EPA REGISTRATION DIVISION COMPANY NOTICE OF FILING FOR PESTICIDE 

PETITIONS PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER 

EPA Registration Division contact: Andrew Ertman, (703) 308-9367

Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR-4)

2E8137

EPA has received a pesticide petition (2E8137) from IR-4, 500 College Road East, 

Suite 201W, Princeton, New Jersey, 08540, proposing, pursuant to section 408(d) of the 

Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), 21 U.S.C. 346a(d), to amend 40 CFR part 180 

by establishing a tolerance for residues of the insecticide flonicamid and its metabolites and 

degradates determined by measuring flonicamid [N-(cyanomethyl)-4-(trifluoromethyl)- 3-

pyridinecarboxamide] and its metabolites TFNA (4-trifluoromethylnicotinic acid), TFNAAM (4-trifluoromethyl-nicotinamide), and TFNG [N-(4-trifluoromethylnicotinoyl)glycine], 

calculated as the stoichiometric equivalent of flonicamid, in or on the following crop 

groups: Alfalfa, forage at 7.0 parts per million (ppm); Alfalfa, hay at 0.20 ppm; Alfalfa, 

seed at 1.5 ppm; Clover, forage at 7.0 ppm; Clover, hay at 4.0 ppm; Peppermint, tops at 7.0

ppm; Spearmint, tops at 7.0 ppm; Vegetable, fruiting, group 8-10 at 0.40 ppm; Vegetable, 

cucurbit, group 9 at 1.5 ppm; Fruit, pome, group 11-10 at 0.20 ppm; and Fruit, stone, 

group 12-12 at 0.60 ppm.

The petitioner, IR-4, also proposes, upon the approval of the aforementioned tolerances, 

to remove established tolerances for residues of the insecticide flonicamid and its metabolites 

and degradates determined by measuring flonicamid [N-(cyanomethyl)-4-(trifluoromethyl)- 3-

pyridinecarboxamide] and its metabolites TFNA (4-trifluoromethylnicotinic acid), TFNA-AM 

(4-trifluoromethyl-nicotinamide), and TFNG [N-(4-trifluoromethylnicotinoyl)glycine], 

calculated as the stoichiometric equivalent of flonicamid, in or on the following crop groups: 

Vegetable, fruiting, group 8; Fruit, pome, group 11; Fruit, stone, group 12; Cucumber; and 

Vegetable, cucurbit, group 9, except cucumber.

EPA has determined that the petition contains data or information regarding the elements 

set forth in section 408 (d)(2) of FDDCA; however, EPA has not fully evaluated the sufficiency 

of the submitted data at this time or whether the data supports granting of the petition. Additional 

data may be needed before EPA rules on the petition.

A. Residue Chemistry

 

1. Plant metabolism. Wheat, potato and peach metabolism studies were conducted 

using [14C]-pyridyl-flonicamid. The metabolic profile was similar for all three matrices. 

The major metabolites for the various crops were: TFNA in peach, TFNA and TFNG in 

potato and TFNG in wheat. The metabolism of flonicamid in plants shows the main 

pathway of metabolism involves hydrolysis of -CN and BCONH2 functional groups in the 

molecule. The metabolism of flonicamid in plants is well understood. 

2. Analytical method. Analytical methodology has been developed to determine the 

residues of flonicamid and its three major plant metabolites, TFNA, TFNG, and TFNA-
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AM in various crops. The residue analytical method for the majority of crops includes an 

initial extraction with acetonitrile (ACN)/deionized (DI) water, followed by a liquid-liquid 

partition with ethyl acetate. The residue method for wheat straw is similar, except that a 

C18 solid phase extraction (SPE) is added prior to the liquid-liquid partition. The final 

sample solution is quantitated using a liquid chromatograph (LC) equipped with a reverse 

phase column and a triple quadruple mass spectrometer (MS/MS).

3. Magnitude of residues. Residue data were collected on Alfalfa, seed, Alfalfa, 

forage, Alfalfa, hay, Clover forage, Clover, hay, during field trials (total of 4 alfalfa field 

trials and 2 clover field trials). Maximum total residues ranged from <0.08 to 8.76 parts per 

million (ppm) in forage samples, <0.08 to 1.93 in hay samples, and <0.08 to 0.566 parts per 

million (ppm) in seed samples. Residue data were collected on Peppermint, tops, 

Spearmint, tops; and Tomato (field and greenhouse) during field trials. Maximum total 

residues for mint (total of 5 field trials) ranged from 0.91 to 2.98 ppm. Maximum total 

residues for tomato (total of 18 field trials and 3 greenhouse trials) ranged from 0.04 to 

0.2283 ppm. 

B. Toxicological Profile

1. Acute toxicity. A battery of acute toxicity studies was conducted which placed 

flonicamid technical in Toxicity Category III for oral LD50, Category IV for dermal LD50, 

inhalation LC50, dermal irritation, and eye irritation. Flonicamid technical is not a dermal 

sensitizer. In an acute neurotoxicity study, the no observed adverse effect levels (NOAELs) 

for neurotoxicity were 600 mg/kg in males and 1000 mg/kg in female (highest doses tested). 

The systemic NOAELs were 600 mg/kg in males and 300 mg/kg in females.

2. Genotoxicity. Flonicamid technical did not cause mutations in the bacterial 

reverse mutation or mouse lymphoma tests with or without metabolic activation, 

chromosome damage in the mouse micronucleus or cytogenetics tests with and without 

metabolic activation, an increase in DNA damage in the comet assay or in an in vivo rat 

unscheduled DNA synthesis (UDS) study. Based on the weight of evidence, it is concluded 

that flonicamid technical is not genotoxic.

3. Reproductive and developmental toxicity. A developmental toxicity study in rats 

resulted in the maternal and developmental no observed effect levels (NOELs) of 100 

mg/kg/day. The maternal lowest observed effect level (LOEL) was 500 mg/kg/day based on 

the treatment-related effects observed on the liver and kidney of the dams in the highest 

dose group. The developmental lowest observed effect level (LOEL) was 500 mg/kg/day 

based on incidences of fetal skeletal variations seen only at maternally toxic doses of 500 

mg/kg/day. 

In the rabbit developmental toxicity study, the maternal and developmental NOELs were 
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7.5 mg/kg/day and > 25 mg/kg/day (HDT), respectively. The maternal LOEL was 25 

mg/kg/day based on decreased body weights, body weight gains and food consumption. No 

adverse effects on the fetuses were observed at the highest dose. 

In the multigeneration rat reproduction study, the NOAEL was 50 ppm for parental 

animals (3.7 and 4.4 mg/kg/day, respectively, for males and females) and 300 ppm for their 

offspring (22.3 and 26.5 mg/kg/day, respectively, for males and females). The effects at the 

highest dose of 1800 ppm included the following: increased kidney weights and gross and 

histopathological alterations in the kidney. Findings noted in the top dose females included 

delayed vaginal opening and increased liver, kidney and spleen weights in the F1 

generation and reduced ovary and adrenal weights in the parental generation and 

decreased uterine weights in the F1 female weanlings. There was an increase in the FSH 

and LH levels in F1 females tested for these endpoints. These findings did not affect the 

reproductive performance or survival of offspring in the study. 

4. Subchronic toxicity. The no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) for flonicamid 

technical in the rat 28-day dermal toxicity study was 1000 mg/kg/day, which was the 

highest dose tested.

In a 90-day rat feeding study the NOAEL was established at 200 ppm (12.11 mg/kg/day) 

for males and 1000 ppm (72.3 mg/kg/day) for females. The LOAELs were 1000 ppm (60.0 

mg/kg/day) for males and 5000 ppm (340 mg/kg/day) for females based on effects on 

hematology, triglycerides, and pathology in the liver and kidney.

In a 13-week mouse study, the NOAEL was 100 ppm (15.25 mg/kg/day in males and 

20.1 mg/kg/day in females). The LOAEL is 1000 ppm (153.9 mg/kg/day in males and 191.5 

mg/kg/day in females) based on hematology effects and changes in glucose, creatinine, 

bilirubin, sodium, chloride and potassium levels, increased liver and spleen weights and 

histopathology findings in the bone marrow, spleen and kidney. 

In a subchronic toxicity study in dogs with capsule administration, the NOAEL was 8 

mg/kg/day in males and 20 mg/kg/day in females based on findings of severe toxicity at a 

dose exceeding the maximum tolerated dose; symptoms included collapse, prostration and 

convulsions leading to early sacrifice at the LOAEL of 50 mg/kg/day.

In a subchronic neurotoxicity study in rats, the NOAEL for dietary administration was 

200 ppm for males and 1000 ppm for females (13 mg/kg/day in males and 81 mg/kg/day in 

females). The LOAEL was 1000 and 10,000 ppm (67 and 722 mg/kg/day) in males and 

females, respectively (highest dose tested) based on decreased motor activity, body weight 

and food consumption effects.

5. Chronic toxicity. In the chronic dog study with administration via using capsules, 

the NOEL was 8 mg/kg/day. The LOAEL was 20 mg/kg/day based on reduced body 

weights in females and effects on the circulating red blood cells.

In a rat 24-month combined chronic and oncogenicity study, flonicamid technical was 

not carcinogenic in rats. The NOAEL was 200 ppm (7.32 mg/kg/day) for males and 1000 

ppm (44.1 mg/kg/day) for females. The LOAEL was 1000 ppm for males and 5000 ppm for 

females based on histopathology in the kidney, hematology effects, hepatic effects including 
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changes in biochemical parameters, increased organ weights, and histopathological 

changes. Atrophy of striated muscle fibers, cataract and retinal atrophy observed in the 

high dose females were considered to be due to acceleration of spontaneous age-related 

lesions.

In the 18-month mouse study, effects were observed in the lung, liver, spleen and bone 

marrow at 250 ppm or higher. Findings included centrilobular hepatocellular 

hypertrophy, extramedullary hematopoiesis and pigment deposition in the spleen and 

decreased cellularity (hypocellularity) in the bone marrow. There were statistically 

significant increases in the incidence of alveolar/bronchiolar adenomas in both sexes of 

treated groups with hyperplasia/hypertrophy of epithelial cells in terminal bronchioles. 

There was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of alveolar/bronchiolar 

carcinomas in males at 750 ppm and 2250 ppm and in females at 2250 ppm only. These 

effects in the lungs of mice were not life threatening, as most of effects were observed at the 

terminal sacrifice and there was no effect of treatment on mortality in the study. A no 

observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) could not be determined from the dose levels 

administered. Mechanism-of-action studies have indicated that the lung effects are unique 

to the mouse and are not likely to translate to other species including the rat. A second 18-

month mouse study was conducted in CD-1 mice at dose levels ranging from 10 to 250 ppm 

to establish a NOAEL for hyperplasia/hypertrophy of epithelial cells in terminal 

bronchioles and for the incidence of alveolar/bronchiolar adenomas and carcinomas in 

both sexes. There was a statistically significant increase in the incidence of 

alveolar/bronchiolar adenomas in males at 250 ppm. In females, there was no statistically 

significant increase in the incidence of pulmonary neoplastic lesions at any dose level. The 

incidence of hyperplasia/hypertrophy of epithelial cells lining the terminal bronchioles of 

the lungs was statistically increase at 250 ppm in both sexes. There were no treatmentrelated increases in neoplastic or non-neoplastic lesions at dose levels of 80 ppm or lower in 

either sex. The NOAELs were 10.0 and 11.8 mg/kg body weight/day for males and females, 

respectively. This study confirmed a threshold for these effects at 80 ppm. Flonicamid 

technical was not carcinogenic in the rat.

6. Animal metabolism. Rat, goat and poultry metabolism studies were conducted 

using [14C]-pyridyl-flonicamid. The majority of the dose was rapidly excreted. Flonicamid 

was a major component of rat urine 48 hours after dosing. TFNA-AM was the major 

metabolite found in rats (urine), goats (milk and tissues) and in laying hens (tissues and 

eggs). TFNG was found between 8 - 24% of the total radioactive residue (TRR) in the 

livers of rats sacrificed at intervals between 0.5 - 6 hours after dosing. The liver samples at 

these time intervals had 14C-residues of 2.3% - 4.6% of the dose. TFNA was not a major 

component in animal tissues. The metabolism of flonicamid in animals shows the main 

pathway of metabolism involves hydrolysis of -CN and -CONH2 functional groups in the 

molecule, identical to plant metabolism. The main metabolic reactions were hydrolysis of 

cyano to the amide function and ring hydroxylation. In rats flonicamid was further 

metabolized by several routes, including nitrile hydrolysis, amide hydrolysis, N-oxidation, 

and hydroxylation of the pyridine ring, leading to multiple metabolites. The metabolism of 

flonicamid in animals is well understood. 
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7. Metabolite toxicology. The main metabolites of flonicamid were examined in acute 

oral toxicity studies in rats and bacterial reverse mutation tests. All the metabolites were 

less toxic than flonicamid and not mutagenic.

8. Endocrine disruption. No special studies investigating potential estrogenic or 

other endocrine effects of flonicamid have been conducted. Some suggestions of possible 

endocrine effects were reported at the highest dose tested (1800 ppm) in the multigeneration reproduction study which showed increased FSH and LH levels, a delay in the 

time to vaginal opening in the F1 generation, and reduced ovary and adrenal weights in the 

parental generation. However, there were no effects on reproductive performance or 

survival of the offspring in the study. At levels that are expected to be found in the 

environment, flonicamid will not cause any endocrine-related effects.

C. Aggregate Exposure.

1. Dietary exposure

i. Food. 

Tier 1 chronic dietary exposure assessments on flonicamid were conducted using the 

Dietary Exposure Evaluation Model software with the Food Commodity Intake Database 

(DEEM-FCID TM, Version 2.14), which uses food consumption data from the U.S. 

Department of Agriculture’s Continuing Surveys of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSF II) 

from 1994-1996 and 1998. Overall dietary exposure to flonicamid was expressed in 

mg/kg/day and was calculated as a percent of Chronic Population Adjusted Dose (cPAD).

Proposed tolerances for residues of flonicamid representing Crop Group 18, Alfalfa, 

seed (1.5 ppm) and Mint (peppermint and spearmint) (7.0 ppm) were incorporated into the 

DEEM-FCID residue file for dietary exposure assessment. 

The Chronic Reference Dose (cRfD) was established at 0.04 mg/kg/day. The cRfD was 

based on a 2-generation reproduction rat study with a NOAEL of 3.7 mg/kg/day. The 

uncertainty factor of 100 was applied to the NOAEL to derive cRfD. The cPAD is 

equivalent to the cRfD of 0.04 mg/kg/day (FQPA SF = 1).

ii. Drinking water. 

A Tier II drinking water assessment was conducted to represent drinking water 

exposure (SCI-GROW2 for groundwater and PRZM/EXAMS for surface water). The 

maximum chronic Estimated Environmental Concentration (EEC) from PRZM/EXAMS 

was 1.5 ppb, derived from the ME potato and CA lettuce standard EPA scenarios (see 

“Flonicamid: Human health risk assessment for proposed uses on root vegetables (except 
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sugarbeet; Subgroup 1B), tuberous corm vegetables (subgroup 1C), leafy Brassica green 

vegetables (subgroup 5B), turnip greens, hops and okra. PC Code: 128016, Petition No: 

6E7081, DP Barcode: D347805. December 21, 2007”). Using the Tier 1 screening model 

SCI-GROW2, the ground water EEC for flonicamid was 0.00132 ppb, which was 

considered appropriate for chronic EEC. To be protective of all drinking water systems, 

the predicted chronic EEC for surface water (1.5 ppb) was incorporated in the DEEM 

dietary assessment modeling.

2. Non-dietary exposure. Based upon the product label, EPA assumes that the proposed 

food-use sites are commercial in nature, and that the applications on landscape 

ornamentals would only be made by professional pest control operators. Therefore, 

residential handler scenarios are not expected and need not be assessed. Flonicamid label 

language should preclude use by non-professionals (e.g., homeowners), particularly 

regarding landscape ornamentals.

 

D. Cumulative Effects. 

 The 2007 EPA assessment (refer to Section C) was conducted for food and water 

exposure only. There are no expected long-term residential exposures. Because drinking 

water estimates have been combined with dietary exposures, the dietary assessment serves 

as the aggregate exposure and risk assessment for flonicamid. The addition of the 

proposed uses is not expected to change the nature of the aggregate assessment. Because 

aggregated food and drinking water exposures from this conservative Tier I assessment for 

the most highly exposed population subgroup (Children 1-2 years old) only amount to 

23.1% of the cPAD, exposure to flonicamid from the all current and proposed uses should 

not exceed HED’s level of concern.

E. Safety Determination.

 1. U.S. population. Using the conservative Tier 1 assumptions described in Section C., 

based on the completeness and reliability of the toxicology data, it is estimated that the 

chronic dietary exposure (food plus drinking water) at the 95th percentile general U.S. 

population comprises 9.8% of the cPAD. These conservative estimates include exposure to 

flonicamid from tolerance-level residues representing the proposed uses. The EPA 

generally has no concern for exposures below 100% of the Population Adjusted Dose 

(aPAD/cPAD) because it represents the level at or below which daily aggregate dietary 

exposure over a lifetime will not pose any unacceptable risks to human health. It is 

concluded that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate 

exposure to residues of flonicamid, including all anticipated dietary exposure.

2. Infants and children. The FQPA safety factor was set at 1 to derive the cPAD (i.e. 

0.04 mg/kg/day) for chronic dietary risk assessment to infants and children as well as 

adults. Using the conservative Tier 1 assumptions described in Section C and based on the 

completeness and reliability of the toxicology data, it is estimated that the chronic dietary 

exposure (food plus drinking water) at the 95th percentile for the most sensitive sub-
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population (Children 1-2 years old) comprises 23.1% of the cPAD. The risk from 

incorporating the proposed tolerances into the dietary risk assessment increased the cPAD 

by less than 2% for the most sensitive population subgroup (Children 1-2 years old). 

Based on the above information, there is reasonable certainty that no harm will result to 

infants, children, or adults from dietary (food plus drinking water) exposure to flonicamid 

residues from the proposed uses, as well as all other existing flonicamid-treated human 

dietary food sources.

F. International Tolerances

Canada has established MRLs for flonicamid and its metabolites on head and stem 

brassica, leafy brassica greens, leafy vegetables (except brassica), tuberous and corm 

vegetables, fruiting vegetables, cucurbits, stone fruits, pome fruits, vegetable root crops 

except sugarbeet, radish tops, turnip greens, hops, and resulting secondary residues in 

meat, milk, poultry and eggs.

There are no Mexican residue limits or Codex MRLs for the insecticide flonicamid and its 

metabolites TFNA, TFNA-AM and TFNG.