Greensense CITRUS is the �technical material� full strength concentration of d-limonene. The EPA lists the aquatic toxicity of the technical material at �Slightly Toxic to Practically Nontoxic� for the technical material d-limonene (citrus oil). This product is not a formulation (diluted mixture containing some smaller percentage of active ingredient) of a highly toxic technical material.
The FDA considers d-limonene to be safe as a food additive and since the EPA considers the technical material to be low toxicity it has waived the citations for toxicity in the MSDS, much like an MSDS for water would not list ecotoxicity.
The application of citrus oil to fire ant mounds is straight into the mound in diluted liquid form. This application limits the mobility of the active ingredient (d-limonene). Further, the active ingredient has a very short half life in the environment further limiting the mobility/potential contact with a body of water.
d-limonene is also insoluble in water so that if it were to get into the water it would be stable and because of it�s specific gravity would float on the water�s surface making it hard to affect fish.
The following information was taken from the EPA Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED), September 1994, document referenced in the URL below.
http://www.epa.gov/REDs/3083.pdf Excerpt from Appendix G. Fact Sheet, Page 3
Environmental
Assessment
Environmental Fate
Limonene is insoluble and is expected to be stable in water.
Ecological Effects
Technical limonene is practically nontoxic to birds on a subacute
dietary basis, and is slightly toxic to freshwater fish and invertebrates on an
acute basis. The formulated product is practically nontoxic to birds on an
acute and subacute dietary basis. It is practically nontoxic to freshwater fish
and slightly toxic to freshwater invertebrates on an acute basis. Based on
acute toxicity data using rats, limonene is practically nontoxic to mammals.
Nothing is ever completely fool proof and there are risks to using this and many other products. I am of the opinion that this product is more fool proof / safer than most on the market.
Cheers,
JW
