UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 

MAY 25 2011 

OFFICE OF CHEMICAL SAFETY 

AND POLLUTION PREVENTION 

MEMORANDUM 

SUBJECT: 

FROM: 

BEAD Chemical Profile for Registration Review: Fipronil ~~ 

(pC Code: 129121) ~ V' 

David Brassard, Senior Entomologist ~ 9 

Economic Analysis Branch . 

Sepebr Haddad, Environmental Protection Specialist ~ ~~ _. , 

Science Information and Analysis Bran~h / ~ 

"-

THRU: 

TO: 

Elizabeth Hill, Economist 

Biological Analysis Branch 

Biological and Economic Analysis Division (7503P) 

Arnet Jones, Chief f).. ... 1V'> ~ Biological AnaI)'Sis Branch If""" '" U . :;P'(' 

Diann Sims, Chief .#~r .. fY\¥ 

Science Information and Analysis Branch 

Timothy Kiely, Chief Q: 'V\A.J~! Economic Analysis Branch 

Biolo~cal and Economic Analys Division ( 3P) 

Susan Bartow, Chemical Review Manager 

Risk Management and Implementation Division Branch 4 

Pesticide Re-Evaluation Division (7508P) 

Product Review Panel Review Date 5-18-11 

Summary 

Attached is the Biological and Economic Analysis Division (BEAD) Chemical Profile-for 

Registration Review for the chemical fipronil. The purpose of this document is to convey usage 

information and a broad overview of the pest management roles -of pesticides that are beginning 

1 
Registration Review. The intended audience for this document is theOPP registration review 

team and the general public. 

INTRODUCTION 

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

management roles of pesticides that are beginning Registration Review. The intended audiences 

for thi~ document are the OPP registration review team and the general public. This document 

builds upon the data already provided in the "Usage and Label Use Data Packages" that are also 

provided to Registration Review teams by the Biological and Economic Analysis Division 

(BEAD). 

Fipronil is a phenylpyrazole insecticide used to control ants, beetles, cockroaches, fleas, mole 

crickets, ticks, termites, thrips, and other insects. Fipronil blocks gamma amino butyric acid 

(GABA) regulated chloride channels in.the central nervous system resulting in excess neuronal 

stimulation and death of the target insect. Fipronil is a moderately systemic insecticide that is 

toxic to insects by contact or ingestion. 

USE SITES . 

Agricultural Use Sites 

Fipronil is registered for use on potatoes. The use on com was cancelled in 2009" but sales by 

the registrant of existing stocks offipronil products with previously approved labeling was 

allowed to continue until May 15, 2011. Persons other than the registrant may continue to .sell or 

distribute existing stocks of fipronil products until such stocks are exhausted, 

Non-Agricultural Use Sites 

Fipronil is registered for use in fue ant baits, coqkroach baits and gels, spot treatment flea and 

tick control products for dogs and cats, ant baits and gels, termite control products, and fue ant 

control on ornamental turf, and pine bark aphid and Nantucket pine tip moth on pine tree 

seedlings. Fipronil is also registered for use in bait boxes to kill Ixodes ticks on white footed 

deer mice which vector Lyme disease. Fipronil was formerly registered for use by homeowners 

to 'control fue ants but this use has been voluntarily cancelled by the registrant. 

COMMON FORMULATIONS AND APPLICATION METHODS 

Fipronil is ll:sually formulated as dust, granules, pelleted/tableted, wettable powder, impregnated 

material, water dispersible granules, emulsifiable concentrate, flowable concentrate, soluble 

concentrate· or soluble ready-to-use. 

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FIPRONIL USAGE 

Agricultural Usage 

Based on private market pesticide usage data from 1998-2008, usage averaged approximately 

150,000 pounds active ingredient for 1.5 million acres (proprietary Data, 1998-2008). Figure 1 

presents the acres treated with fipronil over this time period. 

FIGURE 1 

Flpronil Acres Treated 

3,000,000 

Acres 

o 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Year 

Source: Proprietary Data, 1998-2008. 

From 1998-2008, the largest market in terms of total pounds of active ingredient applied was 

com (more than 99%). There was less than 1 % total use on the other two agricultural crops 

(potatoes and sweet com) (proprietary Data, 1998-2008). Com was also the highest in terms of 

total acres treated. There was no reported use of fipronil on potatoes until the year 2008 when 

less than 2000 lbs. AI were applied. 

The states with the most agricultural usage in terms of Pounds A.I. applied are: Nebraska (34%), 

Illinois (11 %),. Indiana. (9%), followed by Iowa and Minnesota with 8% each as shown in Fi~e 

2 (proprietary Data, 1998-2008). Figure 3 shows the use offipronil between 2006-2008 in the 

top states for potatoes and com. 
FIGURE 2 

States with Highest Use - Percent of Total Lbs. A.I. Applied 

OTHER 

4% 

SOUTH DAKOTA 

5% 

6% 

8% 

8% 9% 

Source: Proprietary Data, 1998-2008 

FIGURE 3. 

Fipronil Use on Potatoes in Pounds 

Active Inlre~ient 2006-2008 

NEBRASKA 

6% 

Source: Proprietary Data, 2006-2008 

Non-Agricultural Usage 

34% 

11% 

Fipronil Use on Corn in Pounds Active 

IJllridlent 

MISSOURI 

10% 

2006-2008 

In terms of non-agricultural usage, there was availabl~ usage by lawn care operators and pest 

col).trol operators, and for uses such as golf courses, and food handling establishments, in 
addition to consumers for indoor use. Generally, over the reported years (1999 through 2008), 

. the majority of use-was by consumers for indoor use. Consumers used 4,000 pounds AI in 2000, 

and in 2003. Pest Control operators used approximately 200,000 pounds AI in 2000, and 

approximately 400,000 pounds AI in 2003 .. Lawn Care Operators used approximately 33,000 

pounds AI in 2002, but use decreased in 2004 and 2006 to under 200 pounds AI, and 100 pounds 

AI respectively, Food handling establishments were reported to have used approximately 

16,000 pounds AI in 2005. (Kline and Co., Inc. 2000-2005). 

USE TRENDS 

Fipronil use on com over the 1998-2008 time period peaked in 2002 and has steadily decreased 

to the lowest reported level in 2008. However, during the same time period, the only year for 

which use of fipronil on potatoes was reported is 2008, and usage accounted for approximately 

6% of total agricultural use during that y~ar. 

BIOLOGICAL ASPECTS RELEVANT TO FIPRONIL 

Fipronil's registration for use in bait boxes to kill Lyme disease bearing ticks on white footed 

mice is quite unique and there appears to be no alternatives for this use. 

mSTORY OF BEAD ASSESSMENTS FOR FIPRONIL 

There have been multiple emergency exemption (Section 18) requests for the use of fipronil that 

have been reviewed by BEAD. These requests were for outside structures, potatoes, C:lI1d sweet 

potatoes. For a complete list of these requests, please see Table A-I in Appendix A. 

In addition, BEAD conducted two benefits assessments for fipronil in 2008 in response to the 

end of conditional registrations for field com and fire ant control on turf grass. BEAD concluded 

in the field com assessment that the overall benefits of the use of fipronil on field com are 

generally minor, altho.ugh niche uses existed for treating com rootworms in Nebraska and 

Kansas (DP# 357367). (Brassard, 2008) In the fire ant assessment, BEAD found that although 

granular fipronil is rather unique in that a single application will provide year-long control and 

most alternatives may require two applications per year, there are numerous alternatives and 

application methods available for fire ant control (DP# 357351). BEAD provided a follow-up 

review to.BASF comments on this benefits assessment in 2009, and supported the same 

determination arrived at in its 2008 assessment (DP#s 368645, 368646, 368648, 368650, 

368652, 368654, 368656,368658, and 368660). 

DATA NEEDS RELEVANT TO BEAD'S FUTURE WORK ON FIPRONIL 

Obtaining additional information on the following items would improve future BEAD 

assessments of the importance of fipronil and may be required as part of the registration review 

of this pesticide. 

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REFERENCES 

Brassard, D.W. and E. Hill. 2008. Assessment of the ~enefits of Fipronil to ·Producers ofField 

·Com (DP# 357367) 

Chiri 2008 Fire Ant 

EPA. 201.0. Section 18 Actions. Accessed November 23,2010 Online; 

http://cfpub 1.epa.gov/oppref/section18/search.cfm 

Proprietary Data, 1998-2008 Proprietary Data 

Kline and Co, Inc. (1999-2008) 

APPENDIX A: 

T a bl e Al - HO t . . IS ory 0 fS ec ti on 18 R eques t s ~ or FO Ipron il 

~ved Response- Site Pest . Applicant Date :pate 

COTION LYGUSBUGS ARIZONA 6/30/1999 1012111999 

COTION TARN. PLANT MISSISSIPPI 4/14/1999 7/211999 BUG 

FERAL VARROAMITE HAWAII 11712009 li7/2009 BEEHIVES 

GRASS, GRAsSHOPPERS WYOMING 2/11/1999 5/24/1999 RANGELAND 

ONION 

ONION, DRY MAGGOT AND OREGON 312212007 5/3/2007 BULB SEED CORN 

MAGGOT 

. OUTSIDE 

STRUCTURES CARIBBEAN TEXAS . 6127/2008 6/2712008 10.FTOUT CRAZY ANT 

AND3FTUP 

OUTSIDE 

STRUCTURES CARIBBEAN TEXAS 7/16/2008 10/2112009 10 FT OUT CRAZY ANT 

AND3FTUP 

POTATO WIREWORMS DELAWARE 1/13/2004 4/2812004 

POTATO WIREWORMS MARYLAND 1120/2004 4/8/2004 

POTATO WIREWORMS NEW JERSEY 2/19/2004 4/28/2004 

POTATO WIREWORMS PENNSYL V ANlA 1/16/2004 4/8/2004 

POTATO WIREWORMS VIRGINIA 21212004 4128/2004 

RICE WEEVIL . LOUISIANA 12110/1997 7/17/1998 

RODENT TICKS (LYME CONNECTICUT 4/1512002 4/26/2002 DISEASE)' 

RODENT TICKS NEW JERSEY 4/30/2002 5/812002 

RODENT TICKS NEW YORK 6/6/2002 6n12002 

RODENT TICKS (LYME NEW JERSEY 5/13/2003 5/24/2003 BAIT BOXES DISEASE) 

RODENT l1CKS NEW JERSEY 412512003 519/2003 BAIT BOXES 

Dr B~Co4e(s) 

Status for·BEAD 

~ments, 

if Coadueed 

DENIED 

DENIED 

CRISIS 

APPROVED 

DENIED 

WITIIDRAWN 

CRISIS 358972 APPROVED 

ISSUED 358972 

DENIED 297949 

WITIIDRAWN 298027 

DENIED 299063 

WITIIDRAWN 297995 . 

DENIED 298696 

WITIIDRAWN 

ISSUED 

ISSUED 

ISSUED 

ISSUED 

ISSUED 

6 
RUTABAGA CABBAGE OREGON 4/25/2005 9/30/2005 WITHDRAWN MAGGOT 

RUTABAGA CABBAGE OREGON 2I2I20io 4/15/2010 ISSUED MAGGOT 

RUTABAGA CABBAGE OREGON 21212009 3/6/2009 ISSUED MAGGOT 

RUTABAGA CABBAGE OREGON 2/15/2008 4/1012008 ISSUED MAGGOT 

RUTABAGA CABBAGE OREGON 5/l/2oo7 5/1/2007 CRISIS 

MAGGOT APPROVED 

RUTABAGA CABBAGE OREGON 2/28/2007 5/412007 ISSUED MAGGOT 

RUTABAGA CABBAGE OREGON 5/16/2006 511512006 CRISIS 

MAGGOT APPROVED 

RUTABAGA CABBAGE OREGON 3/13/2006 9/30/2006 WITHDRAWN MAGGOT. 

SWEET WIDTE FRINGED 

POTATO BEETLE; LOUISIANA 3/312004 1112312004 WITHDRAWN 299538 

WIREWORMS 

SWEET WIREWORMS NORTH 3/2312004 4/26/2004 · WITHDRAWN 300632 POTATO CAROLINA 

TURNIP CABBAGE OREGON 2/2/2009 3/6/2009 ISSUED MAGGOT 

TURNIP CABBAGE OREGON 2/2/2010 4/15/2010 ISSUED MAGGOT 

TURNIP CABBAGE OREGON 4/25/2006 9/30/2005 WlTIIDRAWN MAGGOT 

TURNIP CABBAGE OREGON 211512008 4/10/2008 ISSUED MAGGOT 

TURNIP CABBAGE OREGON 51112007 5/1/2007 CRISIS 

MAGGOT APPROVED 

TURNIP CABBAGE OREGON 2/2812007 5/4/2007 ISSUED MAGGOT 

TURNIP CABBAGE OREGON 3/13/2006 9/30/2006 WITHDRAWN MAGGOT 

TURNIP CABBAGE OREGON 5/16/2006 5/16/2006 CRISIS 

MAGGOT APPROVED 

WOOD FORMOSAN LOUISIANA 5/30/2001 5/30/2001 CRISIS 

TERMITES APPROVED 

Source: EPA (2010); BEAD OffiCIal Records. 

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