Re-evaluation Decision RVD2021-03, Pyriproxyfen and Its Associated End-use Products

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
26 February 2021
ISSN: 1925-1025 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-28/2021-3E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

• Re-evaluation decision for pyriproxyfen and its associated end-use products
• Re-evaluation decision for pyriproxyfen
• Risk mitigation measures
• Next steps
• Other information
• Appendix I - Registered products containing pyriproxyfen in Canada

Re-evaluation decision for pyriproxyfen and its 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, as well as comments received during public consultations. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods as well as current risk management approaches and policies.

Pyriproxyfen is an insect growth regulator that contributes to the management of white flies in greenhouse vegetable and ornamental production, flea control in indoor, non-food areas of structures and management of fleas on cats and dogs. Currently registered products containing pyriproxyfen can be found in the Pesticide Label Search and in Appendix I. The Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2019-10, Pyriproxyfen and Its Associated End-use Products^Footnote 1 containing the evaluation of pyriproxyfen and proposed decision, underwent a 90-day consultation period ending on 4 February 2020. PRVD2019-10 proposed that products containing pyriproxyfen are acceptable for continued registration when used according to the proposed conditions of registration, which include new mitigation measures.

No comments were received during the consultation period. Health Incident report information was updated (see Science evaluation update of RVD2021-03), and the outcome of this update did not change the conclusions in PRVD2019-10. Therefore, this final decision is consistent with the proposed re-evaluation decision stated in PRVD2019-10, which also lists all information used as the basis for the re-evaluation decision.

This document (Re-evaluation Decision RVD2021-03, Pyriproxyfen and Its Associated End-use Products) presents the final re-evaluation decision^Footnote 2 for the re-evaluation of pyriproxyfen, including the required amendments (risk mitigation measures) to protect human health and the environment, as well as any label amendments required to bring labels to current standards. All products containing pyriproxyfen that are registered in Canada are subject to this re-evaluation decision.

Re-evaluation decision for pyriproxyfen

Health Canada has completed the re-evaluation of pyriproxyfen. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada has determined that continued registration of products containing pyriproxyfen is acceptable. An evaluation of available scientific information found that uses of pyriproxyfen products meet current standards for protection of human health and the environment and have acceptable value when used according to the revised conditions of registration which includes new mitigation measures. Label amendments, as summarized below and listed in Appendix II of RVD2021-03, are required.

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 required amendments, including any revised/updated label statements and/or mitigation measures, as a result of the re-evaluation of pyriproxyfen, are summarized below. Refer to Appendix II of RVD2021-03 for details.

Health

Label improvements to meet current standards:

• Updated label statements for personal protective equipment
• Label statements to address the following:
  • Prohibit application of recycled greenhouse water to outdoor food crops
  • Prevent contamination of food and food surfaces during indoor applications
  • Clarifying and/or ensuring consistency regarding use directions and precautionary statements
  • Label amendments as per PMRA Guidance Document, Label Improvements for Spot-on Pesticides Used on Companion Animals (2019)

Risk Mitigation:

• Addition of personal protective equipment for products used to control fleas in indoor environments
• Prohibition of application using handheld mist blower or handheld fogging equipment due to lack of data to assess occupational exposure,

Environment

Label improvements to meet current standards:

• Standard label statements to inform users of the potential toxic effects of pyriproxyfen to aquatic organisms.

Next steps

To comply with this decision, the required amendments (mitigation measures and label updates) must be implemented on all product labels no later than 24 months after the publication date of RVD2021-03. Accordingly, both registrants and retailers will have up to 24 months from the date of this decision document to transition to selling the product with the newly amended labels. Similarly, users will also have the same 24-month period from the date of RVD2021-03 to transition to using the newly amended labels, which will be available on the Public Registry.

The majority of spot-on products containing pyriproxyfen were examined separately under the PMRA Guidance Document, Label Improvements for Spot-on Pesticides Used on Companion Animals (published 6 December 2019); registrants were notified of and consented to the label changes prior to publication (September/October 2019). The label amendments for the spot-on products in Appendix 2 of the Guidance Document will be implemented according to the timeline specified in the Guidance. The only exception includes 11 spot-on products containing imidacloprid (outlined in Appendix I, Table 2), which were registered just prior to the publication of the 2019 Guidance Document. Label amendments consistent with the Guidance Document have already been implemented as part of these registration decisions.

Refer to Appendix I, Table 1 for details on specific products impacted by this re-evaluation decision.

Other information

Any person may file a notice of objection^Footnote 3 regarding this decision on pyriproxyfen and its associated end-use products 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 section of the Canada.ca website (Request a Reconsideration of Decision) or contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service by phone (1-800-267-6315) or by e-mail (hc.pmra-info-arla.sc@canada.ca).

The relevant confidential test data on which the decision is based (as referenced in PRVD2019-10) are available for public inspection, upon application, in the PMRA's Reading Room (located in Ottawa). For more information, please contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service.

Appendix I - Registered products containing pyriproxyfen in Canada