UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PR O TE CTI O N AGENC Y WASHINGTON , D
. C

. 20460

### MAY~ 

### 0 2014

MEMORANDUM OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY A N D POLLUTION P REVE N TION

SUBJECT: BEAD Chemica l Profile (BCP) for Registration Review: Yellow Mustard Seed
FROM:

THRU: (014901) and Sodium Alphaj}efin Sulfonate (000905) Colwell Cook, Biologist

# ~~ Biological Analysis Branch 

# J Sepehr Haddad, Environmental Protection Specialist / 

# f( ....../ Science Information and Analysis Branch Stephen Smearman, Economist

### ):t~~ Economic Analysis Branch Biological and Economic Analysis Division (7503P) Amet Jones, Chief

# ~ Biological Analysis Branch (/ Diann Sims, Chief

# ~ Science Information and Analysis Branch Timothy Kiely, Chief

### ~ ' Economic Analysis Branc Biological and Economic Analy ·s Division ( TO: Shirley Keel, Chemical Review Manager Risk Management and Implementation Branch 5 Pesticide Re-evaluation Division (7508P)
Peer Review Panel date: May 14,2014

Page 1SUMMARY There is only one active registration (EPA Reg.# 87972-1 (formerly #72919-1) with the registration name VargonTM, that has the active ingredients of sulfonic acids (C14-16 alkane hydroxy and C14-16-alkene, sodium salts) and yellow mustard 

### (Brassica hirta) seed. This product was registered in 2003 and is used for control of Richardson 's ground squirrel and Wyoming ground squirrel. This product has not been manufactured or sold in the United States since it was acquired by a new company, Rodent Control, Inc. There are no available agricultural or non-agricultural usage data for sulfonic acids and yellow mustard seed from any of public or proprietary databases available to the Biological and Economic Analysis Division.
INTRODUCTION The Biological and Economic Analysis Division (BEAD) Chemical Profile (BCP) provides an overview of the pest management roles and quantitative usage information for sulfonic acids and yellow mustard seed. The BCP includes summaries of previous BEAD products and available public and/or private use and usage data for sulfonic acids and yellow mustard seed to describe the role ofthis chemical in pest management. Information pro vided in this BCP may be used by stakeholders (e.g., users and registrants), OPP risk assessors, OPP risk managers , and the general public during the Registration Review process ofthis pesticide. T he yellow mustard seed and sulfonic acid product is a rodenticide product that is applied as a foam to the burrows ofRichardson's and Wyoming ground squirrels, suffocating these pests. USE SITES Agricultural Use Sites Sulfonic acids and yellow mustard seed agricultural use sites include forest trees (nursery and seedbeds), and seed orchard trees (foliar treatment). Non-Agricultural Usage Non-agricultural use sites include ornamental plants (annual), ornamental turf (golf courses), parks, rangeland, and rights-of-way. FORMULATIONS AND APPLICATION METHODS Sulfonic acids are formulated as a soluble concentrate and yellow mustard seed is formulated as a powder. This product is mixed with water and then injected via an aeration nozzle as a foam into burrows.

Page 2HISTORY O F BEAD PRODU CTS A search ofthe BEAD databases for previous analyses for sulfonic acid and yellow mustard seed indicates that there are no records ofprior BEAD benefits assessments nor emergency exemption requests for either ofthese to compounds
. Note that a lack of emergency exemption requests does not indicate the relative importance ofthe chemicals. USAGE There is only one active registration (VargonTM, EPA Reg. # 87972-1) with the active ingredients sulfonic acids ( C 14

- 16 alkane hydroxy and C 14

- 16

- alkene , sodium salts) and yellow mustard (Brassica hirta) seed. This product is used for mechanical rodent control, specifically Richardson ' s ground squirrel and Wyoming ground squirrel. The registrant has stated that their primary focus is currently the Canadian market (Greenhough, 2014). They have not manufactured nor sold any product for the US market since transfer of ownership. They have been maintaining the annual registration fees as they anticipate targeting the US market in the next 12 months (Greenhough , 2014). Agricultural U sage There are no available usage data for yellow mustard seed or sulfonic acids from any of our public or proprietary databases. Non-Agricultural U sage There are no available non - agricultural data from any ofour public or propr ietary databases.
BIOL OGIC AL ASPECTS RELEVANT TO S UL F ONI C ACIDS & YE L LOW MUS TARD S EED Richardson's ground squirrel [Urocitellus richardsonii, formerly Spermophilus richardsonii (Sabine)] and Wyoming ground squirrel (Urocitellus elegans formerly Spermophilus elegans Kennicott) are native rodent pests that inhabit the North American Great Plains (Hel g en, et al. , 2009; Salmon & Gorenzel , 20 1 0). The feeding habits ofthese squirrels result in direct damage to fruit and vegetable crops. Their burrowing and mounding habits res ult in soil problems, such as holes which are hazardous to pedestrians , livestock, and machinery; erosion ; and destabilizing the areas beneath buildings and structures (Salmon & Gorenzel, 201 0). The product incorporating yellow mustard seed and sulfonic acids is used as a foam that is placed into the ground squirrel burrows which suffocates them. B EAD has no data to provide information as t o the use of this compound in ground squirrel control. However, t his product works by physically asphyxiating the pest s, offering essentially a mechanical control method as an alternative to other rodenticide chemistries.

Page 3DATA NEEDS The Agency does not have necessary and important information on sulfonic aCids and yell ow mustard seed. Obtaining the following information may improve future assessments conducted by the Agency related to the use and importance of sulfonic ac id and yellow mustard seed if the product is eventually reg i stered in the United States: S ince BEAD proprietary databases do not contain survey data on use of sulfonic acids and yellow mustard seed, usage data such as pounds a.i
. applied,application rates, and number of appl ications in an area per year would be useful information if avail able. In addition, the number of burrows that could be treated in a day as well as the typical number of burrows that are usually treated per day would be helpful information. REFERENCES Greenhough, Earl. President Rodent Control Inc. May 2014. Personal Communication to Shirley Keel, USEP A/PRD. K. M
. Helgen,F
. R.Cole, L. E. Helgen, And D. E. Wilson. 2009. Generic revision in the holarctic ground squirrel genus Spermophilus. Journal ofMammalogy, 90(2):270-305
. T. P. Sa lmon and W. P. Gorenzel. 2010. Ground Squirrel. Pest Notes Publication 7438
. University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program Agriculture and Natural Resources. Website: http: / /www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7 438.html
. Accessed: May 6, 2014
.

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