Plant Protection Products

Risk assessment of the pesticide Envidor with the active substance spirodiclofen

Commissioned:

Report no: 2011: 04

Published: 02.02.2011

Main message:

Envidor is a new insecticide in Norway containing the active substance spirodiclofen. The product has been applied for use as an insecticide and acaricide in fruit, berries and ornamentals.

The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (VKM) was asked by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority to perform a risk assessment of the possible effects of spirodiclofen on human health and the environment.

VKM was especially asked to evaluate the risk of human adverse reproductive effects and carcinogenic potential and the risk of effects on bees and non-target arthropods in the environment.

This risk assessment forms the basis of the authorisation, labelling and decisions on possible measures for risk reduction performed by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

Low risk of effects on human health provided adequate use of personal protective equipment

This risk assessment was performed by the VKM Panel on Plant Protection Products. The Panel concludes that Envidor showed low human toxicity, but that the product has skin sensitising properties. The estimated risk for operators is assessed as minimal provided adequate use of personal protective equipment.

The Panel further concludes that spirodiclofen may have endocrine disrupting effects, but the data are not sufficient to draw firm conclusion at this point. Spirodiclofen is carcinogenic and toxic to the reproduction in laboratory animals.

Low risk of leaching to groundwater

Both spirodiclofen and its metabolites are rapidly degraded in soil, but while spirodiclofen has a low mobility due to high soil sorption, its metabolites are highly mobile. The leaching behaviour is evaluated using modelling assessments and the Panel finds it unlikely that a contamination of the groundwater will occur.

Adverse effects on bees and non-target arthropods

Use of Envidor with the proposed application regime implies a very high risk for adverse effects on bees and non-target arthropods. The risk for adverse effects of spirodiclofen on aquatic organisms provided that a buffer zone of 30 m to surface water is applied, is considered to be minimal.

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