Endosulfan
Chemical Groups: Organic, Pesticides, Organochlorine compounds
Also Known As:
CASRN: 115-29-7
Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life
Freshwater
Short Term Concentration (µg/L) 0.06
Long Term Concentration (µg/L) 0.003
Date 2010
Marine
Short Term Concentration (µg/L) 0.09
Long Term Concentration (µg/L) 0.002
Date 2010
Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Agriculture
Irrigation
Concentration (µg/L) No data
Date No data
Livestock
Concentration (µg/L) No data
Date No data
Sediment Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life
Freshwater
Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) ISQG No data
Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) PEL No data
Date No data
Marine
Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) ISQG No data
Concentration (µg/kg dry weight) PEL No data
Date No data
Soil Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Environmental and Human Health
Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) Agricultural No data
Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) Residential/ parkland No data
Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) Commercial No data
Concentration (mg/kg dry weight) Industrial No data
Date No data
Tissue Residue Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Widlife Consumer of Aquatic Biota
Concentration (µg/L) No data
Date No data
Groundwater Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Environmental and Human Health
(Coarse Soil) Concentration (mg/L) - Agricultural/Residential 0.0000020
| Land Use and Soil Texture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural/Residential | Commercial/Industrial | |||
| Coarse | Fine | Coarse | Fine | |
| Guideline (provisional*) | 0.0000020ML | 0.0000045ML | 0.0000020ML | 0.0000045ML |
| Human health guidelines | ||||
| Protection of indoor air quality (basement) | NC | NC | -- | -- |
| Protection of indoor air quality (slab on grade) | NC | NC | NC | NC |
| Protection of potable water | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Environmental health guidelines | ||||
| Protection of freshwater life | 0.0000030 | 0.0000068 | 0.0000030 | 0.0000068 |
| Protection of marine life | 0.0000020 | 0.0000045 | 0.0000020 | 0.0000045 |
| Protection of livestock watering | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Protection of irrigation water | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Groundwater contact by soil-dependent organisms | NC | NC | NC | NC |
| Management considerations | ||||
| Water solubility (10%) † | 0.032 | 0.032 | 0.032 | 0.032 |
Notes: NC = not calculated (due to insufficient data); NA = not available (no CCME or Health Canada benchmarks are available); -- = the pathway is not considered for the selected land use.
Guidelines are based on soil and water quality guidelines/benchmarks current up to February 1, 2024.
* Provisional guideline. Protection of potable water and protection of aquatic life (freshwater and marine) are considered to be required exposure pathways; if any of these guidelines are missing, the final guideline is considered to be provisional. Missing pathways should be addressed on a site-specific basis.
ML: Final guideline is based on the protection of marine life pathway. If no marine water bodies are present, users may wish to conduct a Tier 2 evaluation.
† This management limit is an alert to the potential presence of upstream sources of free-phase liquid. It is based on single substance contamination and may not be applicable to mixtures. Please consult Section 1.3.3 of CCME (2026) for further information. A value of 50% water solubility is used for a substance expected to form a separate phase less dense than water; a value of 10% water solubility is used for a substance expected to form a separate phase denser than water. Consult the jurisdictional authority for guidance if the management limit is exceeded.
Degradation note:
Potential degradation products include endosulfan sulfate. Consideration of these additional degradation products is necessary when evaluating site groundwater quality impacted by endosulfan.
(Coarse Soil) Concentration (mg/L) - Commercial/Industrial 0.0000020
| Land Use and Soil Texture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural/Residential | Commercial/Industrial | |||
| Coarse | Fine | Coarse | Fine | |
| Guideline (provisional*) | 0.0000020ML | 0.0000045ML | 0.0000020ML | 0.0000045ML |
| Human health guidelines | ||||
| Protection of indoor air quality (basement) | NC | NC | -- | -- |
| Protection of indoor air quality (slab on grade) | NC | NC | NC | NC |
| Protection of potable water | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Environmental health guidelines | ||||
| Protection of freshwater life | 0.0000030 | 0.0000068 | 0.0000030 | 0.0000068 |
| Protection of marine life | 0.0000020 | 0.0000045 | 0.0000020 | 0.0000045 |
| Protection of livestock watering | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Protection of irrigation water | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Groundwater contact by soil-dependent organisms | NC | NC | NC | NC |
| Management considerations | ||||
| Water solubility (10%) † | 0.032 | 0.032 | 0.032 | 0.032 |
Notes: NC = not calculated (due to insufficient data); NA = not available (no CCME or Health Canada benchmarks are available); -- = the pathway is not considered for the selected land use.
Guidelines are based on soil and water quality guidelines/benchmarks current up to February 1, 2024.
* Provisional guideline. Protection of potable water and protection of aquatic life (freshwater and marine) are considered to be required exposure pathways; if any of these guidelines are missing, the final guideline is considered to be provisional. Missing pathways should be addressed on a site-specific basis.
ML: Final guideline is based on the protection of marine life pathway. If no marine water bodies are present, users may wish to conduct a Tier 2 evaluation.
† This management limit is an alert to the potential presence of upstream sources of free-phase liquid. It is based on single substance contamination and may not be applicable to mixtures. Please consult Section 1.3.3 of CCME (2026) for further information. A value of 50% water solubility is used for a substance expected to form a separate phase less dense than water; a value of 10% water solubility is used for a substance expected to form a separate phase denser than water. Consult the jurisdictional authority for guidance if the management limit is exceeded.
Degradation note:
Potential degradation products include endosulfan sulfate. Consideration of these additional degradation products is necessary when evaluating site groundwater quality impacted by endosulfan.
(Fine Soil) Concentration (mg/L) - Agricultural/Residential 0.0000045
| Land Use and Soil Texture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural/Residential | Commercial/Industrial | |||
| Coarse | Fine | Coarse | Fine | |
| Guideline (provisional*) | 0.0000020ML | 0.0000045ML | 0.0000020ML | 0.0000045ML |
| Human health guidelines | ||||
| Protection of indoor air quality (basement) | NC | NC | -- | -- |
| Protection of indoor air quality (slab on grade) | NC | NC | NC | NC |
| Protection of potable water | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Environmental health guidelines | ||||
| Protection of freshwater life | 0.0000030 | 0.0000068 | 0.0000030 | 0.0000068 |
| Protection of marine life | 0.0000020 | 0.0000045 | 0.0000020 | 0.0000045 |
| Protection of livestock watering | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Protection of irrigation water | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Groundwater contact by soil-dependent organisms | NC | NC | NC | NC |
| Management considerations | ||||
| Water solubility (10%) † | 0.032 | 0.032 | 0.032 | 0.032 |
Notes: NC = not calculated (due to insufficient data); NA = not available (no CCME or Health Canada benchmarks are available); -- = the pathway is not considered for the selected land use.
Guidelines are based on soil and water quality guidelines/benchmarks current up to February 1, 2024.
* Provisional guideline. Protection of potable water and protection of aquatic life (freshwater and marine) are considered to be required exposure pathways; if any of these guidelines are missing, the final guideline is considered to be provisional. Missing pathways should be addressed on a site-specific basis.
ML: Final guideline is based on the protection of marine life pathway. If no marine water bodies are present, users may wish to conduct a Tier 2 evaluation.
† This management limit is an alert to the potential presence of upstream sources of free-phase liquid. It is based on single substance contamination and may not be applicable to mixtures. Please consult Section 1.3.3 of CCME (2026) for further information. A value of 50% water solubility is used for a substance expected to form a separate phase less dense than water; a value of 10% water solubility is used for a substance expected to form a separate phase denser than water. Consult the jurisdictional authority for guidance if the management limit is exceeded.
Degradation note:
Potential degradation products include endosulfan sulfate. Consideration of these additional degradation products is necessary when evaluating site groundwater quality impacted by endosulfan.
(Fine Soil) Concentration (mg/L) - Commercial/Industrial 0.0000045
| Land Use and Soil Texture | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural/Residential | Commercial/Industrial | |||
| Coarse | Fine | Coarse | Fine | |
| Guideline (provisional*) | 0.0000020ML | 0.0000045ML | 0.0000020ML | 0.0000045ML |
| Human health guidelines | ||||
| Protection of indoor air quality (basement) | NC | NC | -- | -- |
| Protection of indoor air quality (slab on grade) | NC | NC | NC | NC |
| Protection of potable water | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Environmental health guidelines | ||||
| Protection of freshwater life | 0.0000030 | 0.0000068 | 0.0000030 | 0.0000068 |
| Protection of marine life | 0.0000020 | 0.0000045 | 0.0000020 | 0.0000045 |
| Protection of livestock watering | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Protection of irrigation water | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| Groundwater contact by soil-dependent organisms | NC | NC | NC | NC |
| Management considerations | ||||
| Water solubility (10%) † | 0.032 | 0.032 | 0.032 | 0.032 |
Notes: NC = not calculated (due to insufficient data); NA = not available (no CCME or Health Canada benchmarks are available); -- = the pathway is not considered for the selected land use.
Guidelines are based on soil and water quality guidelines/benchmarks current up to February 1, 2024.
* Provisional guideline. Protection of potable water and protection of aquatic life (freshwater and marine) are considered to be required exposure pathways; if any of these guidelines are missing, the final guideline is considered to be provisional. Missing pathways should be addressed on a site-specific basis.
ML: Final guideline is based on the protection of marine life pathway. If no marine water bodies are present, users may wish to conduct a Tier 2 evaluation.
† This management limit is an alert to the potential presence of upstream sources of free-phase liquid. It is based on single substance contamination and may not be applicable to mixtures. Please consult Section 1.3.3 of CCME (2026) for further information. A value of 50% water solubility is used for a substance expected to form a separate phase less dense than water; a value of 10% water solubility is used for a substance expected to form a separate phase denser than water. Consult the jurisdictional authority for guidance if the management limit is exceeded.
Degradation note:
Potential degradation products include endosulfan sulfate. Consideration of these additional degradation products is necessary when evaluating site groundwater quality impacted by endosulfan.
Date 2026
Resources
- Endosulfan - Scientific Criteria Document for the Development of the Canadian Water Quality Guidelines (2010)
- Endosulfan - Canadian Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Life (2010)
- Appendices C-F Canadian Groundwater Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Environmental and Human Health (2026)