Proposed Registration Decision PRD2023-01, Acetic Acid and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
23 February 2023
ISSN: 1925-0886 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-9/2023-1E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

• Proposed registration decision for acetic acid
• What does Health Canada consider when making a registration decision?
• What is acetic acid?
• Health considerations
• Environmental considerations
• Value considerations
• Measures to minimize risk
• Next steps
• Other information

Proposed registration decision for acetic acid

Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, is proposing registration for the sale and use of Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant Technical and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant, containing the technical grade active ingredient acetic acid, as a domestic product to lure fruit flies into a trap device positioned indoors in locations categorized as Use Site Category 20 (Structural), including pantries, kitchen trash, sinks, garbage disposals and compost bins.

Acetic acid is currently registered as a non-selective contact herbicide for the control or suppression of various broadleaf and grassy weeds in turf, residential areas, non-crop land areas, around nurseries, around farm buildings, around greenhouses and non-crop areas inside greenhouses, and around apple trees, cranberry, and grape vines. For details, see Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2017-08, Acetic Acid, and the Re-evaluation Decision RVD2018-13, Acetic Acid and its Associated End-Use Products.

An evaluation of available scientific information found that, under the approved conditions of use, the health and environmental risks and the value of the pest control products are acceptable.

This summary describes the key points of the evaluation, while the Science Evaluation of Proposed Registration Decision PRD2023-01, Acetic Acid and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant provides detailed technical information on the human health, environmental and value assessments of acetic acid and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant.

What does Health Canada consider when making a registration decision?

The key objective of the Pest Control Products Act is to prevent unacceptable risks to individuals and the environment from the use of pest control products. Health or environmental risk is considered acceptable^{Footnote 1} if there is reasonable certainty that no harm to human health, future generations or the environment will result from use or exposure to the product under its proposed conditions of registration. The Act also requires that products have value^{Footnote 2} when used according to the label directions. Conditions of registration may include precautionary measures on the product label to further reduce risk.

To reach its decisions, the PMRA applies modern, rigorous risk-assessment methods and policies. These methods consider the unique characteristics of sensitive subpopulations in humans (for example, children) as well as organisms in the environment. These methods and policies also consider the nature of the effects observed and the uncertainties when predicting the impact of pesticides For more information please refer to the following:

• Protecting Your Health and the Environment
• Pesticide Registration Process
• Pesticide Risk Reduction Program.

Before making a final registration decision on acetic acid and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant, Health Canada's PMRA will consider any comments received from the public in response to this consultation document,^{Footnote 3} Health Canada will then publish a Registration Decision^{Footnote 4} on acetic acid and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant, which will include the decision, the reasons for it, a summary of comments received on the proposed registration decision and Health Canada's response to these comments.

For more details on the information presented in this summary, please refer to the Science Evaluation of PRD2023-01.

What is acetic acid?

Acetic acid is a non-conventional bio-pesticide. It is also commonly used as an ingredient in many prepared foods. As fruit flies are attracted to ripe and rotting fruit, which contain acetic acid as a product of fermentation, acetic acid serves as an effective fruit fly attractant or lure when applied in a fruit fly trap.

Health considerations

Can approved uses of acetic acid affect human health?

Acetic Acid is unlikely to affect human health when used according to label directions.

Potential exposure to acetic acid may occur when loading and applying the product Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant to the bait cup. When assessing health risks, two key factors are considered:

• the levels at which no health effects occur and
• the levels to which people may be exposed.

The levels used to assess risks are established to protect the most sensitive human population (for example, children and nursing mothers). As such, sex and gender are taken into account in the risk assessment. Only uses for which the exposure is well below levels that cause no effects in animal testing are considered acceptable for registration.

Toxicology studies in laboratory animals describe potential health effects resulting from varying levels of exposure to a chemical and identify dose levels at which no effects are observed.

Publicly available toxicology information was used to assess risks from exposure to acetic acid. The concentration of acetic acid in Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant is the same as that found in household vinegar (6-8%). At concentrations found in household vinegar and other registered end-use products containing acetic acid, acetic acid is considered to be of low acute toxicity by the oral, dermal and inhalation routes. Based on the low pH of 2 to 3, acetic acid is considered corrosive to the eyes and mildly irritating to the skin and respiratory tract. It is not likely to be a dermal sensitizer.

Similar to acetic acid, Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant Technical (technical grade active ingredient) and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant (end-use product) are considered to be of low acute toxicity by the oral, dermal and inhalation routes, corrosive to the eyes, mildly irritating to the skin and not a dermal sensitizer. They are also expected to be mildly irritating to the respiratory tract.

Residues in water and food

Dietary risks from food and water are acceptable.

The end-use product, Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant, is not proposed for food or feed uses. Dietary or drinking water exposure is not expected from the proposed use of acetic acid as a domestic insecticide. Consequently, health risks from dietary exposure are acceptable for all segments of the population, including infants, children, adults, and seniors.

Risks in residential and other non-occupational environments

Estimated risk for residential and other non-occupational exposure is acceptable.

Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant is proposed for use as a domestic insecticide to control fruit flies in residential settings. The product label for Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant will include measures to minimize bystander exposure such as keeping children away from the product.

Residential and non-occupational exposure to Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant is therefore expected to be low when label directions are followed. Consequently, the risk to residents and the general public is acceptable.

Occupational risks from handling Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant

Occupational risk assessments are not required for Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant.

Since Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant is a domestic product, an occupational risk assessment is not required.

Environmental considerations

Since Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant is a domestic product for indoor use, an environmental assessment was not required.

Value considerations

What is the value of Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant?

Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant, containing 6% acetic acid is a liquid lure that is used to attract fruit flies into a trap that is designed to drown fruit flies in the lure liquid.

Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant is a fruit fly lure in a ready-to-use format. As the active ingredient emits the same volatiles that are also emitted by the food source of fruit flies in other words, ripe and rotting fruit, it is unlikely that fruit flies will develop resistance to this product. For this reason, Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant may serve as a reduced-risk alternative to conventional insecticides in indoor domestic settings.

Measures to minimize risk

Labels of registered pesticide products include specific instructions for use. Directions include risk-reduction measures to protect human and environmental health. These directions must be followed by law.

The key risk-reduction measures being proposed on the label of Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant Technical and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant to address the potential risks identified in this assessment are as follows.

Key risk-reduction measures - Human health

The hazard signal words "DANGER - CORROSIVE TO EYES" and "CAUTION SKIN IRRITANT" are present on the technical grade active ingredient label and the end-use product label and the signal words "KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND PETS" are required on the principal display panel of the Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant label. Standard hazard and precautionary statements are required on the labels to inform users that the products are corrosive to the eyes and warn of the potential for irritation to skin, and respiratory tract.

Bystander exposure will be mitigated by the inclusion of the precautionary label statement that the end-use product is not be stored in areas accessible to children, pets, and domestic animals.

"Do not store in areas accessible to children, pets and domestic animals" is required on the end-use product label to mitigate exposure to bystanders (including children) and companion animals in residential areas.

Next steps

Before making a final registration decision on acetic acid and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant, Health Canada's PMRA will consider any comments received from the public in response to PRD2023-01. Health Canada will accept written comments on this proposal up to 45 days from the date of publication of PRD2023-01. Please forward all comments to Publications. Health Canada will then publish a Registration Decision, which will include its decision, the reasons for it, a summary of comments received on the proposed decision and Health Canada's response to these comments.

Other information

When the Health Canada makes its registration decision, it will publish a Registration Decision on acetic acid and Rescue Fruit Fly Attractant (based on the Science Evaluation of PRD2023-01). In addition, the test data referenced in this consultation document will be available for public inspection, upon application, in the PMRA's Reading Room. For more information, please contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service