Re-evaluation Decision RVD2018-13, Acetic Acid and its Associated End-Use Products

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
15 May 2018
ISSN: 1925-0886 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-9/2018-13E-PDF (PDF version)

(PDF Version - 136 KB)

Table of Contents

• Re-evaluation Decision
• Regulatory Decision for Acetic Acid
• Risk Mitigation Measures
• Next Steps
• Other Information
• Appendix I Currently Registered Products Containing Acetic Acid (as of 26 January 2018)
• Appendix II Label Amendments for Products Containing Acetic Acid

Re-evaluation Decision

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

Acetic acid is a non-selective contact herbicide. It is registered 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. Currently registered products containing acetic acid are listed in Appendix I.

This document presents the re-evaluation decision^{Footnote 1} for the uses of acetic acid, including the required risk mitigation measures to protect human health and the environment. All pest control products containing acetic acid that are registered in Canada are subject to this re-evaluation decision. This re-evaluation decision has undergone a 90-day consultation period as Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2017-08, Acetic Acid.^{Footnote 2}

No comments were received during the consultation period. Therefore, this decision is consistent with the proposed re-evaluation decision stated in PRVD2017-08, which lists all data used as the basis for the re-evaluation decision.

Regulatory Decision for Acetic Acid

The PMRA has completed the re-evaluation for acetic acid. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, the PMRA is granting continued registration of products containing acetic acid for sale and use in Canada. An evaluation of available scientific information found that the uses of acetic acid products do not present unacceptable risks to human health or the environment when used according to the conditions of registration, including amended label directions. Label amendments are required for end-use products as summarized below and listed in Appendix II. No additional data are requested at this time.

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.

Human Health

• Updated statements for Precautions and Directions for Use (requirement of respirator for certain applications and re-entry statement).

Environment

• Buffer zone and label statements to protect non-target plants and aquatic organisms.
• Directions for use label statements.
• Environmental precaution label statements.
• Disposal and storage statements.

Next Steps

To comply with this decision, the required mitigation measures must be implemented on all products labels sold by registrants no later than 24 months after the publication date of this decision document. Appendix I lists the products containing acetic acid registered under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act.

Other Information

Any person may file a notice of objection^{Footnote 3} regarding this decision on acetic acid within 60 days from the date of publication of this Re-evaluation Decision. For more information regarding the basis for objecting (which must be based on scientific grounds), please refer to the Pesticides and Pest Management portion of Canada.ca (Request a Reconsideration of Decision) or contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service.

Appendix I Currently Registered Products Containing Acetic Acid (as of 26 January 2018)

Appendix II Comments and Responses

The label amendments presented below do not include all label requirements for individual end-use products, such as first aid statements, disposal statements, precautionary statements and supplementary protective equipment. Information on labels of currently registered products should not be removed unless it contradicts the label statements provided below.

A submission to request label revisions will be required within 90 days of finalization of the re-evaluation decision.

Commercial Class products

1. Under DIRECTIONS FOR USE, the following statements must be added to all products:

   "As this product is not registered for the control of pests in aquatic systems. DO NOT use to control aquatic pests."
   "DO NOT contaminate irrigation or drinking water supplies or aquatic habitats by cleaning of equipment or disposal of wastes."

2. For products with outdoor use as a broadcast spray the following statements must be added under DIRECTIONS FOR USE:

   DO NOT apply this product through any type of irrigation system."

   Field sprayer application: DO NOT apply during periods of dead calm. Avoid application of this product when winds are gusty. DO NOT apply with spray droplets smaller than the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE S572.1) medium classification. Boom height must be 60 cm or less above the crop or ground.

   DO NOT apply by air.

Buffer zones:

Use of the following spray methods or equipment DO NOT require a buffer zone: hand- held or backpack sprayer and spot treatment, inter-row hooded sprayer, low-clearance hooded or shielded sprayers that ensure spray drift does not come in contact with orchard crop fruit or foliage, soil drench and soil incorporation.

For application to rights-of-way, buffer zones for protection of sensitive terrestrial habitats are not required; however, the best available application strategies which minimize off-site drift, including meteorological conditions (e.g., wind direction, low wind speed) and spray equipment (e.g., coarse droplet sizes, minimizing height above canopy), should be used. Applicators must, however, observe the specified buffer zones for protection of sensitive aquatic habitats.

The buffer zones specified in the table below are required between the point of direct application and the closest downwind edge of sensitive terrestrial habitats (such as grasslands, forested areas, shelter belts, woodlots, hedgerows, riparian areas and shrublands), sensitive freshwater habitats (such as lakes, rivers, sloughs, ponds, prairie potholes, creeks, marshes, streams, reservoirs and wetlands) and estuarine/marine habitats.

Buffer Zones Required

For tank mixes, consult the labels of the tank-mix partners and observe the largest (most restrictive) buffer zone of the products involved in the tank mixture and apply using the coarsest spray (ASAE) category indicated on the labels for those tank mix partners.

3. Under PRECAUTIONS include the following statement must be added for products that may be used for broadcast spray applications:

   "For broadcast application and application in areas with poor ventilation, the applicator must also wear a NIOSH/MSHA-approved vapour respirator."

4. Under ENVIRONMENTAL PRECAUTIONS the following statement must be added:

   "TOXIC to aquatic organisms and non-target terrestrial plants. Observe buffer zones specified under DIRECTIONS FOR USE.

   To reduce runoff from treated areas into aquatic habitats avoid application to areas with a moderate to steep slope, compacted soil, or clay.

   Avoid application when heavy rain is forecast.

   Contamination of aquatic areas as a result of runoff may be reduced by including a vegetative strip between the treated area and the edge of the water body.

5. Under STORAGE, the following statement must be added:

   "To prevent contamination store this product away from food or feed."

Domestic Class products

1. Under DIRECTIONS FOR USE, the following statements must be added:

   "Do not re-enter or allow entry into the treated area until dry."

2. Under STORAGE the following statement must be added:

   "To prevent contamination store this product away from food or feed."

3. Under DISPOSAL the following statement must be added:

   "DO NOT reuse the empty containers. Dispose in household garbage. Unused or partially used products should be disposed at provincially or municipally designated hazardous waste disposal sites."