HSE Press Release E07602

Click Here to Add Comment

Previous Current Articles Next
Subject:  HSE Press Release E07602
Date:    Wed, 24 Apr 2002 16:31:07 -0400
From:      Stephen Tvedten <steve@getipm.com>
Organization:     Get Set Inc. (www.getipm.com)

To:     Paul Helliker <phelliker@cdpr.ca.gov>
          Director, State of California, Department of Pesticide Regulation 

cc:    Christine Whitman whitman.christine@epa.gov

HSE Press Release E076:02 - 19 April 2002

Ministers act against a range of insecticides containing the chemical dichlorvos

As a precautionary measure, Ministers have suspended the sale of a range of agricultural, professional and domestic insecticide products containing the chemical dichlorvos (see Annex 1 for a full list of affected products). 

Dichlorvos is used in some domestic pesticide products and certain parts of the horticultural industry. This decision will minimise the exposure of householders and those who work with pesticides from a remote but potentially significant risk to their health. 

This decision has been taken by Ministers following the advice of an independent expert scientific committee, the Advisory Committee on Pesticides (ACP). In reaching its decision, the ACP consulted members of the Committee on Mutagenicity (COM) and the Committee on Carcinogenicity, both of which report to the Government's Chief Medical Officer and the Chairman of the Food Standards Agency. 

The ACP was concerned that it could not satisfactorily rule out the possibility that dichlorvos is a genotoxic carcinogen (i.e. causes cancer by damaging DNA). 

ACP Chair, Professor David Coggon said: 

"We have advised Ministers that there could be a small risk of adverse health effects following prolonged exposure to dichlorvos. They have therefore decided as a precautionary measure to suspend the sale of specified products containing dichlorvos with immediate effect."

This means that it will be illegal to advertise, sell or supply a range of insecticides containing dichlorvos. Retailers should remove all such products from their shelves immediately and may wish to contact their suppliers or local waste authority for details of how to dispose of them. It is not illegal to continue to store or use the products, as long as this is done safely (for example, by following the instructions given on the product label).

Members of the public can continue to use up dichlorvos products that they have already bought, and may dispose of used or unused products in household rubbish bins.

Dr Alan Whitehead, Minister for Health and Safety, said:

"This is a responsible precautionary step, and one which has been taken in the light of careful consideration of independent expert scientific advice." 

The Lord Whitty, Minister for Food and Farming : 

"I fully support this regulatory action, which demonstrates the Government's commitment to vigorous safety-based pesticide controls in order to protect users of pesticides against potential risks to their health. The advice from the Advisory Committee on Pesticides is precautionary and indicates that any risk to users is remote.

"However, no suspended products containing dichlorvos will be allowed into the supply chain until and unless Ministers have the ACP's advice that this is acceptably safe."

The suspension will last until such time as acceptable data regarding the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of dichlorvos can be presented to the ACP.

The Health and Safety Executive acts on behalf of Ministers in issuing approvals for household and other non-agricultural insecticides, and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (DEFRA's) Pesticides Safety Directorate issues approvals on behalf of Ministers for agricultural insecticides.

Media enquiries 

Public Enquiries 

NOTES FOR EDITORS 

  1. Pesticides are controlled under the Food and Environmental Protection Act 1985 and the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. Without specific approval, no pesticide may be advertised, sold, supplied, stored or used. Ministers' decision means that the advertisement, sale and supply of both agricultural and domestic insecticides containing dichlorvos are suspended. The suspension will last until such time as acceptable data regarding the mutagenic and carcinogenic potential of dichlovos can be presented to the ACP. Consumers and professional may, however, use up any product that they have already bought.

  2. The Advisory Committee on Pesticides, set up under the 1985 Act, is an independent committee of experts that advises health and agriculture Ministers on the safety of pesticides. Its advice is provided to the Department of Health, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, and Ministers in the devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales. Its meetings are attended by officials from these departments, and from the Health and Safety Executive and DEFRA's Pesticides Safety Directorate who jointly provide the Secretariat for the Committee, and act as the agents of the above Ministers in the issuing of approvals, suspensions and revocations for pesticides. 

  3. The Committee on Mutagenicity (full title, the Committee on Mutagenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment) and The Committee on Carcinogenicity (full title, the Committee on Carcinogenicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products, and the Environment) are independent committees of experts reporting to the Chief Medical Officer (Sir Liam Donaldson) and the Chairman of the Board of the Food Standards Agency (Sir John Krebs). COM and COC provides advice to Government departments and agencies. 

  4. Dichlorvos is an organophosphate. The Health and Safety Executive and DEFRA are conducting a review of all anticholinesterase (organophosphorus and carbamate) compounds approved under the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986. These reviews are being conducted to reassess the risk that agricultural and non-agricultural pesticide products present to consumers, workers and the environment. This review programme does not cover use of these compounds for other purposes, for example use in human and veterinary medicines (including use as sheep dips, although dichlorvos is not used in sheep dips) as these are authorised and subject to scrutiny under separate legislation.

  5. Further information: The minutes of the ACP meetings can be found on the website of the Pesticides Safety Directorate of DEFRA: http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/committees/acp/acp.htm 

The statement and minutes of COM's consideration of dichlorvos are published on the Department of Health website: http://www.doh.gov.uk/com.htm 

Further information on the approval system for non-agricultural pesticides can be found on the HSE website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/hthdir/noframes/bpau.htm 

PUBLIC ENQUIRIES:

Call HSE's InfoLine, tel: 08701-545500 
or write to: HSE Information Services, Caerphilly Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG. 

Annex 1 List of suspended products Table 1. Non-agricultural pesticides containing dichlorvos affected by this decision

The identity of any approved product can be confirmed by checking the HSE approval number, which must appear on the product label.

HSE No. 

Product Name

Product Type

Marketing Company

4773

Bop

Aerosol

McBride International

6152

Farco Rapid Kill

Aerosol 

F A Richard & Co Ltd

3696

Shelltox Extra Fly killer 

Aerosol

Temana International Ltd

3162

Shelltox Fly killer

Aerosol

Temana International Ltd

4907

Vapona Fly & Wasp Killer Spray  

Aerosol

Ashe Ltd

6265

Anopav Fly Killer

Slow release strip 

Not to be marketed

5795

Betterware Flying Insect Killer (Slow Release)

Slow release cassette

Betterware UK Ltd

6959

Betterware Slow

Slow release cassette

Betterware UK Ltd

5990

Betterware Small Space  Insect Killer

Slow release cassette

Betterware UK Ltd

4922

Boots Slow Release Fly Killer

Slow release cassette

The Boots Company PLC

5272

Boots Small Space Moth Killer

Slow release cassette

The Boots Company PLC

6958 

Bouchard Slow Release Fly Killer

Slow release cassette

IBA UK Ltd

7085

 Combat Fly Killer

Slow release cassette

Sinclair Animal &  House Care Ltd

7086 

Combat Moth Killer

Slow release cassette

Sinclair Animal & House Care Ltd

 4338

Cromessol Fly-Away  

Slow release cassette

Comessol Company Ltd

4027

Culmstock Mothproofer 

Slow release cassette

Culmstock Ltd

 3961

Culmstock Slow Release Fly Killer

Slow release cassette

Culmstock Ltd

5676 

Fly Killer

Slow release cassette

Rentokil Intitial UK Ltd

4442

Flying Insect Killer 

Slow release cassette

Culmstock Ltd

4618

Freshways Slow Release Insect Killer

Slow release cassette

Freshways of York

4692 

Global Small Space Fly and Moth Strip

Slow release cassette

Globol Chemicals UK Ltd

4617

Industrial Hygiene Controllable Cassette Insect Killer

Slow release cassette

Industrial Hygiene Co. Ltd

5259

Jeyes Slow ReleaseFly Killer Controllable Cassette

Slow release cassette

Jeyes Group Ltd

5289

Jeyes Small Space Fly And Moth Strip

Slow release cassette

Jeyes Group Ltd

5261

 Kleenoff Slow Release Fly Killer Controllable Cassette

Slow release cassette

Jeyes Group Ltd

5288 

Kleenoff Small Space Fly And Moth Strip

Slow release cassette

Jeyes Group Ltd

5598

 Kontrol Kitchen Size Fly Killer

Slow release cassette

Sinclair Animal & House Care Ltd

4920

Lloyds Supersave Slow Release Fly And Wasp Killer

Slow release cassette

Lloyds

4921 

Lloyds Supersave Small Space Fly And Moth Strip

Slow release cassette

Lloyds

5677

Moth And Fly Killer

Slow release cassette

Rentokil Initial Ltd

6268

Murphys Long Lasting Fly And Wasp Killer 

Slow release cassette

Levington Horticulture Ltd

4397

Secto Fly Killer Living Room Size

Slow release cassette 

Sinclair Animal & House Care Ltd

4398

Secto Mini-Space Insect Killers 

Slow release cassette

Sinclair Animal & House Care Ltd

4430

Secto Moth Killer

Slow release cassette

Sinclair Animal & House Care Ltd

4399

Secto Slow Release Fly Killer Kitchen Size

Slow release cassette

Sinclair Animal & House Care Ltd

4339

Slow Release Fly Killer Controllable Cassette 

Slow release cassette

Globol Chemicals UK Ltd

3962  

Superdrug Slow  Release Fly Killer 

Slow release cassette

Superdrug Stores PLC

4068

Superdrug Small Space Fly/Moth Strip

Slow release cassette

 Superdrug Stores PLC

3673 

Teepol Products Vapona Fly Killer 

Slow release cassette

Temana International Ltd

6168 

Terminator Slow Release Fly Killer

Slow release cassette

Sanoda Ltd

6167 

Terminator Small Space Fly And Moth Killer 

Slow release cassette

Sanoda Ltd

4717 

Vapona Fly Killer  

Slow release cassette 

Ashe Ltd

4724 

Vapona Moth Killer 

Slow release cassette

Ashe Ltd

5685 

Vapona Professional Cockroach Killer 

Slow release cassette

Ashe Consumer Products Ltd

4723 

Vapona Small Space Fly Killer 

Slow release cassette  

Ashe Consumer Products Ltd

4292  

Funnel Trap Insecticidal  Strip 

Slow release strip 

Agrisense BCS Ltd

5517 

DDVP (Toxicant) Strip 

 Slow release strip

International Pheremone Systems Ltd

5081 

Museum Flykiller  

Slow release strip 

Not to be marketed

 

If members of the public have a product with an HSE number to control insects in the home or other buildings which contains dichlorvos but is not in the list above, it may be old stocks of products that no longer hold approval. You can contact HSE to check this (0151 951 5825) or dispose of it in the bin.

Table 2. PSD approved products for agricultural use

FOR INFORMATION ONLY, ANY ENQUIRIES ON DEFRA PRODUCTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE PESTICIDES SAFETY DIRECTORATE ON 01904 455775

 

DEFRA No. 

Product

Supplier

M08590 

Nuvan 500EC 

Novartis Animal Health UK Ltd 

M08297 

Luxan Dichlorvos 600

Luxan Ltd 

M08298  

Luxan Dichlorvos Aerosol 15 

Luxan Ltd 

Background 

Published on the HSE web site on 19 April 2002 
Back to Press Release Index Page

If you would like to be included in our mailing list for continuing information on pesticides, please email us at list@safe2use.com.

TOP


Nontoxic Products Recommended by Steve Tvedten

Now Available
Safe 2 Use Products and Services