FIPRONIL is an important and relatively new insecticide for crop and animal protection, developed by Rhone-Poulenc. It can be quite effective. However, as with all insecticides, it is not without toxicity to unintended organisms (1, 2). The metabolism, degradation, and environmental fate have been studied (3, 4, 6). Studies on toxicity are continuing, as are new applications and application methods (7). The major fipronil metabolites are fipronil-sulfone and fipronil-sulfide. A major photodegradation product is fipronil-desulfinyl, which can be ingested by animals and also appears following oral exposure or injection. All three products appear to contribute to the toxicity of fipronil. Therefore, analyses should include all four substances. There also is a fipronil-amide hydrolysis product whose analysis we can provide.

We use HPLC/MS/MS (tandem MS) for each of these, which provides better sensitivity than does GC/MS (5). However, if GC/MS analysis is required, we can offer this, too. Our limits of detection for routine analysis of fipronil and metabolites is 100pg/mL with a 1mL sample. The lower limit of quantitation for routine samples is generally 250pg/mL with a 1mL sample.

Please contact us for costs and turn around time. Ask for Dr. Patricia Sulik or Dr. Robert Lantz.

REFERENCES:

1. "FIPORONIL Technical Fact Sheet" National Pesticide Information Center.

2. "New Pesticide Fact Sheet - Fipronil" EPA- 737-F-96-005 USEPA, Office of Pesticide Programs (1996).

3. Hainzl, D, Cole, LM and Casida, JE, "Mechanism for Selective Toxicity of Fipronil Insecticide and Its Sulfone Metabolite and Desulfinyl Photoproduct," Chem. Res. Tox. 11 1529-1535 (1998).

4. Hainzl, D and Casida, JE, "Fipronil Insecticide: Novel Photochemical desulfinylation with Retention of Neuotoxicity," PNASUS 93, 12764-12767 (1996).

5. Priard, C, et al, "Development and Evaluation of a Multi-residue method for pesticide Determination..." J. Chrom. A 1152 116-123 (2007).

6. Bobe, A, et al, "Kinetics and Mechaminsms of Abiotic Degradation of Fipronil (Hydrolysis and Photolysis)," J. Agric. Food Chem. 46, 2834-2839 (1998).

7. Sackmann, P, Rabinovich, M, and Corley, JC "Successful Removal of German Yellowjackets (Hymenoptera Vespidae) by Toxic Baiting," J. Econ. Entomology 94 (4) 811-816 (2001).

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Updated: 29 July 2010