EPA Allows Cyclobutrifluram Pesticide on Lettuce and Soybeans – Say What?
Published Date: 11/5/2025
Rule
Summary
The EPA just set safe limits for the pesticide cyclobutrifluram on cotton, lettuce, and soybeans to keep our food safe. Farmers, food makers, and pesticide companies need to know these new rules start November 5, 2025. If anyone wants to object, they have until January 5, 2026, so act fast!
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 1 mixed.
New residue limits for four crops
The EPA established legal residue limits (tolerances) for cyclobutrifluram on four commodities, effective November 5, 2025: cotton, gin byproducts 0.02 ppm; cotton, undelinted seed 0.02 ppm; lettuce, leaf 0.06 ppm; and soybean, seed 0.03 ppm. The rule says agricultural producers, food manufacturers, and pesticide manufacturers may be affected by these new tolerances.
Residential lawn/turf use may expose toddlers
The document states cyclobutrifluram is proposed for registration for uses that could lead to residential exposures (for example, lawns and turf) and that EPA assessed short-term post-application exposure scenarios for children aged 1 to less than 2 years. Parents and guardians of young children should note this exposure scenario.
Agency finds low human health risk
EPA concluded cyclobutrifluram is "Not Likely to Be Carcinogenic to Humans" and that chronic dietary exposure uses only 1.9% of the chronic population-adjusted dose (cPAD) for infants less than 1 year old. EPA also reduced the FQPA safety factor for infants and children to 1X based on available data.
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