Call for submissions on future use of fungicide quintozene

ERMA New Zealand is calling for submissions on the future use of the fungicide quintozene, due to information that the only formulated product containing this active ingredient has dioxin impurities.

Quintozene is used commercially on seedlings, bulbs and recreational turf in New Zealand.

There is currently one product, Terraclor 75 WP, registered here.

The manufacturer of Terraclor 75 WP has confirmed to ERMA New Zealand that the product contains dioxin as a contaminant. Importer Nufarm has voluntarily decided to neither sell nor import quintozene pending the outcome of the review.

The decision to review quintozene came after dioxin impurities were found in quintozene products in Australia at levels that may present health risks to workers who frequently apply them.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority is currently considering the health risk presented by the dioxin present in quintozene, and is expected to report on the outcome in April 2011.

Dioxins are on the list of substances covered by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, to which New Zealand is a party. New Zealand has committed to reducing releases of dioxin to the environment.

Recent reassessments in the United States and Canada have resulted in restrictions on the use of quintozene.

The preliminary recommendation from ERMA New Zealand is to revoke all approvals for quintozene on the grounds that the human health and environmental risks associated with its use, based on both the quintozene active ingredient and the dioxin contaminant, outweigh the benefits.

This is not the final decision, and submissions from the public are now being sought on the recommendation.

Submissions close on 16 March, 2011.

Once all the submissions have been received, a hearing may be held before a decision is made by a committee of the Environmental Risk Management Authority.

Application and submission documents are available at:

http://www.ermanz.govt.nz/find/WebResults.aspx?search=erma200692

ENDS

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