Fenamiphos chemical review

Fenamiphos was nominated for review following reports of bird and fish deaths possibly relating to the use of products containing fenamiphos. Additional reports of adverse experiences involved the potential for environmental contamination of groundwater and waterways, particularly due to leaching from the site of application.

In April 2003 the APVMA began a review of fenamiphos because of concerns relating to public health, occupational health and safety, the environment, and residues in food.

The Notice of Reconsideration was published in NRA Gazette 4, 1 April 2003, with another Notice of Reconsideration published in February 2013, to coincide with the publication of the Preliminary review findings report, including all newly registered products in the fenamiphos review.

In February 2013 the APVMA published the component assessment reports for residues, toxicology, occupational health and safety and the environment.

In February 2013, the APVMA released the Preliminary review findings report.  Assessments undertaken for certain components of the fenamiphos review, particularly the environment and residues assessments, identified a basis for which a potential risk may exist (that is, a potentially unacceptable risk to the environment, a potentially unacceptable dietary risk to humans or both).

Insufficient or inadequate data were provided or available to the APVMA to refine its assessment of fenamiphos, or to enable APVMA to conclude that the Agvet tests are satisfied.

A public consultation has been conducted following the publication of the Preliminary review findings report in 2013.

Final review findings and regulatory decision for the reconsideration of fenamiphos

The APVMA has reconsidered the approvals, registrations and product labels associated with the nematicide and insecticide fenamiphos. The scope of this review was to assess the toxicological, occupational health and safety, residues and environmental risks associated with the approvals and registrations for fenamiphos.

Assessment of available data concluded that the use of products containing fenamiphos may, in most situations, pose undue risks to the environment and in some situations may pose undue risks to human health (via dietary exposure). The APVMA has taken the following regulatory actions to manage these risks:

• cancellation of one product used on turf
• variation of the label of the fenamiphos granular product to update the safety directions, warnings and restraints and to delete all use patterns except strawberry runners
• variation of the label of the fenamiphos emulsifiable concentrate products to update the safety directions, warnings and restraints and to delete all use patterns except aloe vera planting material and banana planting material

These decisions have taken into consideration:

• the technical assessments of the toxicological, occupational health and safety, residues and environmental risks arising from the use of fenamiphos, which are available from the publications archive
• the eleven submissions to the APVMA received in response to the Preliminary Review Findings of 26 February 2013, which can be found in Appendix B to the Review Findings Report and Regulatory Decision which is available from the publications archive