CRD considered the application on its own merits and in the context of the outcome of the recent EU Regulation 1107/2009 Article 21 review of chlorpyrifos, which led to significant changes to the human health critical endpoints for the active substance. As a result of this review, member States were required to reconsider non-dietary human exposure from currently authorised products, to check that exposures are expected to not exceed the new Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (AOEL).
The UK’s assessment involved detailed discussions with authorisation holders and independent consideration by the Expert Committee on Pesticides (ECP). This included consideration of a specially generated operator exposure study which provided biological monitoring data for ground boom sprayer operators, in Spain and the UK. The study showed that under some circumstances the Acceptable Operator Exposure Level (AOEL) was exceeded. HSE considered that the data did not determine specific routes and their contributions to total exposure, or identify specific mitigation factors that could be used to control exposure to acceptable levels, and concluded that an acceptable risk had not been demonstrated.
The only permitted use of ‘Equity’ (MAPP 12465) containing 480 g/l chlorpyrifos is as a protected brassica seedling drench treatment applied via automated gantry sprayer.