My personal feeling is that any pesticide is a poison, though we attempt to apply it in ways that affect only the target population. Nevertheless, here are the report results on Fluvalinate, for general consumption. Susan Nielsen [log in to unmask] ================= Begin forwarded message ================= E X T O X N E T EXTENSION TOXICOLOGY NETWORK A Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices at Cornell University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, and University of California at Davis. Major support and funding was provided by the USDA/Extension Service/National Agricultural Pesticide Impact Assessment Program. Revised 9/93. EXTOXNET primary files maintained and archived at Oregon State University. FLUVALINATE TRADE OR OTHER NAMES Some trade names include Klartan, Mavrik, Mavrik Aqua Flow, Spur and Yardex. REGULATORY STATUS Pesticides containing fluvalinate must bear the signal word "Danger" on the product label (1). Fluvalinate is classified as a Restricted Use Pesticide (RUP) because of its high toxicity to fish and aquatic invertebrates (5). Restricted Use Pesticides may be purchased and used only by certified applicators. INTRODUCTION Fluvalinate is a synthetic pyrethroid which is used as a broad spectrum insecticide against moths, beetles and Hemipteran insect pests on cotton, cereal, grape, potato, fruit tree, vegetable and plantation crops, fleas, turf and ornamental insects. It has both stomach and contact activity in target insects and is available in emulsifiable concentrate and flowable formulations (1). TOXICOLOGICAL EFFECTS ACUTE TOXICITY Fluvalinate is a moderately toxic material (1, 5). Fluvalinate is moderately irritating to the eye and it is a mild skin irritant (5). Fluvalinate does not cause allergic skin reactions (5). Some formulated products, including Mavrik 2E, can cause skin irritation and are corrosive to the eyes (3). Workers exposed to fluvalinate have reported coughing, sneezing, throat irritation, itching or burning sensations on the arms or face with or without a rash, headache and nausea (5). The amount of a chemical that is lethal to one-half (50%) of experimental animals fed the material is referred to as its acute oral lethal dose fifty, or LD50. The oral LD50 for technical fluvalinate in rats is 261 to 282 mg/kg (1, 5). The oral LD50 for the product Mavrik 2E in rats is 1,050 to 1,110 mg/kg (3). The dermal LD50 for technical fluvalinate in rats and rabbits is > 20,000 mg/kg (1, 5). The dermal LD50 for Mavrik 2E in rabbits is > 2,100 mg/kg (3). CHRONIC TOXICITY A 90-day study with rats fed 3 mg/kg/day and a 6-month study with dogs fed 5 mg/kg/day both showed no adverse effects (5). Reproductive Effects A reproductive study with rats showed no effects on offspring at 1 mg/kg. Toxic effects in fetuses occurred at 12.5 and 25 mg/kg, the highest dose tested (5). Teratogenic Effects EPA reports that no birth defects were detected in the offspring of rats fed 50 mg/kg nor in the offspring of rabbits fed 125 mg/kg (5). Mutagenic Effects Fluvalinate is not mutagenic (5). Carcinogenic Effects No tumors were observed in mice given doses of up to 20 mg/kg/day, nor in rats given doses as high as 2.5 mg/kg/day (5). Organ Toxicity Pyrethroids may cause adverse effects on the central nervous system. Long-term feeding studies have caused increased liver and kidney weights and adverse changes to liver tissues in test animals (4). No neurological effects were observed in hens given doses of 20,000 mg/kg/day of fluvalinate for 21 days (5). Fate in Humans and Animals No information was found. ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS Effects on Birds Fluvalinate is slightly toxic to birds. The acute oral LD50 for fluvalinate in bobwhite quail is > 2,510 mg/kg. The dietary LC50 for fluvalinate in mallard ducks and bobwhite quail is > 5,620 ppm (5). Effects on Aquatic Organisms Fluvalinate is highly toxic to fish (1). The 96-hour LC50 for fluvalinate in bluegill sunfish is 0.09 ug/l, and in rainbow trout is 2.9 ug/l. Its 48-hour LC50 in Daphnia magna, a small freshwater crustacean, is 74 ug/l, and in mysid shrimp is 2.9 ug/l (5). Pyrethroid insecticides are extremely toxic to fish with 96- hour LC50 values generally below 10 ug/l. Corresponding LD50 values in mammals and birds are in the range of several hundred to several thousand mg/kg. Fish sensitivity to the pyrethroids may be explained by their relatively slow metabolism and elimination of these compounds. The half-lives for elimination of several pyrethroids by trout are all greater than 48 hours, while elimination half-lives for birds and mammals range from 6 to 12 hours (8). Generally, the lethality of pyrethroids to fish increases with increasing octanol/water partition coefficients (9). Effects on Other Animals (Nontarget species) Fluvalinate was not toxic to honeybees exposed to residues left on cotton leaves after application of ultralow volume (ULV) and emulsifiable concentrate (EC) formulations (6). ENVIRONMENTAL FATE Breakdown of Chemical in Soil and Groundwater Fluvalinate is nearly insoluble in water and it has a strong tendency to bind to soil particles. It is therefore unlikely to contaminate groundwater, however metabolites of fluvalinate may leach (2, 5). Applications of less than 0.1 pounds of active ingredient per acre will decrease the potential for groundwater contamination (5). Its soil half-life is 30 days (2). In sandy loam, sandy clay and clay soils, fluvalinate degrades under aerobic conditions with half-lives of 4 to 8 days. Under anaerobic conditions in sandy loam, its half-life is 15 days (5). Fluvalinate is stable to hydrolysis under normal environmental temperatures and pH (5). Photodegradation of fluvalinate does not occur on soil (5). Breakdown of Chemical in Surface Water In aqueous solution, fluvalinate is subject to photodegradation with a half-life of 0.6 to 1 days. Photodegradation yields anilino acid and 3-phenoxy benzoic acid (5). In pond waters and in laboratory degradation studies, pyrethroid concentrations decrease rapidly due to sorption to sediment, suspended particles and plants. Microbial and photodegradation also occur (7). Breakdown of Chemical in Vegetation No information was found. PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND GUIDELINES Fluvalinate is a viscous, yellow oil (1). Workers should wear goggles, a face shield and gloves when opening or pouring containers of 2E formulations of fluvalinate (1). Exposure Guidelines: No occupational exposure limits have been established for fluvalinate by OSHA, NIOSH or ACGIH (4). ADI: 0.01 mg/kg/day based on a 2-year rat feeding study and a 100 fold safety margin (5). MPI: 0.6 mg/kg/day for a 60 kg person (5). Physical Properties: CAS #: 69409-94-5 Chemical Class/Use: Synthetic pyrethroid insecticide Density: 1.29 g/cm3 (5) H20 solubility: insoluble; 0.005 ug/ml (2); 2 ppb (5). Solubility in other solvents: very soluble in organic solvents and aromatic hydrocarbons; slightly soluble in hexane (5) Boiling point: > 450 degrees C (1) Vapor pressure: < 1 x 10-7 Torr at 25 degrees C (1) Koc: 1,000,000 gm/ml (2) BASIC MANUFACTURER Sandoz Agro, Inc. 1300 E. Touhy Ave. Des Plaines IL 60018 Telephone: 708-699-1616 Review by Basic Manufacturer: Comments solicited: April, 1993 Comments received: May, 1993 REFERENCES (1) Meister, R.T. (ed.). 1992. Farm Chemicals Handbook '92. Meister Publishing Company, Willoughby, OH. (2) U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service. 1990 (Nov.). SCS/ARS/CES Pesticide Properties Database: Version 2.0 (Summary). USDA - Soil Conservation Service, Syracuse, NY. (3) Maddy, K.T. et al. 1984 (Feb. 14). A study of fluvalinate dislodgeable degradation rates on orange foliage in Tulare County in California during May 1983. California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, CA. (4) Occupational Health Services, Inc. 1993 (Nov. 17). MSDS for Resmethrin. OHS Inc., Secaucus, NJ. (5) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. March 31, 1986. Pesticide Fact Sheet Number 86: Fluvalinate. US EPA, Office of Pesticide Programs, Registration Div., Washington, DC. (6) Waller, G.D., et al. 1988. Pyrethroid residues and toxicity to honeybees of selected pyrethroid formulations applied to cotton in Arizona. J. of Economic Entomology 81 (4): 1022-6. (7) Muir, D.C.G., et al. 1985. Bioconcentration of cypermethrin, deltamethrin, fenvalerate and permethrin by Chironomus tentans larvae in sediment and water. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 4: 51-61. (8) Bradbury, S.P. and J.R. Coats. 1989. Toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of pyrethroid insecticides in fish. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 8: 373-380. (9) Haya, K. 1989. Toxicity of pyrethroid insecticides to fish. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 8: 381-391. This PIP is part of the EXTOXNET Pesticide Information Notebook. For more information, contact the Pesticide Management Education Program, Cornell University, 5123 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853-0901. DISCLAIMER: The information in this profile does not in any way replace or supersede the information on the pesticide product label/ing or other regulatory requirements. Please refer to the pesticide product label/ing. --