Fenthion
Fenthion (O,O-dimethyl O-4-methylthio-m-tolylphosphorothioate ) is a broad spectrum organophosphorus (OP) insecticide. Fenthion is used to control pest insects in agricultural, commercial and domestic situations and external parasites on cattle. Fenthion is also used to control non-native pest birds in and around buildings.
The review of fenthion has been split into two parts:
- Part 1 is considering the active constituent fenthion and products that are used in non-food producing situations
- Part 2 is considering the products used on food-producing plants and animals.
Currently, only the findings for Part 1 are available. A Preliminary Review Findings (PRF) report for Part 2 will be released after the initial assessment is completed.
In 1994 the APVMA (formerly the NRA) began a review of fenthion as part of the former Existing Chemical Review Program. Fenthion was nominated for review because of concerns about public health, occupational health and safety, the environment and food residues.
Fenthion review—Part 1
Status: review in progress
In December 2005 the APVMA released the Fenthion Preliminary Review Findings Report: Part 1 (PDF, 543kb). APVMA’s preliminary findings were that safety information on product labels was inadequate, and that there was a potential health risk from some application methods and from concentrated home garden products. The APVMA also found that the use of fenthion bird control products posed a potential risk to non-target birds.
To reduce the risk to users and the environment the APVMA proposed cancelling a home garden product and varying the labels of other products used in non-food producing situations. Read a full history of the review.
Fenthion review—Part 2
Status: review in progress - updated 4 October 2011
The APVMA’s review of fenthion part 2 is currently in the assessment stage. In association with its expert advisory agency the Office of Chemical Safety, the APVMA is considering data and information submitted to the review. This stage can take some time to finalise because of the amount of data to be assessed and the requirement to wait for additional data to be provided for assessment. The APVMA has received a significant amount of residue data from trials undertaken by industry groups. These results are currently being assessed. The Occupational Health and Safety assessment is also underway. The APVMA may consider interim regulatory action in response to these assessments in 2012.
After all the assessments have been completed the APVMA will release a Preliminary Review Findings report (PRF) which will outline the review findings and the proposed regulatory action to be taken for each registered use. When proposing regulatory action and making decisions, the APVMA considers every use which appears on the registered label. The public, industry and interested parties will be given the opportunity to comment on the proposed regulatory actions listed in the PRF. The APVMA will consider these comments when making the final decisions for the fenthion review (part 2). If during the course of the review there are sufficient grounds to take immediate action based on identified risks from information assessed, the APVMA may take interim regulatory action at any time to reduce or mitigate those identified risks. It does not need to wait for publication of a PRF document to take interim action. When the PRF is released or if current assessments find that action is required before the release of the report, the APVMA will widely publish this information. The release of any information will be made on the APVMA website.
The possible outcomes of the review of fenthion may significantly affect current fruit-fly control methods and trade arrangements for produce that may be affected by fruit-fly. The Domestic Quarantine and Market Access Working Group (a State and Federal intergovernmental working group) has developed a National Response Plan (external site) to deal with the likely outcomes of both the fenthion and the dimethoate reviews.
The APVMA will issue a final report once the assessment of all available data is completed.
| Review Report | Date |
|---|---|
Preliminary Review Findings Report – Part 1: Uses of fenthion in non-food-producing situations: |
Dec 2005 |
Contact
For more information contact:
Product Search
Search the PUBCRIS database for registered products that contain fenthion.
Note: In the Active Constituent 1 field enter fenthion.
| Title | Date |
|---|---|
| Fenthion FAQ | Aug 2010 |
| Gazette Notice: Chemicals for review in the third cycle – call for information | Apr 1998 |