Parathion Methyl officially banned in Brazil

Parathion Methyl, an active ingredient present in diverse agrochemicals, was officially banned in Brazil on September 1, 2016. The legal pronouncement was released through the publication of Resolution 2,297 in the Official Union Gazette on August 29.

The decision had been made in December 2015 by the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) during a public meeting (ROP 25/2015) at the Collegiate Directorship of the Agency. To justify the ban, the agency affirmed that Parathion Methyl fits several prohibitive criteria under Brazilian law.

"It is a mutagen, causes damages to the reproductive system, and is more dangerous for humans than the laboratory animals. There is evidence it causes hormonal disorders,” stated the Anvisa representative.

Agrochemicals containing this active ingredient could not be sold commercially since June 1, 2016. The agency determined that companies should spend this month collecting the “remaining stocks of the products in the hands of farmers, with a deadline of 30 days, not being extended to over 90 days.”

Anvisa decided that the monograph of Parathion Methyl will be maintained until December 31, 2017, but only with the aim of monitoring its residue on food.