Re-evaluation Decision RVD2025-08, Carbon dioxide and its associated end-use products

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
19 November 2025
ISSN: 1925-1025 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-28/2025-8E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

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

Re-evaluation decision for carbon dioxide 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 information from various sources such as data and information from pesticide manufacturers and other regulatory agencies, as well as comments directly related to the proposed re-evaluation decision, such as comments directed to the science evaluation, received during public consultations. Health Canada applies internationally accepted risk assessment methods as well as risk management approaches and policies.

This document (Re-evaluation Decision RVD2025-08, Carbon Dioxide and its associated end-use products) presents the final re-evaluation decision^{Footnote 1} for the re-evaluation of carbon dioxide, including the response to comments received, and the required label updates. All products containing carbon dioxide regulated under the Pest Control Products Act in Canada are subject to this re-evaluation decision.

Carbon dioxide is an insecticide and rodenticide fumigant. It is registered for use as a fumigant gas for the control of insects in grain and flour storage areas and for the control of rodents in aircraft fuselage. As indicated in the proposed re-evaluation decision in PRVD2025-03, the shipboard, in-transit ship, and ship hold fumigation uses of carbon dioxide are no longer supported by the registrant and will be removed from the end-use product label. Therefore, these uses were not considered as part of this re-evaluation. Carbon dioxide is applied using pressurized containers and fumigation equipment suitable for dispensing gas.

Currently registered products containing carbon dioxide can be found in the Pesticide Product Information Database and in Appendix I. The Proposed Re-evaluation Decision PRVD2025-03, Carbon Dioxide and its Associated End-use Products^{Footnote 2} containing the evaluation of Carbon Dioxide and the proposed decision, underwent a 90 day consultation period ending on 29 May 2025. PRVD2025-03 proposed continued registration of carbon dioxide products in Canada, with risk mitigation measures to protect workers and updates to label directions and precautions to reflect the current labelling standards (Appendix IV of RVD2025-08).

Health Canada received comments during the public consultation. Commenters are listed in Appendix II of RVD2025-08. The comments are summarized in Appendix III of RVD2025-08 along with the responses by Health Canada. The comments did not result in changes to the proposed re-evaluation decision as described in PRVD2025-03. A reference list of information used as the basis for the proposed re-evaluation decision is included in PRVD2025-03.

Re-evaluation decision for carbon dioxide

Health Canada has completed the re-evaluation of carbon dioxide. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada has completed all required evaluations and consultations and has determined that the registration of products containing carbon dioxide is required to be amended, in accordance with paragraph 21(2)(a) of the Pest Control Products Act. An evaluation of available scientific information found that all uses of carbon dioxide products meet current standards for protection of human health and the environment and have acceptable value when used with new mitigation measures to protect workers and label updates. Label amendments, as summarized below and listed in Appendix IV of RVD2025-08, 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 updated label statements, as a result of the re-evaluation of carbon dioxide, are summarized below. Refer to Appendix II of RVD2025-08 for details.

Label amendments - Human health

Risk mitigation:

The following risk mitigation measures are required to reduce potential exposure and risk to human health.

To protect workers from carbon dioxide exposure, the following risk-reduction measures are required (details are included in Appendix II of RVD2025-08):

• Personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements and precautionary statements to bring the product labels up to current standards, including statements requiring applicators and other fumigation handlers to wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, shoes, and socks and protective eyewear, such as a full-face shield or goggles, when handling liquid, if full-face respiratory protection is not being used.
• Higher levels of respiratory protection for applicators when conducting fumigation treatment (in other words, requiring self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) and supplied air respirators to be operated in positive pressure mode).
• Requirements for air monitoring and gas detection equipment.
• Establishment of treatment and aeration buffer zones based on real-time air monitoring, with a minimum distance of 3 meters required during the treatment period.
• A site-specific fumigation management plan must be completed prior to each fumigation application.
• Updated instructions for aeration and re-entry.
• Mandatory training must be completed annually by all employees working in the fumigation facility.

Label amendments to meet current standards:

• Updated placarding statements for treatment areas and buffer zone perimeters.
• Updated spill and leak procedures.
• Updated instructions for disposal.
• As part of the updates to label text related to fumigation of grain storage areas. Add "Warning: contains the allergen sulfites".

Label amendments - Environment

Label amendments to meet current standards:

• Updated instructions for disposal/decontamination.
• Instructions for management of any emission resulting from the use of carbon dioxide.

Label amendments - Value

Label amendments to meet current standards:

• Removal of all label texts related to shipboard, in-transit ship or ship hold fumigation.
• Updated instructions for direction for use.

With the required risk-reduction measures and label amendments, potential risks to human health and the environment are considered to be acceptable for carbon dioxide and its end-use product when used as a space and commodity fumigant to treat grain and flour storage areas and aircraft fuselages, and the products have acceptable value.

Implementation of the re-evaluation decision

Regulatory Directive DIR2018-01, Policy on Cancellations and Amendments Following Re-evaluation and Special Review provides information and general timelines regarding the implementation of post-market decisions, (for example, up to 24-month timeline for label amendments). The post-market decision considers potential health and environmental risks regarding the use of the pest control product, and its value, when establishing the implementation timelines.

Amendment timeframe

The implementation timeline of 24 months for the required amendments (label updates) for pest control products containing carbon dioxide is considered acceptable. These required amendments must be implemented within 24 months after the publication date of this decision document (RVD2025-08).

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 RVD2025-08. Accordingly, both registrants and retailers will have up to 24 months from the date RVD2025-08 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 RVD2025-08 to transition to using the newly amended labels, which will be available on the Public Registry.

Other information

Any person may file a notice of objection^{Footnote 3} regarding this decision on carbon dioxide 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 PRVD2025­03) are available for public inspection, upon application, in PMRA's Reading Room. For more information, please contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service.

Appendix I Registered products containing carbon dioxide in Canada