Re-evaluation decision RVD2024-05, Sodium chloride and its associated end-use products

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
27 May 2024
ISSN: 1925-1025 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-28/2024-5E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of Contents

• Re-evaluation decision for sodium chloride and associated end-use products
• Re-evaluation decision for sodium chloride
• Risk mitigation measures
• Implementation of the re-evaluation decision
• Next steps
• Other information
• Appendix I Registered products containing sodium chloride in Canada

Re-evaluation decision for sodium chloride 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 meet current health and environmental standards and 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.

This document (Re-evaluation decision RVD2024-05, Sodium Chloride and Its Associated End‑use Products)presents the final re-evaluation decision^{Footnote 1} for the re-evaluation of sodium chloride, including the response to one comment received, and the required label updates. All products containing sodium chloride regulated under the Pest Control Products Act in Canada are subject to this re-evaluation decision.

Sodium chloride is a post-emergent herbicide. Application of sodium chloride results in a loss in turgor pressure in the target plants through the rapid loss of water from the plant leaf cells, leading to the desiccation of the plant tissue. Related products are applied as a directed spray to control weeds on non-cropland sites which include roadsides, highways, walkways, vacant lots, industrial sites, parks, playgrounds, cycleways, driveways, residential lands, sidewalks, pathways, and rights-of-way. They are registered as commercial- and domestic-class products.

Currently registered technical grade active ingredient, and end-use products containing sodium chloride can be found in the Pesticide Product Information Database and in Appendix I. The Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2023-03, Sodium Chloride and Its Associated End-use Products^{Footnote 2} containing the evaluation of sodium chloride and the proposed decision, underwent a 90-day consultation period ending on 24 September 2023. PRVD2023-03 proposed continued registration of sodium chloride products in Canada, with updates to label directions and precautions to reflect the current labelling standards and to improve clarity (Appendix IV of RVD2024-05).

Health Canada received one comment during the public consultation. The comment did not result in revisions or changes to the proposed re-evaluation decision as described in PRVD2023-03. A reference list of information used as the basis for the proposed re-evaluation decision is included in PRVD2023-03.

Re-evaluation decision for sodium chloride

Health Canada has completed the re-evaluation of sodium chloride. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada has determined that continued registration of products containing sodium chloride is acceptable. An evaluation of available scientific information found that the use of sodium chloride products meets current standards for protection of human health and the environment and have acceptable value when used according to revised conditions of registration which includes label amendments.

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 updated label statements, as a result of the re-evaluation of sodium chloride, are summarized below. Refer to Appendix IV of RVD2024-05 for details.

Label improvements to meet current standards - Human health

• Addition of standard personal protective equipment to all commercial-class product labels;
• Addition of a best practice statements to avoid potential drift.

Label improvements to meet current standards - Environment

• Update the environmental precautionary, direction of use, and storage and disposal statements to current standard.
• Update a buffer zone table for clarity.

Implementation of the re-evaluation decision

Regulatory Directive DIR2018-01, Policy on Cancellations and Amendments Following Re‑evaluation and Special Review provides general timelines for implementation of post-market decisions. When an amendment to a registration is determined to be necessary, such as the need for additional risk mitigation measures, there will be an implementation period of up to two (2) years from the date of the decision to transition to selling and using the product with the newly amended labels, if risks during this period are considered acceptable. Potential risks (human health and the environment) from the use of products containing sodium chloride are considered acceptable during the implementation period under the current label use conditions. Therefore, the required label updates will be implemented within 24 months following the publication of the re-evaluation decision document.

Next steps

To comply with this decision, the required amendments (label updates) must be implemented on all product labels no later than 24 months after the publication date of this decision document. 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 this decision document to transition to using the newly amended labels, which will be available on the Public Registry.

Refer to Appendix I for details on specific products impacted by this decision.

Other information

Any person may file a notice of objection^{Footnote 3} regarding this decision on sodium chloride 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 and Pest Management Section of the Canada.ca website (Public Engagement Portal - Public Engagement Portal Forms - Notice of Objection) or contact PMRA’s Pest Management Information Service .

The relevant confidential test data on which the decision is based (as referenced in PRVD2023‑03) are available for public inspection, upon application, in PMRA’s Reading Room. For more information, please contact the Pest Management Information Service.

Appendix I Registered products containing sodium chloride in Canada

Table 1 Products containing sodium chloride requiring (label) amendments^{Table 1 Footnote 1}

Registration number	Class	Registrant	Product name	Formulation type	Active ingredient (%)
28235	T	Herbanatur Inc.	Sodium Chloride Technical	Soluble Granules	Sodium Chloride 99.86
29189	T	G.D.G. Environnement Ltée	Sel de qualité technique	Soluble Granules	Sodium Chloride 99.86
28236	C	Herbanatur Inc.	Adios Ambros Water Soluble Granule	Soluble Granules	Sodium Chloride 99.86
29190	C	G.D.G. Environnement Ltée	Ragweed Off	Soluble Granules	Sodium Chloride 99.86
30940	C	Herbanatur Inc.	A.D.I.O.S.	Soluble Granules	Sodium Chloride 99.86
30406	D	Herbanatur Inc.	Adios Ready to Use Weed Killer	Solution	Sodium Chloride 12
31491	D	Herbanatur Inc.	A.D.I.O.S. Weed Killer Concentrate	Solution	Sodium Chloride 26
34305	D	Herbanatur Inc.	A.D.I.O.S WSG Weed Killer	Soluble Granules	Sodium Chloride 99.86
Table 1 Footnote 1 As of 11 March 2024, excluding discontinued products or products with a submission for discontinuation Table 1 Return to footnote 1 referrer T = Technical Grade Active Ingredient, C = Commercial, D = Domestic

Footnotes