Adverse Effects:

Anemia
Body Weight Decrease
Bone
Brain
Cancer: Probable Human Carcinogen - LIVER
Endocrine: Testicular
Eye
Kidney
Liver
Stomach

Environmental Effects:

Persistent in soil and water.

Phototoxic

Yes

114402

Acifluorfen, sodium:
Registered use in

Permitted in or on 5 food commodities in the US:
Peanut; Rice, grain; Rice, straw; Soybean, seed; Strawberry

Rationale for US EPA to add Acifluorfen, sodium to the Toxic Release Inventory

Acifluorfen sodium salt (5-(2-chloro-4- (triflouromethyl)phenoxy)-2-nitro-benzoic acid, sodium salt). Acifluorfen is classified as a Group B2 compound, i.e., the chemical is a probable human carcinogen. Acifluorfen produced an increased incidence of combined malignant and benign liver tumors in two different strains of mice. The compound also displayed positive mutagenic activity in several non-mammalian test systems, and is structurally similar to four other diphenyl ether herbicide compounds which caused increased incidences of liver tumors in two different strains of mice. EPA believes that there is sufficient evidence for listing acifluorfen sodium salt on EPCRA section 313 pursuant to EPCRA section 313(d)(2)(B) based on the available carcinogenicity data.

Ref. USEPA/OPP. Support Document for the Addition of Chemicals from Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) Active Ingredients to EPCRA Section 313. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (1993). As cited by US EPA in: Federal Register: January 12, 1994. Part IV. 40 CFR Part 372. Addition of Certain Chemicals; Toxic Chemical Release Reporting; Community Right-to-Know; Proposed Rule.

Acifluorfen - European Commission: one of 320 pesticides to be withdrawn in July 2003. However, a specific exemption for continued use of Acifluorfen has been allowed for use on Soybean in Italy. "Some 320 substances used in plant protection products (PPPs) - including insecticides, fungicides and herbicides Ð are to be withdrawn from the market by 25 July 2003 as part of the European Commission's new approach to the evaluation of active substances in plant protection products. This aims to improve safeguards to ensure that all such products in use are safe for the environment and human health. Users, wholesalers and retailers of plant protection products will need to be aware of whether the products they use or sell are likely to be withdrawn, so as to prevent them being left with stocks of unusable material. Those concerned should contact their national authority to check the authorisation status for any particular product. The Regulation (n¡ 2076/2002 of 20 November 2002), with the list of the 320 substances, has been published in the Offical Journal.
Ref: MIDDAY EXPRESS. News from the Press and Communication Service's midday briefing.

Chemical Profile
List of Pesticides which contain Acifluorfen

Details

Tolerance Actions. FINAL RULE.
EPA is modifying certain tolerances for the herbicide sodium acifluorfen. The regulatory actions in this document are part of the Agency's reregistration program under the FIFRA.
Tolerances are established for combined residues of the herbicide sodium salt of acifluorfen, sodium 5-[2-chloro-4-
(trifluoromethyl)phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoate, and its metabolites (the corresponding acid, methyl ester, and amino analogues) in or on the following raw agricultural commodities:

-- Peanut at 0.1 ppm
-- Rice, grain at 0.1 ppm
-- Rice, straw at 0.2 ppm
-- Soybean, seed at 0.1 ppm
-- Strawberry at 0.05 ppm

Peanut; Rice, grain; Rice, straw; Soybean, seed; Strawberry.

Requests to Voluntarily Cancel Certain Pesticide Registrations. Unless a request is withdrawn by August 21, 2006, orders will be issued canceling these registrations. The Agency will consider withdrawal requests postmarked no later than August 21, 2006.

Requests to Voluntarily Cancel Certain Pesticide Registrations.

Tolerance Actions. FINAL RULE. This final rule revokes specific meat, milk, poultry, and egg (MMPE) tolerances for residues of the insecticide sodium acifluorfen. EPA determined that there are no reasonable expectations of finite residues in or on meat, milk, poultry, or eggs for the aforementioned pesticide active
ingredients and that these tolerances are no longer needed. The regulatory actions in this document contribute toward the Agency's tolerance reassessment requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) section 408(q), as amended by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. By law, EPA is required by August 2006 to reassess the tolerances in existence on August 2, 1996. Because all the tolerances were previously reassessed, no reassessments are counted here toward the August, 2006 review deadline.

-- Label restrictions prohibit use of sodium acifluorfen treated peanut and soybean forage or hay for feed and grazing livestock on these treated crops. As noted in a memorandum dated April 21, 2002, available under docket ID number OPP-2003-0092,
EPA evaluated available ruminant and poultry metabolism data and determined that there is no reasonable expectation of residues being transferred to livestock commodities via consumption of feed items derived from crops treated with sodium acifluorfen according to current use directions. Based on the registered food/feed use patterns and metabolism data, EPA determined that there is no reasonable expectation of finite residues of sodium acifluorfen and its metabolites in eggs;
kidney and liver of cattle, goats, hogs, horses, and sheep; fat, meat, and meat byproducts of poultry; and milk. These tolerances are no longer needed under 40 CFR 180.6(a)(3). Therefore, EPA is revoking the tolerances in 40 CFR 180.383 for combined residues of the herbicide sodium salt of acifluorfen (sodium 5-[2-chloro-4-trifluoromethyl) phenoxy]-2-nitrobenzoic acid) and its metabolites (the corresponding acid, methyl ester, and amino analogues) in or on the following commodities: Cattle, kidney; cattle, liver; egg; goat, kidney; goat, liver; hog, kidney; hog, liver; horse, kidney; horse, liver; milk; poultry, fat; poultry, meat; poultry, meat byproducts; sheep, kidney; and sheep, liver.

Reregistration Eligibility Decision document (RED); Notice of Availability.
For the herbicide sodium acifluorfen, EPA is announcing the availability of the RED document and supporting technical documents. EPA has assessed the risks
associated with the use of sodium acifluorfen, reassessed the tolerances for sodium acifluorfen, and reached a reregistration eligibility decision. The Agency has determined that all currently registered uses of sodium acifluorfen are eligible for reregistration, provided that all the conditions identified in the RED document are
satisfied, including the implementation of risk mitigation measures through label amendments. The RED document also describes the tolerance reassessment decision for sodium acifluorfen. Comments on the RED must be
received by EPA on or before February 27, 2004.