Advisory Committee on Pesticides Annual Report 2001

<strong>Advisory</strong> <strong>Committee</strong> on Pesticides Annual Report 2001
of Pesticides Regulations 1986 (COPR). A commodity substance is not sold or
advertised as a pesticide product in this context and there are no approval holders.
Methyl bromide manufacture is currently restricted under the Montreal Protocol,
which envisages a phased withdrawal leading to a world-wide ban.
The <strong>Committee</strong> considered a brief evaluation of information submitted by
interested parties to address data requirements set previously by the ACP
for support of commodity substances.
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In addition to the data reported, the <strong>Committee</strong> noted that studies performed in
France and the USA suggested that neurobehavioural effects could result from
repeated occupational exposure to methyl bromide. The <strong>Committee</strong> also considered
that methyl bromide was likely to be genotoxic although it was not aware of any
cytogenetic studies in exposed populations. However, it noted that methyl bromide
was required to be used under strictly controlled situations in compliance with an
Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) for fumigation. Fumigations were carried out
by a small number of dedicated contractors who had in place good standards of
training and supervision. The <strong>Committee</strong> considered that the strict engineering
controls and requirements for personal protective equipment that were currently in
place in the UK would mitigate exposure and minimise the risks to workers. Given
these controls, the small number of highly trained professional workers involved,
the low level of incidents involving methyl bromide over the last 10 years and the
rarity of claims for occupational injury by methyl bromide, the <strong>Committee</strong> agreed
that there was no pressing need for further data to refine the risk assessment if
methyl bromide was to be phased out by 2005.
The <strong>Committee</strong> noted that there was a provision to allow essential uses of
methyl bromide to remain beyond 2005, but that it was not yet clear what these
might be. It considered that when methyl bromide was phased out under the
Montreal Protocol, it would lose its approval as a commodity substance and any
continued essential use as a pesticide after 2005 was likely to require specific
approval. The <strong>Committee</strong> briefly discussed alternatives to methyl bromide such
as hydrogen cyanide, but considered that, depending on the circumstances and
the area of use, these might not be particularly suitable replacements.
The <strong>Committee</strong> agreed that the data requirements set previously by the
ACP had been addressed adequately and that currently there should be no
requirement for any further data. It noted the need to identify any essential
uses that might remain beyond 2005, the users who would require them,
and the administrative arrangements by which uses would be classified as
essential. The <strong>Committee</strong> agreed that, depending on the answers to these
questions, more data might be required to support remaining uses.