Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2022-19, Verbenone and Its Associated End-use Products

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
6 September 2022
ISSN: 1925-0967 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-27/2022-19E-PDF (PDF version)

Table of contents

• Proposed re-evaluation decision
• Next steps
• Other information
• Additional scientific information

Proposed re-evaluation decision

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

This document (Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2022-19, Verbenone and Its Associated End-use Products) presents the proposed regulatory decision for the re-evaluation of verbenone, including any 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.

Verbenone is an anti-aggregation pheromone registered as an outdoor insect repellent. Verbenone is a naturally occurring semiochemical produced by yeast in the gut of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae. When used in pest control products, verbenone can protect pine stands and individual pine trees by repelling adult mountain pine beetle, preventing the laying of eggs on the protected trees. Two commercial-class products and one domestic-class product containing verbenone are formulated as slow-release generators packaged in pouches. Verbenone end-use products are nailed or stapled to pine tree trunks and slowly release verbenone into the atmosphere through evaporation. Currently registered products containing verbenone are listed in Appendix I of PRVD2022-19.

Verbenone is a naturally occurring substance with a non-toxic mode of action that has value in providing a pest management solution. Based on the current use pattern of verbenone, dietary (food and water) exposure to verbenone is not anticipated. The potential risks to human health (occupational, residential, and bystander) and environment are considered to be acceptable when products containing verbenone are used according to the proposed updated label directions. As a result of re-evaluation, updates to label statements as per current labelling standards are proposed (Appendix II of PRVD2022-19).

Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act and based on an evaluation of currently available scientific information, products containing verbenone (Appendix I of PRVD2022-19) are being proposed for continued registration in Canada, with the proposed labelling updates (Appendix II of PRVD2022-19).

All products containing verbenone registered in Canada are subject to this proposed re-evaluation decision. This document is subject to a public consultation,^{Footnote 1} during which written comments and additional information may be submitted to PMRA Publications. The final re-evaluation decision will be published taking into consideration the comments and information received during the consultation period.

Next steps

The public, including the registrant and stakeholders, are encouraged to submit written comments and additional information during the 90-day public consultation period upon publication of this proposed re-evaluation decision.

All comments received during the 90-day public consultation period will be taken into consideration in preparation of the 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.

Other information

When Health Canada makes its re-evaluation decision, it will publish a Re-evaluation Decision on verbenone (based on the Science Evaluation of PRVD2022-19). In addition, the test data referenced in this consultation document will be available for public inspection, upon application, in the PMRA’s Reading Room.

Additional scientific information

Additional scientific data are not required at this time.