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Chlorpyrifos
The EPA action on chlorpyrifos (Dursban/Lorsban) is primarily an agreement with Dow AgroSciences and other manufacturers to rapidly phaseout Chlorpyrifos products. The following explains which use areas will be affected by this action:
- Production will be stopped and all home, lawn and garden uses of chlorpyrifos eliminated.
- Production will be stopped and virtually all termiticide uses will be eliminated. Pre-construction treatment (pre-treats) use rates will be set at one half of one percent (0.05%) - According to the EPA, these two use areas were about half of the total use (total use is about 20 million pounds annually)
- Agricultural uses will be largely retained, BUT tolerances (allowed residues on food crops) will be significantly reduced on those foods that are noted as being a regular part of the diet of children. - Ag uses are the other 50% of total use. This on about 40 different crops.
The EPA notes that this action will affect (loss and label changes) over 825 products.
for more information on Chlorpyrifos
- Chlorpyrifos Facts - EPA. February 2002.
- Finalization of Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decisions (IREDs) and Interim Tolerance Reassessment and Risk Management Decisions (TREDs) for the Organophosphate Pesticides, and Completion of the Tolerance Reassessment and Reregistration Eligibility Process for the Organophosphate Pesticides - PDF Format. February 2002 with an attached memo dated July 2006.
- EPA Chlorypyrifos web page - Provides information on the most recent action taken by EPA to phaseout Chlorpyrifos products.