic studies. Results from standard studies with these materials also failed to show any effects indicative of endocrine modulation. Therefore, it is concluded that the use of Roundup herbicide does not result in adverse effects on development, reproduction, or endocrine systems in humans and other mammals. ... It was concluded that, under present and expected conditions of use, Roundup herbicide does not pose a health risk to humans."

Another review, published in 2004,[2] said that with respect to glyphosate formulations, "experimental studies suggest that the toxicity of the surfactant, polyoxyethyleneamine (Tallow amine 15 EO), is greater than the toxicity of glyphosate alone and commercial formulations alone. There is insufficient evidence to conclude that glyphosate preparations containing Tallow amine 15 EO are more toxic than those containing alternative surfactants. Although surfactants probably contribute to the acute toxicity of glyphosate formulations, the weight of evidence is against surfactants potentiating the toxicity of glyphosate."

Tallow is a hard fat consists chiefly of glyceryl esters of oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids (16-18 carbon chains). It is extracted from fatty deposits of animals. Amines derived from these fats are called tallow amines. They are hydrophilic surfactants with a weak ammonia smell. While immiscible in water, tallow amines are easily dissolved in chloroform, alcohols, ethers, and benzene. 
Tallow amines are widely used in mineral floating agent, waterproof softener of fiber, dyeing assistant, anti-static agent, pigment dispersant, anti-rusting agent, anti-caking agent of fertilizer, additives of lubricating oil, and germicide. They are also used for soaps, leather dressings, candles, food, and lubricants. They are used in producing synthetic surfactants. Tallow based alkyl amines are widely used in the synthesis of organic chemicals and cationic and amphoteric surfactants.

Polyoxyethylene tallow amine (Tallow amine 15 EO) is an inert ingredient added to formulations of glyphosate, the most widely applied agricultural herbicide. Tallow amine 15 EO has been shown to have toxic effects to some aquatic organisms making the potential transport of Tallow amine 15 EO from the application site into the environment an important concern. This study characterized the adsorption of Tallow amine 15 EO to soils and assessed its occurrence and homologue distribution in agricultural soils from six states. Adsorption experiments of Tallow amine 15 EO to selected soils showed that Tallow amine 15 EO adsorbed much stronger than glyphosate; calcium chloride increased the binding of Tallow amine 15 EO; and the binding of Tallow amine 15 EO was stronger in low pH conditions. Tallow amine 15 EO was detected on a soil sample from an agricultural field near Lawrence, Kansas, but with a loss of homologues that contain alkenes. Tallow amine 15 EO was also detected on soil samples collected between February and early March from corn and soybean fields from ten different sites in five other states (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi). This is the first study to characterize the adsorption of Tallow amine 15 EO to soil, the potential widespread occurrence of Tallow amine 15 EO on agricultural soils, and the persistence of the Tallow amine 15 EO homologues on agricultural soils into the following growing season.

Roundup® branded herbicides contain glyphosate, a surfactant system and water. One of the surfactants used is polyethoxylated tallow amine (Tallow amine 15 EO). A toxicology dataset has been developed to derive the most representative points of departure for human health risk assessments. Concentrated Tallow amine 15 EO was very irritating to skin, corrosive to eyes, and sensitizing to skin. The irritation and sensitization potential of Tallow amine 15 EO diminishes significantly upon dilution with water. Repeated dosing of rats with Tallow amine 15 EO produced gastrointestinal effects but no systemic effect on organ systems. Tallow amine 15 EO was not genotoxic and had no effect on embryo-fetal development or reproduction. The occupational risk assessment of POE- T for the agricultural use of glyphosate products has demonstrated that margins of exposure (MOEs) are 2517 and 100,000 for maximum and geometric mean dermal exposures, respectively. In the food risk assessment for relevant agricultural uses, the range of MOEs for consumption of foods from plant and animal origin were 330 to 2909. MOEs ≥100 are generally considered to be of no toxicological concern. Based on the results of the occupational and food risk assessments, it is concluded that there are no significant human health issues associated with the use of Tallow amine 15 EO as a surfactant in glyphosate products.

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