Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2022-02, Flucarbazone (present as flucarbazone-sodium) and its associated end-use products

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Pest Management Regulatory Agency
25 January 2022
ISSN: 1925-0967 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-27/2022-2E-PDF (PDF version)

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To obtain a full copy of Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2022-02, Flucarbazone (present as flucarbazone-sodium) and Its Associated End-use Products please contact our publications office.

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Table of contents

Proposed re-evaluation decision for flucarbazone (present as flucarbazone-sodium) and associated end-use products

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, all registered pesticides must be re-evaluated by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) to ensure that they continue to meet current health and environmental standards and continue to have value. The re-evaluation considers data and information from pesticide manufacturers, published scientific reports and other regulatory agencies. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods as well as current risk management approaches and policies.

Flucarbazone (present as flucarbazone-sodium) is a selective herbicide used on wheat (spring, durum and winter) in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Peace River region of British Columbia. It is used to control certain annual grasses and broadleaf weeds. Flucarbazone products are formulated as wettable granules, suspension or emulsifiable concentrate and can be applied using ground or aerial equipment. Currently registered products containing flucarbazone can be found in the Pesticide Label Search and in Appendix I of PRVD2022-02, Flucarbazone (present as flucarbazone-sodium) and its associated end-use products.

This document (PRVD2022-02) presents the proposed re-evaluation decision for flucarbazone, including the proposed amendments (risk mitigation measures) to protect human health and the environment, as well as the science evaluation on which the proposed decision is based. All products containing flucarbazone that are registered in Canada are subject to this proposed re-evaluation decision. PRVD2022-02 is subject to a 90-day public consultation period,Footnote 1 during which the public (including the pesticide manufacturers and stakeholders) may submit written comments and additional information to PMRA Publications. The final re-evaluation decision will be published after taking into consideration the comments and information received during the consultation period.

Proposed re-evaluation decision for flucarbazone

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act and based on an evaluation of available scientific information, Health Canada is proposing continued registration of flucarbazone and associated end-use products registered for sale and use in Canada.

With respect to human health, risks (occupational, dietary, residential/bystander) were shown to be acceptable when flucarbazone is used according to proposed conditions of registration, which include mitigation such as protective clothing and personal protective equipment for mixers, loaders, and applicators, a standard restricted entry interval, and a best practice label statement to minimize the potential for spray drift to limit bystander exposure.

The environmental risk assessment found that flucarbazone and major transformation products flucarbazone sulfonamide, NODT, and flucarbazone sulfonic are expected to be very highly mobile in soil, and may leach to groundwater. A label statement indicating the potential for leaching is proposed for product labels. Flucarbazone does not pose a risk to wild birds, mammals, bees, earthworms, freshwater fish, aquatic invertebrates or algae for the registered uses. Potential risk to non-target terrestrial and aquatic vascular plants were identified during the re-evaluation. Spray buffer zones are required to mitigate potential risks to terrestrial and aquatic vascular plants. When used according to the revised label directions, the risks to the environment have been shown to be acceptable.

Flucarbazone has value as an important weed management tool for Western Canadian wheat growers.

Risk mitigation measures

Registered pesticide product labels include specific directions for use. Directions include risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment and must be followed by law. The proposed label amendments including any revised/updated label statements and/or mitigation measures, as a result of the re-evaluation of flucarbazone, are summarized below. Refer to Appendix XIII of PRVD2022-02 for details.

Human health

Risk mitigation:

To protect workers during mixing, loading and applying and postapplication exposure, the following risk-reduction measures are proposed:

To protect bystanders from agriculture application exposure, the following best practice statement is proposed:

Environment

Risk mitigation:

To protect the environment, the following risk-reduction measures are proposed:

International context

Flucarbazone is currently acceptable for use in other Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) member countries, including the United States, Chile and Turkey. No decision by an OECD member country to prohibit all uses of flucarbazone for health or environmental reasons has been identified as of 7 May 2021.

Next steps

Upon publication of this proposed re-evaluation decision, the public, including the registrants and stakeholders are encouraged to submit additional information that could be used to refine risk assessments during the 90-day public consultation period.

All comments received during the 90-day public consultation period will be taken into consideration in preparation of re-evaluation decision document,Footnote 2 which could result in revised risk mitigation measures. The re-evaluation decision document will include the final re-evaluation decision, the reasons for it and a summary of comments received on the proposed re-evaluation decision with Health Canada's responses.

Refer to Appendix I and II of PRVD2022-02 for details on specific products and uses impacted by this proposed decision.

Other information

The relevant confidential test data on which the proposed decision is based (see References section of PRVD2022-02) are available for public inspection, upon application, in Health Canada's Reading Room. For more information, please contact Health Canada's Pest Management Information Service.

Additional scientific information

No additional scientific data are required at this time.

Footnote 1

"Consultation statement" as required by subsection 28(2) of the Pest Control Products Act.

Return to footnote 1 referrer

Footnote 2

"Decision statement" as required by subsection 28(5) of the Pest Control Products Act.

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