UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

DEC 15 2011 

MEMORANDUM 

OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY 

AND POLLUTION PREVENTION 

SUBJECT: BEAD Chemical Profile for Registration Review: TFMlLampricide (036201) 

FROM: 

THRU: 

TO: 

Colwell Cook,. Entomologist tf11t1-/.-

Biological Analysis Branch .... , 

JihadAlsadek,Economist J~ A~ 71~f Science Information and Analysis Branch 

John 

Economic 

Biological 

Faulkner, 

Analysis 

and Economic 

Economist 

Branch 

Analysis 

cfJvrt 

Division 

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(7503P) 

Arnet Jones, Chief M. ~~ . Biological Analysis B~V 

¥ Diann Sims, Chief C ~ 

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Economic Analysis Branch V \I \.. v.~ Biological and Economic Analy i ivision (7503P) 

Jill Bloom, Chemical Review Manager 

Risk Management and Implementation Branch 2 

Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P) 

Product Review Panel date: December 14, 2011 

INTRODUCTION 

The purpose of this document is to convey usage information and a broad overview of the pest 

management roles of pesticides that are beginning to undergo registration review. The 

anticipated audience consists of the team of EPA staff currently evaluating the registration status 

of TFMlLampricide, and eventually the general public. This document builds upon the data 

already provided in the "Usage and Label Use Data Packages" that are also provided to 

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Registration Review teams by BEAD. The document is based on information and data available 

to BEAD as of December 2011. 

TFM (3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenol) is a critically important pesticide. It is a halogenated 

mononitrobenzamide that is used to kill sea lamprey larvae (EPA 1999). Sea lampreys are native 

to the Atlantic Ocean. They are an ocean fish that spawn in fresh water. They were found in 

Lake Ontario in 1835, and introduced into Lake Erie in 1921, probably through the Welland 

Canal (USDA 2011). These invasive pests are aggressive parasites offish and have reduced the 

populations of native fish in all of the Great Lakes (University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute 

2002). It is thought that TFM targets the mitochondria and uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, 

which results in the lampreys not being able to meet their energy demands (Wilkie, et al. 2010). 

These products are only for sale to certified applicators of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, 

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and provincial and state fish and game employees. 

USE SITES 

Agricultural Use Sites 

TFM is not labeled for use on any agricultural site. 

Non-Agricultural Use Sites 

TFM is labeled for use on lakes and streams only. 

COMMON FORMULATIONS AND APPLICATION METHODS 

TFM is formulated as an impregnated material (solid bar) and as a soluble liquid concentrate. 

The solid bar is placed in the water and allowed to dissolve slowly. The liquid formulation is 

applied by metered pump from the back of a boat or by backpack sprayer. 

USAGE 

Our available data from proprietary data, USDAINASS, Kline and Company, Inc., and 

California Department of Pesticide Regulation databases did not show any uses for this 

chemical on either agricultural crops or non-agricultural sites. 

The sea lamprey is an invasive species introduced into the Great Lakes. This blood-sucking fish 

has devastated the native fishes of the Great Lakes (University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute 

2002). TFM is the lampricide used to control sea lamprey larvae in tributaries to the Great 

Lakes, the Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain (EPA 1999). The only other chemical registered 

for sea lamprey control is niclosamide, which is registered for delta treatments (NYS Department 

of Environmental Conservation 2011). 

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mSTORY OF BEAD ASSESSMENTS FOR TFM 

BEAD found no past assessments on this chemical in its databases. 

INFORMATION THAT MAY BE USEFUL FOR BEAD'S FUTURE WORK ON 

TFM 

The sea lamprey is an.invasive, aggressive pest that has greatly impacted the native fish of the 

Great Lakes, and it is critical to control. TFM is the major lampricide used to control this major 

pest, is highly restricted to the tributaries of the Great Lakes, and can only be purchased and 

applied by certified applicators of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services, Fisheries and Oceans 

Canada, and provincial and state fish and game employees. Because of the restrictions of 

locations and personal BEAD does not predict that further information will be needed at this 

time. 

REFERENCES 

EPA. 1999. TFM Fact Sheet. Found at: 

http://www .epa.gov /oppsrrd lIREDs/factsheets/3 082fact. pdf 

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. 2011. Found at: 

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animalsI7240.html. 

USDA. 2011. Sea lamprey. Sea lamprey control. Found at: 

http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/aquatics/lamprey.shtml. 

University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. 2002. Sea lamprey. Found at: 

http://seagrant. wisc.edul greatlakesfishlsealamprey.html. 

Wilkie, M. P., Y. S. Wang, and G. B. McClelland. 2010. Modes oflampricide toxicity on larval 

lampreys and non-target fishes. Found at: 

http://www.glfc.org!researchlreports/Wilkie2010.htm 

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