Sulfuryl fluoride
CAS No. 2699-79-8
US Federal Register
 
 

Return to Sulfuryl fluoride Index Page

Adverse Effects: Part 1 and Part 2

Activity: Fumigant, Insecticide (Fluorine Inorganic)
Structure:


Date published in the FR Docket Identification Number Details
June 24, 2009 EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136

DOW AGROSCIENCES. Registration Review; Pesticide Dockets Opened for Review and Comment. Notice.
With this document, EPA is opening the public comment period for these registration reviews. Registration review is EPA's periodic review of pesticide registrations to ensure that each pesticide continues to satisfy the statutory standard for registration, that is, the pesticide can perform its intended function without unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. Registration review dockets contain information that will assist the public in understanding the types of information and issues that the Agency may consider during the course of registration reviews. Through this program, EPA is ensuring that each pesticide's registration is based on current scientific and other knowledge, including its effects on human health and the environment.

COMMENTS ON THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ARE DUE AUGUST 24, 2009:

Sulfuryl Fluoride: Human Health Assessment Scoping Document
in Support of Registration Review, May 28, 2009. Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136-0006  
http://fluoridealert.org/sf/hra.may.2009.pdf

Sulfuryl Fluoride: Addendum to the Human Health Assessment
Scoping Document in Support of Registration Review. June 17, 2009. Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136-0008  
http://fluoridealert.org/sf/hra.addendum.june.2009.pdf

Sulfuryl Fluoride California DPR Usage Data, October 2008.  Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136-0004  
http://fluoridealert.org/sf/california.usage.oct.2008.pdf

6/15/09 - Registration Review: Preliminary Problem Formulation
for Ecological Risk, Environmental Fate, Endangered Species,
and Drinking Water Assessments for Sulfuryl Fluoride.  Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136-0009  
http://fluoridealert.org/sf/eco-risk.fate.june.2009.pdf

• Sulfuryl Fluoride Appendix A Label Data Report, November 2008. Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136-0005  
http://fluoridealert.org/sf/appendix.a.nov.2008.pdf

• Updated Review of Sulfuryl Fluoride Incident Reports, February 2009.   Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136-0007  
http://fluoridealert.org/sf/incident.reports.feb.2009.pdf

To submit comments (due by August 24) click here and scroll down to "Registration Review Case (Sulfuryl Fluoride)" - then click on "Send a Comment or Submission".

• Sulfuryl Fluoride: Summary Document Registration Review, June 2009.  Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136-0003  
http://fluoridealert.org/sf/summary,june.2009.pdf

• Reader’s Guide to the Sulfuryl Fluoride Docket # EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136; June 24, 2009. Document ID: EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0136-0002  
http://fluoridealert.org/sf/guide.2009.docs.pdf

June 10, 2009 EPA-HQ-OPP-2009-0298 DOW AGROSCIENCES. Pesticide Experimental Use Permit; Receipt of Application; Comment Request.
Dow is requesting an EUP [Experimental Use Permit] for sulfuryl fluoride, a pesticide fumigant. The product is intended to be applied as a pre-plant soil fumigant to areas where tomato, pepper, squash, and cucurbits are typically grown. The proposed EUP program would be initiated on August 1, 2009 and finalized on August 1, 2012. The amount of pesticide product proposed for use is 32,500 lbs of the product, which equals 32,435 lbs of the active ingredient. The total proposed acreage is 65 acres. The states in which the proposed program will be conducted include California, Florida, Georgia, and Texas.

July 15, 2005

OPP-2005-0174

DOW AGROSCIENCES. Pesticide Tolerance. FINAL RULE.
• EPA is requiring an inhalation developmental neurotoxicity study in rats (OPPTS Harmonized Guideline 870.6300) as a condition of registration in order to more clearly and fully characterize the potential for neurotoxic effects in young animals.
See: EPA's response to Public Comments (Docket OPP-2005-0067-0020)
See EPA's Addendum to Public Comments (Docket OPP-2005-0067-0021)
See: Comparison of this Final Rule to Dow's March 4, 2005 Petition for new tolerances.
• There is too much to comment on to give a fair representation of FAN's concerns. The residue tolerances EPA approved with this Final Rule are:

Commodity
Fluoride
PPM
Sulfuryl fluoride
PPM
All processed food commodities not otherwise listed
70
2.0
Cattle, meat, dried
40
0.01
Cheese
5.0
2.0
Cocoa bean, postharvest
20
0.2
Coconut, postharvest
40
1.0
Coffee, postharvest
15
1.0
Cottonseed, postharvest
70
0.5
Eggs, dried
900
1.0
Ginger, postharvest
70
0.5
Ham
20
0.02
Herbs and spices, group 19, postharvest
(This group includes 135 commodities)
70
0.5
Milk, powdered
5.0
2.0
Nut, pine, postharvest
20
0.2
Peanut, postharvest
15
0.5
Rice, flour, postharvest
45
0.05
Vegetables, legume, group 6, postharvest
(This group includes 57 commodities)
70
0.5

With this action, tolerances are established in association with the use of sulfuryl fluoride for the above commodities as a result of the treatment of areas and equipment within food and feed processing plants with sulfuryl fluoride for the control of insects. The term food and feed processing plant includes those facilities specifically listed under the Food and Feed Processing Plants subgroup within pesticide use site group 12 in Appendix A to 40 CFR part 158.

Food and feed processing plants include:
http://www.setonresourcecenter.com/cfr/40CFR/P158_050.HTM

• Food and feed processing plants
• Bakeries
• Bottlers
• Canneries
• Dairies, creameries, milk processing plants
• Feed mills, feed stores
• Fresh fruit packing and processing
• Meat processing
• Poultry processing
• Wineries, wine cellars
• Flour mills, machinery, warehouses, bins, elevators
• Egg processing
• Candy and confectionary plants
• Sugar processing, cane mills, etc.
• Cider mills
• Dry food products plants
• Tobacco processing
• Air treatment for processing and transportation of foods
• Beverage processing
• Nut processing
• Cereal processing
• Seafood processing
• Vegetable oil processing
• Spice mills
• Vinegar processing
• Farinaceous processing (noodles, etc.)
• Mushroom processing
• Dried fruit processing
• Pickle processing
• Ice plants
• Chocolate processing
• Fruit juice processing

April 1, 2005 OPP-2005-0067 Extension of comment period from April 4 to April 19, 2005. No reason for the extension of the public comment period was given in this Notice.
March 4, 2005 OPP-2005-0067

DOW AGRO. Petition for new food tolerances.

Raw Agricultural Commodities 
Residues in or on the raw agricultural commodity:
Fluoride
(ppm)
Sulfuryl fluoride (ppm) 

Grain, cereal, forage, fodder and straw group 16, post harvest

Group 16 includes 50 commodities.

130
2.0

Grass, forage, fodder and hay group 17, post harvest

• Group 17 includes 360 commodities.

130
2.0

Herbs and spices group 19, post harvest

• Group 19 includes 135 commodities.

50
0.3

Vegetable, legume, group 06, post harvest

Group 06 includes 57 commodities.

6
0.02
Animal feed
130
2.0
Beef, meat
40
0.01
Ham
20
0.01
Egg
850
0.7
Cottonseed, post harvest
13
0.2
Peanut, post-harvest
13
0.2
Cocoa bean, post harvest
12
0.8
Coffee, post harvest
12
0.8
Cheese, post harvest
5
0.5
Milk
3
1.5
Other processed food
70
1.2
Rice flour, post harvest
98
0.08
Flour, post harvest
98
1.2
Coconut, post harvest
40
1.0
Ginger, post harvest
13
0.2
Nut, pine, post harvest
10
3.0
Oct 27, 2004 OPP-2004-0338 Cancellation of Pesticides for Non-payment of Year 2004 Registration Maintenance Fees.

Table 2.--Section 3 Registrations Canceled for Non-Payment of Maintenance Fee
Name of Pesticide Product Name Registrant Registration No.
Sulfuryl fluoride

Termafume

(See Ref. 1 for uses)

Integrated Environments Enternational Inc
9119 Alondra Blvd
Bellflower, CA 90706
068146-00003

Uses:
Pests:
Drywood termites, Formosan termite, Powderpost beetles, Deathwatch beetle, Old house borer, Carpet beetle (larvae), Carpet beetle (adult), Bed bug, Clothes moths, Cockroaches, Brownbanded cockroach, American cockroach, Oriental cockroach, Rats, Mice

Locations: Domestic dwellings (indoor), Hotels/motels/tourist courts (indoor), Construction materials, Buses (nonfeed/nonfood) (fumigation), Ships (fumigation), Railroad boxcars (nonfeed/nonfood) (fumigation), Automobiles, Commercial/institutional/industrial buildings (indoor inedible)

June 16, 2004 OPP-2003-0373 Pesticide Tolerance; Technical Correction. This document corrects a typographical error in the January 23, 2004, Final Rule for Sulfuryl fluoride tolerances. The fluoride residues for Wheat, grain, postharvest was listed at 40.04 ppm. This document corrects it to 40.0 ppm.
Jan 23, 2004 OPP-2003-0373

DOW AGRO. Pesticide Tolerance for the first food use of sulfuryl fluoride in the US. FINAL RULE.
This regulation establishes tolerances for residues of sulfuryl fluoride and inorganic fluoride from postharvest fumigation uses of sulfuryl fluoride in or on stored commodities.
Sulfuryl fluoride is considered to be a methyl bromide replacement for some of these post-harvest fumigation uses.
Because Dow Agrosciences has now requested that its EUP for sulfuryl fluoride use on walnuts and raisins be withdrawn EPA, in today's action, is establishing permanent tolerances for sulfuryl fluoride on walnuts and raisins, these temporary tolerances are being revoked, also as a part of today's action. The Agency received a Hearing Request dated April 8, 2002 in response to the temporary tolerance final rule from Fluoride Action Network. Because the tolerances that were objected to have now been revoked, the objections are moot and are denied on that ground.
Objections and requests for hearings, identified by docket ID number OPP-2003-0373, must be received on or before March 23, 2004.

Tolerances are established for residues in or on the following commodities from the postharvest fumigation with sulfuryl fluoride for the control of insects:
Commodity

for residues of Fluoride

PPM

for residues of
Sulfuryl Fluoride

PPM

Barley, bran, postharvest 45.0 0.05
Barley, flour, postharvest 45.0 0.05
Barley, grain, postharvest 15.0 0.1
Barley, pearled, postharvest 45.0 0.05
Corn, aspirated grain fractions, postharvest 55.0 0.05
Corn, field, flour, postharvest 35.0 0.01
Corn, field, grain, postharvest 10.0 0.05
Corn, field, grits, postharvest 10.0 15.0
Corn, field, meal, postharvest 30.0 0.01
Corn pop, grain, postharvest 10.0 0.05
Fruit, dried , postharvest (other than raisin) 3.0 -
Fruit, dried , postharvest - 0.05
Grape, raisin, postharvest 7.0 - 
Millet, grain, postharvest 40.0 0.1
Nut, tree, Group 14, postharvest * 10.0 3.0
Oat, flour, postharvest 75.0 0.05
Oat, grain, postharvest 25.0 0.1
Oat, rolled, postharvest 75.0 0.1
Pistachio, postharvest 10.0 3.0
Rice, bran, postharvest 31.0 0.01
Rice, grain, postharvest 12.0 0.04
Rice, hulls, postharvest 35.0 0.1
Rice, polished, postharvest 25.0 0.01
Rice, wild, grain, postharvest 25.0 0.05
Sorghum, grain, postharvest 40.0 0.1
Triticale, grain, postharvest 40.0 0.1
Wheat, bran, postharvest 40.0 0.05
Wheat, flour, postharvest 125.0 0.05
Wheat, germ, postharvest 130.0 0.02
Wheat, grain, postharvest 40.04 [corrected to 40.0 on June 16, 2004] 0.1
Wheat, milled byproducts, postharvest 130.0 0.05
Wheat, shorts, postharvest 40.0 0.05
* "NUT, TREE, GROUP 14" includes:

almond
almond, hulls
beechnut
butternut
cashew
chestnut
chinquapin

filbert
nut, brazil
nut, hickory
nut, macadamia
pecan
pistachio
walnut

nutmeat, processed, except peanut

nuts


US EPA Documents released in support of this Final Rule:

1. October 31, 2003. MEMORANDUM. SUBJECT: SULFURYL FLUORIDE - Second Report of the Hazard Identification Assessment Review Committee. Docket No. OPP-2003-0373-0004 - 31 pages

2.
November 18, 2003. A Preliminary Evaluation of Articles Related to Fluoride Cited by the Fluoride Action Network (FAN) as Objections to the Sulfuryl Fluoride Pesticide Tolerance Rule. Docket No. OPP-2003-0373-0003 - 55 pages

3. January 8, 2004. MEMORANDUM. SUBJECT: Review of Five Recent Papers on Fluoride Submitted by the Fluoride Action Network. Docket No. OPP-2003-0373-0005- 3 pages

4. January 16, 2004.RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS CONCERNING THE USE OF SULFURYL FLUORIDE AS A POST-HARVEST FUMIGANT. Docket No. OPP-2003-0373-0006 - 47 pages

5. January 20, 2004. MEMORANDUM. Subject: Human Health Risk Assessment for Sulfuryl Fluoride and Fluoride Anion Addressing the Section 3 Registration of Sulfuryl Fluoride Post-Harvest Fumigation of Stored Cereal Grains, Dried Fruits and Tree Nuts and Pest Control in Grain Processing Facilities. PP# 1F6312. Docket No. OPP-2003-0373-0002 - 51 pages

March 27, 2002 NA DOW AGRO. Issuance of 3-Year Experimental Use Permit for "ProFume Gas Fumigant."
62719-EUP-45. This EUP allows the use of 67,000 pounds of the ProFume Gas Fumigant (sulfuryl fluoride) on up to 141 structures/enclosures to evaluate the control of post harvest infestations of insect and rodent pests in walnut and raisin processing facilities, warehouses, storage bins and facilities, fumigation chambers, and permanent and temporary enclosures (tarped commodity fumigation). This EUP allows evaluation of sulfuryl fluoride as an alternative to methyl bromide in the post-harvest fumigation of stored commodities. The program is authorized only in the State of California. The EUP is effective from March 1, 2002 to March 1, 2005.
Feb 15, 2002 PF-1068

DOW AGRO - Pesticide petition to establish Fluoride and Sulfuryl fluoride tolerances for a large number (40) of raw and processed foods. As Fluoride is the endpoint of toxicological concern, it is these tolerances that are of concern. The highest tolerance for Fluoride residues in this petition is for processed Wheat Germ at 98 parts per million. Other Fluoride tolerances vary for a variety of foods which include Nuts: Almond, Beechnut, Brazil, Butternut, Cashew, Chestnut, Chinquapin, Filbert, Macadamia, Pecan, Pistachio, Walnut; Fruits: Date, Fig, Dried fruits, Raisin, Prune; and Grains: Barley, Corn, Millet, Oat, Rice, Sorghum, Triticale, Wheat.

This is the second request made by Dow for fluoride tolerances. Both requests are due to the effort to replace the banned fumigant Methyl Bromide, a known ozone depleter. Dow's first request for an Experimental Use Permit was approved by EPA on Feb 7, 2002 (see below).

It is important to read the health assessment on Fluoride prepared by EPA and published in the Federal Register on September 5, 2002.

At first reading there appears to be several discrepancies between this petition and the Final Rule approved by EPA for an Experimental Use Permit (EUP) on Feb 7, 2002. Two of these discrepancies:

No Developmental Neurotoxicity study has been performed for Sulfuyl fluoride. EPA did not require this study because Sulfuryl fluoride had no food uses (it was used as structural fumigant). EPA approved Dow's request for the EUP without this study due to the nature of an Experimental Use Permit. However, EPA stated in its Final Rule for the EUP on Feb 7th that for "unconditional registration," which Dow is requesting in this petition, that a developmental neurotoxicity study "is warranted." Citizens must ensure than EPA defer consideration of Dow's request until a Developmental Neurotoxicity study for Sulfuryl fluoride is performed. The second discrepancy of interest relates to tolerances:

Sulfuryl Fluoride Tolerances
- DOW's EUP
Feb 7, 2002
DOW's Petition of Feb 15, 2002
Raisin
0.004 ppm 0.01 ppm
Walnut
2 ppm 6 ppm
Inorganic Fluoride Tolerances
Raisin 30 ppm 5 ppm
Walnut 12 ppm 30 ppm
Feb 7, 2002 OPP-301166A

DOW AGRO - Three-year Experimental Use Permit that allows Dow to use Sulfuryl fluoride as a fumigant on Raisins and Walnuts. - FINAL RULE. This permit allows very high tolerances of inorganic fluoride: 30 ppm in or on raisins and 12 ppm in or on walnuts. EPA notes that they received 86 responses to this proposal. EPA's justification for allowing these high tolerance levels are of some interest.

Sept 5, 2001 OPP-301166

Proposed Pesticide Temporary Tolerances for residues resulting from the post harvest treatment with sulfuryl fluoride:

-- INORGANIC FLUORIDE residues in or on RAISINS at 30 ppm; in or on WALNUTS at 12 ppm.
-- SULFURYL FLUORIDE residues in or on RAISINS at 0.004 ppm; and in or on WALNUTS at 2 ppm. Expiration date: April 1, 2006.

June 21, 2001 RSPA-2000-7702 (HM-215D) Hazardous Materials Regulations for Fluoride/fluorinated substances. Harmonization of international shipment of Dangerous Goods. - FINAL RULE.
June 15, 2001 PF-1030

DOW AGRO - Petition to establish a Tolerance for FLUORIDE and Sulfuryl fluoride on Walnuts; petition for an Exemption of FLUORIDE tolerances on Raisins.

Feb 9, 1996 95-050N
(USDA)
General discussion of pesticide treated food commodities as candidates for Codex Maximum Residue Limits.
Nov 30, 1994 OPPTS-400082B Added to the list of toxic chemicals subject to reporting under section 313 of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA) and section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 (PPA). Final Rule.
Jan 12, 1994 OPPTS-400082 EPA's proposal to add 41 fluorine and organofluorine chemicals to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI). See excerpt in box above.
 
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