Brazil: Anvisa concludes thiram reevaluation and imposes restrictions

 

Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency) concluded the toxicological reevaluation of the active ingredient, thiram, in Brazil, a product used in the seed treatment and planting of potatoes, soybeans and bean crops, among others. 

 

The process began in January 2016 with Public Consultation 128, with thiram's review work bringing restrictions to “protect field workers”, according to Anvisa.

 

The Public Consultation (CP) had 1,200 participants, of which 85.7% (1,028 participants) disagreed with the maintenance proposal and 14.3% (172 participants) agreed with the continuation of thiram.

 

“Following a more detailed assessment of the contributions received during the CP and an update on the international situation of thiram, mainly in Canada and the European Union, the need to reassess several toxicological aspects of this active ingredient was verified, as well as the inclusion of analysis that had not been done, in order to avoid coming to a possible wrong conclusion,” Anvisa said in its official statement.

 

“Based on the evaluations carried out, it was concluded that the evidence available so far shows that thiram is not proven to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, endocrine disrupting or toxic to reproduction or embryofoetal development. Therefore, considering Brazilian law, it was concluded that it does not meet the prohibitive registration requirements established by the Law,” concluded the Agency.

 

Anvisa's decision was to ban the use of thiram in powder form for seed treatment on farms, with the use of this formulation only allowed in seed treatment industries.

 

Foliar application, which normally leaves more residue in food than seed treatment, is no longer authorized in Brazil and has now been banned outright. "As it is a product still used in the planting stage, residues of this substance in foods cannot reach the consumer's table," said Anvisa in the statement.

 

Anvisa's technical team also defined the exposure limit for rural workers, as this is a fundamental parameter to assess the risk to this segment. In addition, for the protection of farmers, the packaging of the pesticide will bring on its label the warning of liver damage from repeated or prolonged exposure. This type of warning is already part of the new pesticide regulatory framework approved this year by Anvisa and serves to better inform about the danger to rural workers.

 

The active ingredient, thiram, has 12 commercial products registered in Brazil: