Category: Masai Mara, Pesticides, carbofuran, lions | Date: Oct 29 2009 | By: paula

Despite all the evidence raised by WildlifeDirect and partners on the impact of Carbofuran on wildlife (lions, birds, fish, insects), the Kenya Pest Control Products Board has not been supportive and indeed states that there is no evidence that the product is dangerous. Unlike Canada and USA, the Kenya Government does not provide consumers with any information on the impacts that products we use are having on people or the environment.

The US EPA is proceeding toward cancellation of carbofuran registrations, to address risks to pesticide applicators and birds.  In 2006, in addition to dietary risks, EPA identified significant occupational and ecological risks from the use of carbofuran. Although carbofuran uses have benefits, EPA concluded that carbofuran products pose an unreasonable risk to human beings and the natural environment, and these risks outweigh the benefits of continued use. Therefore, all uses of carbofuran must be cancelled.In Canada, all products containing carbofuran are proposed for phase out because, based on available scientific information, they do not meet Health Canada’s current standards for human health and environmental protection and pose unacceptable risks to human health and the environment. Additional mitigation measures are not being proposed at this time.

We submit that if carbofuran is too dangerous to be used in USA and Canada then it is too dangerous to be used in Kenya.

Frederick M. Fishel at the University of Florida Pesticide Information Office  has written up a detailed account about Carbofuran and the cancellation process on their website. The following content comes from that site.

Carbofuran is a carbamate insecticide/nematicide, first registered in the United States in 1969. Carbofuran is classified as a restricted-use pesticide due to acute oral and inhalation toxicity. Carborfuran inhibits cholinesterase enzymes, affecting nerve-impulse transmission. Several formulations of the trade product, Furadan^®, are currently available (Figure 1). Although carbofuran has various registered uses, some of the commodities carbofuran is applied to in Florida include potato, corn, sugarcane, and cotton.

In the late 1990s, to reduce risks posed to drinking water and the natural environment due to carbofuran use, the manufacturer, Food Machinary and Chemical Corporation (FMC), made a number of changes to labels for flowable carbofuran. These changes included reducing the label-allowed application rates and numbers of applications.

• Topics: Pesticide Information Office  |  Fishel, Frederick M  |  Insecticides  |  Nematicides

Carbofuran Cancellation Process¹

Frederick M. Fishel²

This EDIS publication provides a brief history of carbofuran’s use in the United States, describes risks associated with carbofuran use, and outlines the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) stated rational for revoking its regulations that have allowed carbofuran residues in food. This publication also describes the EPA’s plans announced in 2008 to cancel the pesticide’s registration due to risks carbofuran poses to pesticide applicators and to birds in treated fields.

Carbofuran Background

Carbofuran is a carbamate insecticide/nematicide, first registered in the United States in 1969. Carbofuran is classified as a restricted-use pesticide due to acute oral and inhalation toxicity. Carborfuran inhibits cholinesterase enzymes, affecting nerve-impulse transmission. Several formulations of the trade product, Furadan^®, are currently available (Figure 1). Although carbofuran has various registered uses, some of the commodities carbofuran is applied to in Florida include potato, corn, sugarcane, and cotton.

In the late 1990s, to reduce risks posed to drinking water and the natural environment due to carbofuran use, the manufacturer, Food Machinary and Chemical Corporation (FMC), made a number of changes to labels for flowable carbofuran. These changes included reducing the label-allowed application rates and numbers of applications.

Figure 1.  Furadan 4F is an example of a carbofuran trade product currently on the market in USA.

To date, three human studies have been conducted for carbofuran – one oral and two dermal. In May 2006, these studies were reviewed by the EPA’s Human Studies Review Board (HSRB). The Board concluded that, while the studies were informative, the results are not appropriate for use by the EPA in either the individual carbofuran or carbamate cumulative risk assessment. The EPA did not use the results of the human studies in the risk assessment for carbofuran. Carbofuran is classified by the EPA as “Not Likely” to be a human carcinogen.

Ecological Effects

Carbofuran is:

• Very highly toxic to birds on an acute basis and highly toxic on a sub-acute basis. A chronic-effect level could not be established because all concentrations tested caused mortality in the test subjects.
• Highly toxic to mammals on an acute basis. Chronic toxicity testing on laboratory rats showed reduced offspring survival and body-weight reductions.
• Very highly toxic to freshwater and estuarine/marine fish on an acute basis. The available chronic test showed larval survival as the most sensitive endpoint for freshwater fish. Embryo hatching was indicated as the most sensitive endpoint for estuarine/marine fish.
• Very highly toxic to freshwater and estuarine/marine invertebrates on an acute basis. Chronic tests showed reproductive effects.

Pesticide Reregistration

All pesticides sold or distributed in the United States must by law be registered by the EPA, based on scientific studies showing that the pesticide can be used without posing unreasonable risks to people or to the environment. Additionally, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 protects the public from health risks presented with exposure to excessive pesticide residues in/on foods and everyday surroundings, such as in the home and at places of employment. This FQPA amended the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) with respect to the EPA’s process of establishing tolerances for pesticide residues in food and in the atmosphere. As a result, pesticides first registered by the EPA before November 1, 1984, must be reregistered to ensure that the pesticides meet today’s more-stringent standards, which are due to advances in scientific knowledge.

In evaluating pesticides for reregistration, EPA obtains and reviews comprehensive studies from pesticide producers describing each pesticide’s effects to human health and the environment. To implement provisions of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996, EPA considers the special sensitivity of infants and children to pesticides, as well as aggregate exposure of the public to pesticide residues from all sources and the cumulative effects of pesticides and other compounds with common mechanisms of toxicity.

EPA develops any mitigation measures or regulatory controls needed to effectively reduce each pesticide’s risks. EPA then reregisters pesticides that meet current standards for human health and safety. According to the EPA, these are the pesticides that can be used without posing unreasonable risks to human health and the environment.

When a pesticide is eligible for reregistration, EPA explains in a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) reasons for the decision on whether to reregister the pesticide or cancel registration for the pesticide.

Tolerance Revocation

Due to considerable risks associated with carbofuran in food and drinking water, EPA is revoking its regulations that have allowed carbofuran residues in food. Because dietary exposures to infants and children are of particular concern, the EPA is moving to revoke carbofuran tolerances first, before cancelling carbofuran registrations. This approach provides the most direct and timely means to realize protection of children from dietary risks. It also allows multiple stakeholders an additional opportunity to comment.

According to a statement released by the EPA on July 24, 2008, even though carbofuran is used on a small percentage of the U.S. food supply and therefore the likelihood of human exposure through food is low, EPA has identified risks that do not meet their rigorous food safety standards. EPA is taking the necessary steps to address these risks to ensure that the U.S. has the safest food supply possible. Children and others should continue to eat a variety of foods, as recommended by the federal government and nutritional experts.

In a Federal Register notice signed in July 2008, EPA is proposing to revoke all U.S. carbofuran tolerances. EPA specifically will request comment on whether any individual carbofuran tolerances, or group of tolerances, meet the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) safety standard. It is possible that one or more individual carbofuran tolerances could be maintained, if information is provided to demonstrate that the tolerance(s) would be safe.

Revoking carbofuran tolerances is part of a broader series of EPA actions to cancel all uses of carbofuran in the U.S. due to human dietary, occupational, and ecological risks of concern. After moving to revoke carbofuran tolerances, EPA subsequently plans to publish a Notice of Intent to Cancel all carbofuran registrations.

EPA establishes tolerances for pesticides that may be found on foods and can also revoke tolerances to better safeguard public health and the environment. The EPA must modify or revoke any tolerance that it determines is unsafe, that is, that does not meet the safety standard of the FFDCA. The EPA is proposing to revoke all tolerances for carbofuran because exposure through food and drinking water does not meet the FFDCA safety standard.

 Canada

This information is from the Canada Pest Control Board.

 “After a re-evaluation of the insecticide carbofuran, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, is proposing phase out of carbofuran products in Canada.

An evaluation of available scientific information found that, under the current conditions of use, carbofuran products pose an unacceptable risk to human health and the environment, and therefore do not meet Health Canada’s current standards for human health and environmental protection. As a result, all uses of carbofuran are proposed for phase-out. This includes registered uses on canola, mustard, sunflower, corn (sweet, field and silage), sugar beet, green pepper, potato, raspberry and strawberry as well as temporary emergency uses on turnip and rutabaga. The emergency uses on turnip and rutabaga were registered for the period of April 1, 2008, to August 31, 2008, and are no longer registered for use in Canada, but were included at the time of this assessment.

The PMRA’s pesticide re-evaluation program considers potential risks as well as the value of pesticide products to ensure they meet modern standards established to protect human health and the environment. Regulatory Directive DIR2001-03, PMRA Re-evaluation Program, presents the details of the re-evaluation activities and program structure. Re-evaluation draws on data from registrants, published scientific reports, information from other regulatory agencies, and any other relevant information available.

The proposal affects all end-use products registered in Canada that contain carbofuran. This Proposed Re-evaluation Decision is a consultation document that summarizes the science evaluation for carbofuran and presents the reasons for the proposed re-evaluation decision.

The information in the Portable Document Format (PDF) version of this document is presented in two parts. The Overview describes the regulatory process and key points of the evaluation, while the Science Evaluation provides detailed technical information on the human health, environmental and value assessment of carbofuran.”

Tags: carbofuran, EPA, FMC, furadan, Kenya, Paula Kahumbu, PCPB, pest control, Wildlife, wildlife poisoning