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Brazil Anvisa releases 2,4-D with application restrictions

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By Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages

Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency, the Anvisa, concluded the re-evaluation of 2,4-D and has decided to maintain the approval of the herbicide in the Brazilian market. The analysis of the scientific studies and data on the use of the agrochemical in Brazil indicated that the product is not harmful to the consumer. However, the government regulatory body will impose restrictive measures in its application to crops.

For the reassessment of 2,4-D, Anvisa has prepared 13 opinions, including specific occupational risk assessments and for people transiting areas close to planted areas. Also analyzed was the most recent data from the Agrotoxic Waste Analysis Program (Para), the acute poisoning by the agrotoxic in Brazil and the Information System for the Surveillance of the Quality of Water for Human Consumption (Sisagua).

"According to the latest scientific studies, the product does not meet the criteria for banning pesticides. This means that the product is not toxic to reproduction and fetal formation (teratogenic) or to the endocrine system. The available data also rule out the possibility of the product being mutagenic or causing cancer, "Anvisa said in a statement.

The Agency states that it has also revised all existing residue limits and also assessed data on pesticide residues in food and water, concluding that there is no danger to the final consumer: "Even considering the maximum residue levels of 2, 4-D found in food and water, the risk to the population is greatly reduced."

On the other hand, the Agency points out risks to rural workers who work with these products and, therefore, defined measures that will have to be adopted for their application in the field:

Rural worker - Definition of an exposure limit for the rural worker. With this, Anvisa can define specific protection measures for this worker.

Application with tractor - The worker who prepares the product can not be the same as the one who will perform the application in the field.

Re-entry of workers - You may only enter an area that has been sprayed with 2,4-D after the minimum time set or with the use of personal protective equipment.

Residents in areas near plantations - Delimitation of a border of 10 meters to the interior of the plantation where the pesticide can not be applied if there are buildings within 500 meters of the crop.

Reduction of drift - Compulsory use of equipment or alteration in the formulation that minimizes the risk of dispersion of the product outside the crop.

Maximum dose limitation - Will be 1.7 kg / hectare with costal equipment. This measure is specific to the coffee crop and where drift reduction is not possible.