Gateway on Pesticide Hazards and Safe Pest Management

Beyond Pesticides offers resources below to evaluate the health and ecological effects of specific chemical exposure from ACTIVE INGREDIENTS in pesticide products, as well as regulatory information and supporting scientific documents. Because various pesticide products can contain more than one active ingredient, it is important to READ the LABEL to determine chemical components.

With 192 different active ingredients and counting, it is essential to establish the connection between the use of these chemicals and their respective hazards.

View the step-by-step guide on how to search for the active ingredient(s) in pesticide products below:

1. Go to U.S. EPA's Pesticide Product and Label System and enter the product name. The generic product name may vary.
   
2. After searching, click on the chemical ingredients tab or the link for the most recent label to find Active Ingredients.
                Chemical List                                            Label List 
   
   If one selects the chemical ingredients tab, skip to Step 4 . If not, proceed to step number 3
   
   
3. To find the active ingredient(s) on the label, search for the page in the document containing the date of registration. Usually, the active ingredients section occurs within the first few pages of the label document.
   
   
4. Return to the Beyond Pesticides Gateway and search for the active ingredient name in the yellow box to the right or from the list below. 
   
   

Updates from the Daily News Blog

Study Finds Increased Offspring Mortality in Pesticide-Laden Bird’s Nests
February 11, 2025

Multitude of Studies Find Epigenetic Effects from PFAS and Other Endocrine Disrupting Pesticides
January 16, 2025

Study Links Numerous Chemical Families of Pesticides to Endocrine Disrupting Effects, Including Obesity
December 17, 2024

Study Links Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals to Thyroid Dysfunction with Grave Health Effects
October 8, 2024

Over 60 Biomarkers of Pollutants and Pesticides Found in Hair Analyses of French Children
August 7, 2024

Study Shows Importance of Testing Pesticide Mixtures to Determine Adverse Ecosystem Effects
June 6, 2024

Cockroaches Exhibit Resistance to Pesticides at 10x Label Application Rates
March 22, 2022

Chemical Exposure Monitoring Documents Widespread Pesticide Exposure to People and Pets
January 18, 2022

Conservation Genomics Pinpoint Pesticides and Pathogens in Decline of Bumblebees
July 13, 2021

Pesticide Contamination in Waterways Raises New Alarm for Aquatic Life, Citing Poor Regulation
June 23, 2021

ALL RELATED STORIES >>

Fipronil

General Information

• Fact Sheet: Fipronil.pdf
• Product Names:

  Combat 12 Month (Clorox)
  Termidor SC (Bayer)
  Maxforce Ant Bait F1 (Maxforce Insect Control Systems)
  Maxforce Large Roach Bait (Maxforce Insect Control Systems)
  Combat Quick Roach Killing Gel (Combat Insect Control Systems)

• Chemical Class: Phenyl pyrazole insecticide
• Uses: Residential baits and gels, agriculture, golf courses
• Alternatives: Least Toxic Baits and Gels, Organic Agriculture, Golf Courses
• Beyond Pesticides rating: Toxic

Health and Environmental Effects

• Cancer: Possible (10)
• Endocrine Disruption: Yes (36)
• Reproductive Effects: Yes (7)
• Neurotoxicity: Yes (7)
• Kidney/Liver Damage: Yes (7)
• Sensitizer/ Irritant: Yes (7)
• Birth/Developmental: Not documented
• Detected in Groundwater: Not documented
• Potential Leacher: Not documented
• Toxic to Birds: Yes (7, 27)
• Toxic to Fish/Aquatic Organisms: Yes (7, 27)
• Toxic to Bees: Yes (7, 27)

Residential Uses as Found in the ManageSafe™ Database

• Carpenter Ants
• Fleas
• Termites
• Ants
• Cockroaches

Additional Information

• Regulatory Status:
  • EPA Regulatory Documents
    
• Supporting information:
  • Daily News Blog Entries (Beyond Pesticides)
  • NCAP Fipronil Factsheet (Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides)
  • NPIC Fipronil Factsheet (National Pesticide Information Center)
  • PAN Pesticides Database: Fipronil (Pesticide Action Network)
• Studies:
  • Effects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on non-target invertebrates. [Pisa,LW, Amaral-Rogers, V et al. 2015. Environ SCi and Poll Res. 22(1):68-102]
  • Fipronil-induced disruption of thyroid function in rats is mediated by increased total and free thyroxine clearances concomitantly to increased activity of hepatic enzymes. Leghait J, et al. 2009. Toxicology
  • Reproductive adverse effects of fipronil in Wistar rats. Ohi et al. 2004. Toxicology Letters
  • Human exposure to fipronil from dogs treated with frontline. Jennings, K.A. 2002. Vet Hum Toxicol
  • Diverse neurotoxicants target the differentiation of embryonic neural stem cells into neuronal and glial phenotypes.. Slotkin TA, Skavicus S, Card J, et al. 2016. Toxicology. 372:42-51
  • Pesticides are the dominant stressors for vulnerable insects in lowland streams. Liess, M., Liebmann, L., Vormeier, P., Weisner, O., Altenburger, R., Borchardt, D., Brack, W., Chatzinotas, A., Escher, B., Foit, K. and Gunold, R. Water Research, 201, p.117262.
  • Behavioral Effects of the Mixture and the Single Compounds Carbendazim, Fipronil, and Sulfentrazone on Zebrafish (Danio rerio) Larvae. Gomes, S. da S. et al. (2024) Behavioral effects of the mixture and the single compounds carbendazim, fipronil, and sulfentrazone on zebrafish (danio rerio) larvae, Biomedicines. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/6/1176.
  • Neurotoxicity of fipronil affects sensory and motor systems in zebrafish. Wu, C.H. et al. (2021) Neurotoxicity of fipronil affects sensory and motor systems in zebrafish, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048357521001279.
  • Residues of agrochemicals in beebread as an indicator of landscape management. Bogo, G. et al. (2024) Residues of agrochemicals in beebread as an indicator of landscape management, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724042232?via%3Dihub.
  • Exposure to pesticides, persistent and non − persistent pollutants in French 3.5-year-old children: Findings from comprehensive hair analysis in the ELFE national birth cohort. Macheka, L. et al. (2024) Exposure to pesticides, persistent and non − persistent pollutants in French 3.5-year-old children: Findings from comprehensive hair analysis in the ELFE national birth cohort, Environment International. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412024004677.
  • Thyroid under Attack: The Adverse Impact of Plasticizers, Pesticides, and PFASs on Thyroid Function. Rodrigues, V.G. et al. (2024) Thyroid under Attack: The Adverse Impact of Plasticizers, Pesticides, and PFASs on Thyroid Function, Endocrines. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2673-396X/5/3/32.
  • Impact of Endocrine Disrupting Pesticide Use on Obesity: A Systematic Review. Pérez-Bermejo, M. et al. (2024) Impact of Endocrine Disrupting Pesticide Use on Obesity: A Systematic Review, Biomedicines. Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9059/12/12/2677.
  • Pesticide-Induced Inflammation at a Glance. Lopes-Ferreira, M. et al. (2023) ‘Pesticide-induced inflammation at a glance’, Toxics, 11(11), p. 896. doi:10.3390/toxics11110896.
  • Environmental fate and exposure; neonicotinoids and fipronil. Bonmatin, JM., Giorio, C., Girolami, V. et al. Environmental fate and exposure; neonicotinoids and fipronil. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 35–67 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3332-7
  • High prevalence of veterinary drugs in bird's nests. Tassin de Montaigu, C. et al. (2025) High prevalence of veterinary drugs in bird’s nests, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969725000737.
  • An update of the Worldwide Integrated Assessment (WIA) on systemic insecticides. Pisa, L., Goulson, D., Yang, EC. et al. An update of the Worldwide Integrated Assessment (WIA) on systemic insecticides. Part 2: impacts on organisms and ecosystems. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 11749–11797 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-017-0341-3
  • Behavioral response and gene expression changes in fipronil-administered male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Samah R. Khalil, Ashraf Awad, Hesham H. Mohammed, Behavioral response and gene expression changes in fipronil-administered male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica), Environmental Pollution, Volume 223, 2017, Pages 51-61, ISSN 0269-7491, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2016.12.027.
  • Assessing the Risk of Fipronil-Treated Seed Ingestion and Associated Adverse Effects in the Red-Legged Partridge. Lopez-Antia, A. et al. (2015) Assessing the Risk of Fipronil-Treated Seed Ingestion and Associated Adverse Effects in the Red-Legged Partridge, Environmental Science & Technology. Available at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.5b03822.
  • Pesticide effects on nitrogen cycle related microbial functions and community composition. Sim, J. X. F., Doolette, C. L., Vasileiadis, S., Drigo, B., Wyrsch, E. R., Djordjevic, S. P., Donner, E., Karpouzas, D. G., & Lombi, E. (2022). Pesticide effects on nitrogen cycle related microbial functions and community composition. The Science of the total environment, 807(Pt 1), 150734. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150734
  • Broad-scale pesticide screening finds anticoagulant rodenticide and legacy pesticides in Australian frogs. Rowley, J. et al. (2024) Broad-scale pesticide screening finds anticoagulant rodenticide and legacy pesticides in Australian frogs, Science of The Total Environment. Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004896972402672X.
  • Characterizing pyrethroid and fipronil concentrations in biosolids. Wheeler, J., Black, G. P., Hladik, M. L., Sanders, C. J., Teerlink, J., Wong, L., Zhang, X., Budd, R., & Young, T. M. (2025). Characterizing pyrethroid and fipronil concentrations in biosolids. The Science of the total environment, 969, 178954. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.178954
  • Systemic insecticides (neonicotinoids and fipronil): trends, uses, mode of action and metabolites. Simon-Delso, N., Amaral-Rogers, V., Belzunces, L.P. et al. Systemic insecticides (neonicotinoids and fipronil): trends, uses, mode of action and metabolites. Environ Sci Pollut Res 22, 5–34 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3470-y
  • Pet dogs transfer veterinary medicines to the environment. Diepens, Noël & Belgers, Dick & Buijse-Bogdan, Laura & Roessink, Ivo. (2022). Pet dogs transfer veterinary medicines to the environment. Science of The Total Environment. 858. 159550. 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159550.
  • American Healthy Homes Survey: A National Study of Residential Pesticides Measured from Floor Wipes. Stout, D. M., 2nd, Bradham, K. D., Egeghy, P. P., Jones, P. A., Croghan, C. W., Ashley, P. A., Pinzer, E., Friedman, W., Brinkman, M. C., Nishioka, M. G., & Cox, D. C. (2009). American Healthy Homes Survey: a national study of residential pesticides measured from floor wipes. Environmental science & technology, 43(12), 4294–4300. https://doi.org/10.1021/es8030243
  • Effects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on non-target invertebrates. Pisa, L. W., Amaral-Rogers, V., Belzunces, L. P., Bonmatin, J. M., Downs, C. A., Goulson, D., Kreutzweiser, D. P., Krupke, C., Liess, M., McField, M., Morrissey, C. A., Noome, D. A., Settele, J., Simon-Delso, N., Stark, J. D., Van der Sluijs, J. P., Van Dyck, H., & Wiemers, M. (2015). Effects of neonicotinoids and fipronil on non-target invertebrates. Environmental science and pollution research international, 22(1), 68–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-014-3471-x
  • Bioaccumulation of pesticide contaminants in tissue matrices of dogs suffering from malignant canine mammary tumors in Punjab, India. Gautam, S., Sood, N. K., Gupta, K., Joshi, C., Gill, K. K., Kaur, R., & Chauhan, I. (2020). Bioaccumulation of pesticide contaminants in tissue matrices of dogs suffering from malignant canine mammary tumors in Punjab, India. Heliyon, 6(10), e05274. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05274