{"id":31888,"date":"2024-10-30T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-30T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/amabhungane.org\/?p=30058"},"modified":"2025-01-06T08:09:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-06T08:09:41","slug":"the-346-pesticides-that-cause-cancer-birth-defects-or-worse-and-the-fight-to-keep-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/the-346-pesticides-that-cause-cancer-birth-defects-or-worse-and-the-fight-to-keep-them\/","title":{"rendered":"The 346 pesticides that cause cancer, birth defects or worse, and the fight to keep them"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Cancer, birth defects or DNA mutations \u2013 these are some of the risks of the 346 pesticides the South African government says must be removed from the shelves by June 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development (DALRRLD) is phasing out these products as part of a global effort to ban chemicals that the World Health Organisation considers carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproductive health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In October last year, the Department published a list of 28 chemicals that, according to the new Globally Harmonised Systems of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), are either 1A: <em>known<\/em> to cause cancer, mutations to DNA, birth defects or other reproductive issues based on human evidence, or 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> to cause these effects based on animal evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amabhungane.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-346-Pesticides-on-the-phase-out-list.xlsx\">These 28 chemicals are found in 346 pesticides<\/a> that are currently used on crops, as wood preservatives or to target rodents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPesticides are \u2026 by their nature \u2026 hazardous; they carry risks that need to be managed. All over the world \u2026 when new information comes in \u2026 and when the risk associated with them is deemed to be unmanageable, that is where we then begin the process to phase them out. So it is not a new phenomenon, we have phased out or banned many products in the past and now is another process,\u201d Maluta Mudzunga, the Department\u2019s Registrar in charge of pesticides told us shortly after the phase-out was first announced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pesticides can be toxic in different ways: acutely toxic, like the pesticides that have been linked to recent poisoning cases in Gauteng, or chronically toxic, like the 346 pesticides targeted in the phase-out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThose products causing cancer, changes to your genetic makeup or DNA, or those that affect the development of the foetus or interfere with normal reproductive development, those are the chemicals that we are now focusing on,\u201d Mudzunga added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of these 346 pesticides, 48 contain active ingredients that have been identified as carcinogenic, while 19 are mutagenic and 263 either damage fertility or harm babies in the womb. (Another 16 products made it onto the list because they contain an inert ingredient that is classified as 1A\/1B).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/pesticides-by-numbers-1-575x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30068\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite this, pesticide manufacturers \u2013 including Germany\u2019s BASF, Switzerland\u2019s Syngenta, Israel\u2019s Adama and India\u2019s UPL \u2013 are pushing to keep 115 of these health risk-laden pesticides on the market, using loopholes provided by the Department\u2019s own regulations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These loopholes would allow companies to keep selling their products if they can show that there are no viable alternatives and that phasing out the product would cause a public health crisis or would be economically catastrophic for the farming industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Elriza Theron, advocacy and communications manager for CropLife South Africa (which represents the pesticide industry), explained in a recent interview: \u201cI think there&#8217;s \u2026 a tendency to have an us versus them [perspective] \u2013 a David and Goliath or a good versus evil \u2013 and you know, at the end of the day, there&#8217;s no separate food aisle that we are getting our food from,\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI know we all would love to have an Erin Brockovich kind of situation where the big guy gets taken down by the small guy because no one cared about the environment. But \u2026 as agriculture it is absolutely the opposite, because we need the environment and we need people in order to actually be in business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it comes to 1A\/1B chemicals, however, it\u2019s not the shopper at Woolies who is at risk, but the 929 000 people \u2013 mostly women \u2013 who work in the farming industry and are repeatedly exposed to these chemicals, often with little protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The reality in South Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2003, a group of researchers decided to take a closer look at the use of pesticides in the Eastern Cape. \u201cThere has been growing concern about the occurrence of certain birth defects which seemed to have increased in the past few years,\u201d researchers Gudrun Heeren, Joanne Tyler and Andrew Mandeya wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">They <a href=\"https:\/\/ehjournal.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/1476-069X-2-11\">concluded <\/a>that there was a \u201csignificant association\u201d between pregnant women being exposed to pesticides and their babies being born with a range of physical and neurological problems. According to their study, babies born with birth defects were seven times more likely to have a mother who worked with pesticides than those\u00a0who\u00a0didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Twenty years later, in August 2023, Professor Marcos Orellana \u2013 the UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights \u2013 visited South Africa to assess the continuing impact of pesticides on people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There is, he wrote in his report, increasing evidence linking pesticide exposure and serious health impacts on the skin, eyes, liver, kidneys, endocrine and nervous systems, with children and women being the most vulnerable to these risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDuring my visit to the Western Cape province, I heard from women farmworkers who were routinely exposed to hazardous pesticides and would denounce serious adverse health impacts in their communities,\u201d Orellana said during a briefing on his preliminary findings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This included women without proper protective gear working in vineyards immediately after pesticides had been sprayed, even though pesticides were still visibly dripping from the vines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI also learnt that pesticides meant for agricultural use are illegally sold and used to combat rampant cockroach mass infestations that spread in the absence of sanitation services in informal settlements. I was appalled to learn of the many children who were poisoned or died from eating, drinking or handling hazardous pesticides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the beginning of October this year, eight children have died from pesticide poisoning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur investigations have confirmed that all eight deaths were the result of exposure to pesticides, which are often sold in informal markets and lack proper regulation and safety warnings,\u201d Gauteng Department of Health spokesperson Motalatale Modiba told us on 5 October. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe illegal nature of these substances makes them especially hazardous, as they are easily accessible but poorly controlled. We must hasten to indicate that whether a pesticide is legally or illegally obtained is a secondary factor. Even \u2018legally\u2019 obtained pesticides are deadly when they are not used in line with the given instructions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The next day, on 6 October, another six children died after eating snacks bought from a spaza shop in Soweto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAll the six children died from terbufos ingestion,\u201d health minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi announced at a press briefing on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Terbufos is an organophosphate, a notoriously lethal compound found in both pesticides and nerve gas. In 2022, there were 34 reported cases of terbufos poisoning and five deaths. Although terbufos has long been banned in the EU, it continues to be widely used in South Africa, including on citrus and \u2013 illegally \u2013 in urban areas to control pests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt the present moment, samples from various spaza shops in Soweto have been sent to the National Laboratory and we are still waiting for the results. This means that while organophosphates were found in the bodies of the children, we are waiting to see if they were also found in the spaza shops so we can scientifically link the event,\u201d Motsolaedi added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During the July 2021 riots, a warehouse in Durban belonging to the agrochemical giant UPL was set alight with over roughly 6 000 tons of pesticides inside \u2013 including 20 tons of terbufos \u2013 sending a choking cloud of toxic fumes and a river of toxic chemicals into the surrounding communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Blackburn informal settlement was particularly hit by the toxic pollution of the air and the water. When talking to affected communities and representatives, it was clear to me that both industry and government left them on their own to bear the short and long term consequences on their health and livelihoods,\u201d Orellana wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of the problem, the UN Special Rapporteur noted, was that South Africa\u2019s main pesticide law \u2013 the Fertilisers, Farm Seeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies Act 36 of 1947 \u2013 is woefully out of date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDespite scientific evidence on the harms,\u201d he noted, \u201cmany highly hazardous pesticides are still legal and in use in South Africa.\u201d These pesticides, he continued \u201care banned in the European Union (EU), yet they are still produced in European countries for export, particularly to developing countries\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThis practice reproduces long-standing racist and colonial patterns of exploitation. Equally, the South African Government has a duty to protect its people and not contribute to reinforcing these double standards. Accordingly, South Africa should ban the import of all highly hazardous pesticides, including those that have been banned for use in their country of origin, without delay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The phase-out<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Department\u2019s phase-out of 1A\/1B chronic toxicity chemicals is part of the process to bring South Africa\u2019s pesticides law into the 21<sup>st<\/sup> century and in line with global standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The World Health Organisation has identified 8 categories of \u201chighly hazardous pesticides\u201d that should be phased out, ranging from chemicals that are acutely toxic, like terbufos, to those that cause chronic conditions like cancer, genetic mutations, birth defects or other reproductive issues, mostly through long-term exposure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/phase-out-1-1024x658.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30082\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSouth Africa has phased out all the chemicals \u2026 that have been identified to be Persistent Organic Pollutants in terms of the Stockholm Convention \u2026 except that South Africa has been allowed to use a limited amount of DDT in terms of controlling malaria,\u201d Mudzunga explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) are hazardous chemicals that don\u2019t easily degrade but instead linger for years, potentially poisoning people and the environment. Anyone caught using POP\u2019s since 2021 faces a R5-million fine and five years in prison. Last year, South Africa also phased out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.za\/sites\/default\/files\/gcis_document\/201409\/37818rg10232gon549.pdf\">Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)<\/a>, which are known to cause cancer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But when the draft regulations for the upcoming phase-out were first published in 2021, the only chemicals targeted were 1A\u2019s: <em>known<\/em> carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins. The other 24 chemicals that fall into the category of 1B, <em>presumed<\/em> carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins, were initially left off the list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Had these regulations been passed, it would have made for a very short list: arsenic acid, benomyl, brodifacoum and chromium trioxide, i.e., chemicals where, for tragic reasons, we have direct evidence of their effects on humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, as environmental lawyer Angela Andrews pointed out in a submission to the Registrar on behalf of civil society group UnPoison, \u201cmany <em>presumed<\/em> toxicants are in Category 1B because it is unethical to conduct experiments on humans to test whether human exposure to such toxicants causes cancer, mutations, or adverse effects on sexual function, fertility or on development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the final regulations were published last year, the 1A\u2019s \u2013 <em>known<\/em> carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins \u2013 were on the phase-out list, but so too were 24 other chemicals classed as 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> toxins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGetting rid of or prohibiting or banning certain products, of course, [the industry] are not going to be happy. I don&#8217;t think you will also be happy that, in the future, you can\u2019t sell a certain category of products,\u201d Mudzunga said. \u201cBut look I must commend them, they are of the view that, yes, they agree that category 1A must be phased out. They would have preferred that 1B category should still be allowed to be used. So that&#8217;s their position, they have got a mixed reaction to the prohibition that is coming.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>The fight to keep them<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa has an opaque but profitable pesticide market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the past five years we have imported R38-billion of pesticides into South Africa and exported R15-billion, largely to the SADC region. Our largest supplier is, unsurprisingly, China (R12-billion), but Belgium, Germany and the United States all feature in the top 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"965\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/imports-exports-1-965x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30071\" srcset=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/imports-exports-1-965x1024.jpg 965w, https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/imports-exports-1-600x637.jpg 600w, https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/imports-exports-1-283x300.jpg 283w, https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/imports-exports-1-768x815.jpg 768w, https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/imports-exports-1.jpg 1131w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 965px) 100vw, 965px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Department announced the phase-out of 1A\/1B chemicals, it also kept the door open for some of the products to stay on the market in \u201cexceptional circumstances\u201d through a derogation (exemption) process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Provided there are no viable alternatives on the market, there are three loopholes that companies can use in this regard:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>if the risk to humans, animals or the environment is \u201cnegligible \u2026 under realistic worst-case conditions of use\u201d;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>if the pesticide is \u201cessential to prevent of control a serious danger to human health, animal health or the environment\u201d; or<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>if banning the pesticide would have \u201ca disproportionate negative impact on society\u201d when compared to the risk.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have to look at the risk,\u201d Roeleen le Grange, CropLife\u2019s regulatory manager told us. \u201c[W]hen we&#8217;re phasing out these chemicals, it&#8217;s what we call the precautionary approach, and that means because we&#8217;re unsure about the risks, we basically put in a blanket ban because we don&#8217;t know what the risks are, and the consequences of not knowing is high\u2026 and then we say, if you want to keep it on the market, you have to do a risk assessment and show that you can still use it without that hazard posing a major risk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At least 25 companies have told the Department that they will apply for derogations on a total of 61 products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[A] lot of conditions need to be met before a derogation can be granted, and this is only in the interim, it&#8217;s not indefinitely,\u201d Theron from CropLife added. \u201cIt needs to be an absolute, complete exception to the rule. So it&#8217;s not just \u2018we&#8217;re applying for derogations, it&#8217;s granted, these products stay on the market\u2019 \u2013 that&#8217;s not how it works. It needs to be really essential.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If pesticide companies want to keep their 1A\/1B products on the market, they have to show that the real-life risks of using their products are \u201cnegligible\u201d. Yet there is ample evidence that in South Africa \u2013 where workers have little bargaining power and rules are poorly enforced \u2013 this is rarely the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Chromium trioxide: wood preservative, carcinogen and mutagen<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/chemical-case-study-chromium-trioxide-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30084\" style=\"object-fit:cover\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Two chemicals that were always going to be on the phase-out list are arsenic acid and chromium trioxide. The former is a 1A: <em>known<\/em> carcinogen while the latter \u2013 a type of hexavalent chromium \u2013 is both a 1A: <em>known<\/em> carcinogen and a 1A: <em>known<\/em> mutagen, meaning it causes changes to one\u2019s DNA that can inherited by future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hexavalent chromium was responsible for contaminating groundwater in Hinkley, California, which was linked to the cluster of cancer cases that was famously exposed by paralegal Erin Brockovich.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both arsenic and chromium trioxide are ingredients in Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA), a wood preservative used to treat fences, telephone poles, structural timber and children\u2019s playgrounds. CCA is easily recognisable by its initial light green colour, which fades to grey over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the US and EU, CCA was voluntarily withdrawn by manufacturers 20 years ago, after concerns were raised about it containing arsenic. The product was never officially banned, but it has largely been replaced by less toxic but more expensive options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet CCA remains widely used in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The local manufacturer, Dolphin Bay Chemicals, is fighting to keep its CCA products \u2013 Permacure Oxide and Celcure Oxide \u2013 on the market by employing the argument that the risk posed by 1A\/1B chemicals is minimal if used under strictly controlled conditions (derogation loophole #1).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the case of CCA, this means that the chemicals are not sprayed but applied inside a sealed vacuum-pressure chamber, which forces the chemicals deep into the wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPermacure \u2026 is an industrial wood preservative not sold to the public. The preservative is<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">only used in industrial timber treatment plants\u2026 Considering the controlled application method and low possibility of human contact, the risk associated with the [Permacure] wood preservative chemical product is manageable,\u201d CropLife told us on behalf of the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But these assurances are somewhat undermined by Dolphin Bay\u2019s own newsletter \u2013 the Dolphin Bay Brief \u2013 which has for years drawn attention to the risks posed by the illegal timber treatment industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe problem has mushroomed into a national industry crisis,\u201d Dolphin Bay wrote in July 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere has always been illegal dip-treating of poles and planks. But it was minimal. You\u2019d see the odd guy on the street here or there. Now, because of the lack of policing, it\u2019s completely out of hand,\u201d Kwazulu-Natal regional head Mark Duckham was quoted as saying. \u201cThese illegal treaters are thugs\u2026 armed gangs, and nobody wants to confront them because they\u2019re scared of being taken out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Bruce Breedt, CEO of the South African Wood Preservers Association (SAWPA), the wood and the chemicals to treat it \u2013 including CCA \u2013 are usually stolen, although in some instances legal operators sell the chemicals out the back door.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c[I]llegal treaters also phone suppliers and SAWPA members, trying to buy the preservative, and use any method of turning timber green or black, including paint colourants, carbolineum and old car oil if they are not able to get their hands on controlled preservatives,\u201d Breedt told the Dolphin Bay Brief in April 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhen the [Regulator] visits illegal traders, telling them to halt operations, they simply move to a different location, and continue, since most of them do not make use of industrial equipment, but merely dip or brush paint their substances onto the poles,\u201d the same newsletter noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The existence of a rampant illegal industry, dosing poles with CCA on the side of the road, shows how easy it is for arsenic and chromium trioxide to leech into the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is not Dolphin Bay\u2019s fault, but it does expose the flaw in its argument: the potential impact of using CCA under \u201crealistic worst-case conditions\u201d in South Africa is far from negligible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Counting the cost<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dolphin Bay didn\u2019t want to speak to us, but it is evidently confident that it can persuade the Registrar to keep CCA on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to its argument that it can protect timber workers, the company has commissioned a study to look at whether wood treated with CCA should be considered safe for the end user.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDolphin Bay asked the highly respected toxicologists and environmental scientists at Infotox to investigate\u2026 Their research findings show that Permacure CCA-treated timber should indeed be treated as non-toxic\u2026 Dolphin Bay and the industry have made this case in a submission to the department and believe it will not be disputed,\u201d it wrote in a 2022 newsletter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Infotox produced a similar report for SAWPA in 2014 titled <em>Health Risks of Children Associated with Exposure to CCA at Playgrounds<\/em>. The report concluded that \u201cthe most likely cancer risk range is roughly between one in a million and one in ten thousand for childhood<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">exposures at playgrounds with CCA-treated wooden structures\u201d, which is considered \u201cacceptable\u201d by the US Environmental Protection Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another challenge Dolphin Bay faces is that a derogation can only be granted if there is no viable alternative on the market. But Dolphin Bay already produces an alternative to CCA called ACQ, which is less toxic but more expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLook it will cost more &#8211; new technology or new products obviously will cost more &#8211; so I can understand that nobody wants to pay more to produce the same thing that they have been producing before,\u201d the Registrar, Maluta Mudzunga, told us in 2022. \u201cBut remember, that is where government comes in\u2026 If you look at the costs of the health burden of the country, compared to the cost to agriculture &#8211; if the costs to the government as a whole is bigger in terms of the health burden \u2026 [then] we need to move towards certain categories of pesticides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, while this argument is clear-cut in some cases, in others the public health burden may be precisely the reason that some 1A\/1B chemicals stay on the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Brodifacoum: rat poison and reproductive toxin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/chemical-case-study-brodifacoum-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30085\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Brodifacoum is a common ingredient in rat poison and, like arsenic and chromium trioxide, is classified as 1A: <em>known <\/em>reproductive toxin, putting it right at the top of the list of targeted chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite this, manufacturers are fighting to keep their products \u2013 including popular brands like Rattex, Rodex and Scientific Supa-Kill \u2013 on the market, using the argument that removing the products would cause a public health crisis (derogation loophole #2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We approached these companies for comment but instead got a response from the Rodenticide Derogation Working Group: \u201cThe active ingredients of \u2026 anticoagulant rodenticides \u2026 all meet the classification criteria of Category 1A or 1B reproductive toxicity, which, due to their anticoagulant nature, may cause harm to an unborn child if swallowed by, or absorbed through the skin of a pregnant woman,\u201d the group confirmed in a written statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cFor companies of which anticoagulant rodenticide products form a significant part of their product portfolio, there is no doubt that there would be a detrimental effect to their commercial interests. That said, the commercial losses to these companies would pale in comparison with the dire public health, food safety and food security crisis that is likely to unfold, should farmers, industry and the general public lose access to the most widely used rodent control method available.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Rodenticide Derogation Working Group refuses to identify its members; all emails came from Hannelie Marais, a consultant who prepares derogation applications on behalf of companies. Asked who she was representing, she said: \u201cwe would like to remain protected under the Rodenticide Derogation Group, the Registrar takes a dim view of companies running to the media.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite the unnecessary cloak and dagger, the group has a case. Unchecked, it argues, rats would spread diseases like leptospirosis and toxoplasmosis. Worse, in the absence of cheap well-known staples, they argue that more consumers would turn to dangerous, off-label alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThese \u2018street pesticides\u2019, which are often sold in unmarked containers are created by the illegal practice of combining pesticides intended for agricultural use, for example, organophosphates with other compounds \u2026 to control pest infestations,\u201d the group told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Poisoned children<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is already a huge problem. Even with cheap anticoagulant rodenticides on the market, and despite regular raids by the police and the Department\u2019s Inspection Unit, the market for off-label pesticides continues to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last week, four people were reportedly arrested for being in possession of aldicarb, an insecticide and rodenticide informally known as \u201ctwo-step\u201d, which has been banned in South Africa since 2011, but which still finds its way into the informal market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was initially thought that aldicarb was responsible for the deaths of six children in Naledi, but toxicology results pointed to organophosphates being responsible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOrganophosphates are \u2026 pesticides that are used widely in agriculture. I want to emphasise that they are not supposed to be used for cleaning in domestic settings,\u201d health minister Dr. Aaron Motsoaledi said in a press briefing on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cPeople who manufacture domestic poisons are by law instructed to make them weak. For instance, these pesticides are usually used to kill rodents. Rodents domestically are killed by Rattex, [but] people don\u2019t like it because Rattex is weak. And it has been made to be weak so that it doesn\u2019t kill anybody &#8230; a child has to ingest a lot of Rattex for it to kill them; not so with organophosphates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Ministers Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Senzo Mchunu update on spaza shops chemical results\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9qflhHUVfn4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In January, Villa Crop Protection issued a statement warning against off-label use of dichlorvos, another organophosphate designed for crops, but which has become a popular solution to combat cockroaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While dichlorvos is not on the phase-out list, it is acutely toxic and can be fatal if inhaled or if it comes into contact with one\u2019s skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDichlorvos is a volatile substance \u2026 and when applied indoors will rapidly saturate the indoor space. People residing, sleeping, or working in such spaces will be exposed to dichlorvos which has a high inhalation toxicity,\u201d Villa warned in a press release in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIncidents in which pure dichlorvos was applied indoors resulted in severe organophosphate poisoning symptoms in people because whoever applied the product, overdosed the product 40 to 50 times compared to the dosage that is dispensed by registered dichlorvos containing fumigants.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In an attempt to combat the unregulated trade in dichlorvos, Villa announced in January that it would only sell the product to registered, traceable buyers. But until recently, it was widely available from smaller suppliers, either in Villa-branded five litre containers (R1 200 &#8211; R1 600) or decanted into smaller containers and sold for as little as R25.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe presence of such substances points to the already prolific availability and use of illegal street pesticides often sold as \u2018Rat Poison\u2019\u2026 While the effective policing of such illegal activities would ultimately reduce the cases of accidental or deliberate poisonings, the banning of anticoagulant rodenticides will only increase the demand for such products, exacerbating the problem,\u201d the Rodenticide Derogation Working Group argues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, data collected by the Poison Information Centre and provided to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news24.com\/news24\/southafrica\/news\/chemicals-and-pesticides-could-be-behind-gautengs-surge-in-food-poisoning-20240909\">News24<\/a> in September makes it clear that children are being poisoned by both legal <em>and<\/em> street pesticides at an alarming rate. At the Red Cross Children\u2019s Hospital, 10% of general poisoning cases were linked to pesticides. Of that 10%, a third were caused by organophosphates, a third by anticoagulant rodenticides that contain chemicals like brodifacoum, and a third by unidentified chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite this, the argument for keeping anticoagulant rodenticides on the market has a precedent: in the EU, the decision to ban these pesticides has been put on hold until the end of 2026 to allow more time to weigh up the public health implications of removing them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, most of the big manufacturers trading in both Europe and South Africa cherry-pick examples set by the EU: when an EU decision helps a product stay on the market, these manufacturers deliver the highest praise, but when the EU clamps down, they will argue that these rules shouldn\u2019t apply in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Propiconazole: fungicide and reproductive toxin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/chemical-case-study-propiconazole-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30086\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Propiconazole is a fungicide used on crops and as a wood preservative. It is also classified as a 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> reproductive toxin and is a potent endocrine disruptor, meaning it mimics hormones found in the human body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, the EU decided that propiconazole could stay on the market as a wood preservative, but for extremely limited uses. Amongst other things, the EU ruled that propiconazole \u201cshould only be authorised for indoor use\u201d where run-off can be tightly controlled since \u201cspray-drift by manual spraying is impossible to be mitigated at a site outdoors\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The EU ruling also noted that \u201cwood treated with propiconazole should not be placed on the market to produce furniture and play structures\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet in South Africa a number of companies are fighting to keep propiconazole on the market as a treatment for powdery mildew and other fungi on crops where preventing run-off and spray drift is impossible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Schalk van der Merwe, the national marketing manager for Adama told us that \u201cwe are applying for derogation for essential uses only \u2026 and for a limited time period \u2026 Withdrawal of products before suitable, sufficient alternatives \u2026 are available to the growers, could impact negatively on \u2026 growers, local and export markets, and therefore the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adama, which is part of the Syngenta group \u2013 one of the big four companies that dominate global pesticide sales \u2013 is \u201cinvesting in derogations, without certainty about the outcome or the period for which the derogation could be granted,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the data provided by CropLife shows that Adama considers its propiconazole product, Bumper 250 EC, essential for a wide range of crops, including peaches, nectarines, cherries, pecan nuts, mangoes, wheat and barley.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adama is also applying to keep using products containing dimethomorph for potatoes and grapes, as well as linuron for sweet potatoes and carrots. Both dimethomorph and linuron are classified as 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> toxic to reproductive health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The job of policing these \u201cexceptional\u201d uses will fall to &nbsp;the Department\u2019s already over-stretched Inspection Unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Adama, which is headquartered in Israel, has decided not to fight for some of its other products, including Diurex, which contains diuron (1B: carcinogenic) and Soprano, which contains carbendazim (1B: mutagenic). Both will be removed from the shelves by the end of May 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Adama\u2019s parent company Syngenta \u2013 owned by China\u2019s state-owned Sinochem \u2013 is using a different tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to the 61 products that companies are defending through the derogation process, companies have launched a parallel process to have 54 products reclassified from, for instance, 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> carcinogen to 2: <em>suspected<\/em> carcinogen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And while the derogation process would give 1A\/1B products a limited life extension, the reclassification process would allow these products to remain on the shelves indefinitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Double standards<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">South Africa, with its massive agricultural sector and outdated laws, has long been a haven for pesticides that are \u201cmade in Europe\u201d but also \u201cbanned in Europe\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The weed killer Paraquat, for instance, has done wonders for Syngenta\u2019s bottom line \u2013 in 2018, the Swiss multinational reported over $100-million in sales from just this one chemical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ironically, however, it\u2019s illegal to sell Paraquat in Basel, Switzerland, where Syngenta is based. It\u2019s also illegal to sell it in Huddersfield, England, where the herbicide is made. But if you\u2019d like to buy it in South Africa, all you have to do is go down to your local Agrimark, where you can pick up five litres for roughly R500.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Paraquat is a highly toxic herbicide \u2013 \u201cfatal if inhaled\u201d \u2013 which has been banned in the EU since 2007 but continues to be sold in South Africa where it is sprayed to create firebreaks ahead of controlled burns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And paraquat is not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Benomyl is classified as a 1B:<em> presumed<\/em> carcinogen and mutagen by the European Chemical Agency and banned across the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was widely used as a fungicide (under the brand name Benlate) until it became the focus of several lawsuits alleging that it had caused damage to crops. Separately, a handful of parents in the US, UK and New Zealand filed lawsuits alleging that the chemical was linked to serious birth defects, including children being born with severe eye deformities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although studies on rats convincingly replicated these results, the manufacturer DuPont denied their product was responsible. The cases were eventually settled out of court, by which point DuPont had voluntarily withdrawn its benomyl products from the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But only in the US and the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Products containing benomyl continue to be sold in South Africa by UPL, Adama, Villa Crop Protection and Castle-Ag, particularly to the citrus industry. An inventory from the UPL warehouse fire shows that as recently as July 2021, 5 227 kgs of products containing benomyl were destined for market in KwaZulu-Natal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/UPL-fire-1-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30075\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe know that the manufacturers \u2026 are not going to stop selling products irrespectively of the nature of the hazard those products cause,\u201d Maluta Mudzunga, the Department\u2019s Registrar in charge of pesticides told us in an interview in 2022. \u201cSo in South Africa, we operate unfortunately, under circumstances where companies need a law, and hence we are now coming in with a law that says you can&#8217;t import, sell, [or] use a specific type of product. Because at the end of the day, remember, sometimes it&#8217;s all about costs \u2026 people would want to sell those products that cost less and so those are the dynamics that we have in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All four companies have told the Registrar that they will not fight the phase-out of benomyl, although the Citrus Growers\u2019 Association said in a newsletter that one of the companies had applied for \u201ca grace period for on-farm use of benomyl until 31 May 2025 and made provision for ample product stock accordingly\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Companies are fighting to keep other chemicals on the market, however, by arguing that in certain instances, a product classified as a 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> carcinogen in the EU should be downgraded to a 2: <em>suspected<\/em> carcinogen when it\u2019s sold in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Room for interpretation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before you can phase out any chemical, you need to agree on whether it\u2019s a <em>known or presumed <\/em>carcinogen (1A\/1B), or merely a <em>suspected<\/em> one (2).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2022, South Africa agreed to implement the Globally Harmonised Systems of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), an international standard to help countries get on the same page about the risks associated with different chemicals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The GHS only provides guidelines though, and doesn\u2019t classify products as 1A or 1B \u2013 that job is left up to individual countries. But South Africa made clear early on that it would follow the classifications used by the European Chemical Agency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe Department does not see the need to repeat the work that is already being done by a world recognised regulatory authority,\u201d then minister Thoko Didiza <a href=\"https:\/\/pmg.org.za\/committee-question\/23823\/\">told parliament<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The pesticide industry disagrees and is seeking to persuade the Department that another 54 products should be reclassified in South Africa as no longer carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproductive health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As the Department explained in a written response, \u201cthe European Union database source, which the Registrar relies on amongst others, has classified the stated products as 1A or 1B. Such classification in some instances are different in other countries like USA, Brazil, Australia and New Zealand. Some of the Registration holders have provided additional information to dispute the European Union classifications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If successful, this would mean that the same product could be labelled as carcinogenic in Europe but carry no such warning in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verena Kempter, communications head for the German chemicals giant BASF, told us that \u201cthe GHS hazard classification criteria for assigning classification for carcinogenicity and reproduction toxicity is not clear-cut and leaves room for interpretation\u2026 Therefore expert knowledge and a careful weight-of-evidence assessment is needed considering all available data and human relevance of effects obtained in experimental animal studies. This is the reason why the same data may be weighted differently depending on the expert assessor, resulting in different classification outcomes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Epoxiconazole: sugarcane treatment and reproductive toxin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/chemical-case-study-expoxiconazole-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30087\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">BASF is betting that it can persuade the under-resourced South African authorities to give its products a lower hazard rating, downgrading the active ingredient epoxiconazole from a 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> reproductive toxin \u2013 which <em>may <\/em>damage fertility or the unborn child\u2013 to a 2: <em>suspected <\/em>of damaging fertility or an unborn child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In fact, BASF isn\u2019t waiting for the Department\u2019s ruling \u2013 the Safety Data Sheets for its products list epoxiconazole as a 2: <em>suspected<\/em> reproductive toxin, even though both the European and South African authorities place it in the more hazardous 1B category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe appropriate classification of epoxiconazole for developmental toxicity is borderline and changed several times in Europe within the last ~25 years,\u201d Kempter told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cTherefore, BASF decided that the UN GHS classification of epoxiconazole for developmental toxicity in classification category 2 \u2018suspected human reproductive toxicant\u2019 (previous classification in Europe) should be kept as global classification, despite of Category 1B \u2018presumed human reproductive toxicant\u2019 (current classification in Europe).\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This, despite South Africa\u2019s regulators explicitly stating that the country would follow EU product classifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of BASF\u2019s justification is that \u201cthe product labels triggered by the Reproductive Toxicity Category 1 and 2 are identical, thereby the same level of protection of end users handling epoxiconazole is ensured.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the difference is massive: 1B means BASF needs start phasing out its epoxiconazole products, including Opera, Abacus Advance, Stellar Star, Ceriax and others that are widely used on crops like sugarcane and maize; 2 means it gets to keep selling them indefinitely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dimethomorph: grape fungicide and reproductive toxin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/chemical-case-study-dimethomorph-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30088\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Reclassification is also giving companies like BASF a potential second bite at the cherry where derogation applications in the EU have failed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dimethomorph is a fungicide used in two BASF products: Orvego and Acrobat, both of which are widely used on grapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2019, the European Chemical Agency classified dimethomorph as a 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> reproductive toxin and ordered that products containing this ingredient be labelled \u201cH360F: may damage fertility\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet despite its 1B classification, BASF, Arysta LifeScience (owned by UPL) and Adama brought a derogation application to renew their dimethomorph products in the EU, arguing that \u201cthe exposure of humans and\/or the environment to dimethomorph was negligible under realistic conditions of use\u201d \u2013 the same loophole that is available in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The EU did not buy this argument and in April this year ruled that dimethomorph should be phased out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/double-standards-1-1024x939.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30079\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amongst other things, the EU concluded that \u201cdimethomorph is not necessary to control a serious danger to plant health which cannot be contained by other available means including non-chemical methods\u201d and \u201cdimethomorph meets the criteria for endocrine disruptors for humans and wild mammals \u2026 due to its estrogen, androgen and steroidogenesis (EAS)-modalities\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDespite the arguments put forward by the applicants, the concerns regarding the active substance could not be eliminated,\u201d the EU concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Having failed to secure a derogation in the EU, BASF is now hoping that the same argument will find more fertile ground in South Africa, but this time by asking the authorities to reclassify dimethomorph in its entirety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe believe that a well-founded risk assessment should take into account the actual exposure of a substance and not just a theoretical hazard,\u201d Kempter told us. \u201cWe defend this position for our active ingredient dimethomorph worldwide. We are convinced that our products can be used safely if they are used in accordance with the instructions for use.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBased on scientific studies, we believe that dimethomorph should be classified as chronic reprotoxic category 2. This means that it will not fall under the \u2026 definition for \u2018highly hazardous pesticides\u2019. We defend this position in regulatory proceedings worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Mancozeb: citrus fungicide and reproductive toxin<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/chemical-case-study-mancozeb-1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30089\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most contentious fight isn\u2019t over grapes, however, but over the R11-billion a year export citrus industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mancozeb is the active ingredient in 49 products currently sold in South Africa, and is a powerful fungicide used on citrus, onions and flower bulbs. The ingredient\u2019s effectiveness in destroying fungus and the like has an similarly detrimental effect on the human endocrine system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Endocrine disruptors like mancozeb mimic oestrogens that then disrupt hormone function causing development, growth and reproduction challenges in humans and wildlife. <a href=\"https:\/\/repository.up.ac.za\/bitstream\/handle\/2263\/78730\/Seshoka_EndocrineDisrupting_2021.pdf?sequence=1\">A study <\/a>by the University of Venda, Steve Biko Academic Hospital and the University of Pretoria found that mancozeb had short-term toxic impacts on the immune system and other cells that impact the thyroid and can cause liver tumours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When high doses of mancozeb were given to pregnant lab rats, some pups were born with malformed tails and meningoencephalocele, a rare condition where part of the brain herniates through the skull.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The chemical, classified as a 1B: <em>presumed<\/em> reproductive toxin by the EU, was subsequently banned by the bloc in 2021.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite this, 11 companies \u2013 backed by the citrus industry \u2013 are fighting to keep mancozeb on the shelves in South Africa through the Department\u2019s reclassification process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMancozeb is the best multi-site fungicide available on the market [and] forms the backbone of the programme to control Citrus Black Spot \u2026 a fungal disease creating superficial blemishes on the fruit,\u201d UPL South Africa told us via a PR company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Citrus Black Spot doesn\u2019t change how the fruit tastes, only how it looks. Despite this, the EU doesn\u2019t allow fruit with Citrus Black Spot to be imported, which has made South Africa\u2019s citrus farmers reliant on spraying with mancozeb-based fungicides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe EU has very strict regulations on Citrus Black Spot which threatens South Africa\u2019s citrus exports,\u201d UPL South Africa told us. \u201cIf South Africa\u2019s citrus growers do not address [Citrus Black Spot] to adhere to the strict EU regulations, it will have a devastating impact on farm-level jobs that rely on this very important agricultural export.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The company added that there is \u201ccurrently no cost-effective alternative treatment for this disease\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result of this is that in order to treat an entirely cosmetic disease, farm workers in South Africa are potentially exposed to a long list of side effects from products that \u201cmay damage the unborn child\u201d, are \u201csuspected of causing cancer\u201d and \u201cmay cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In April, the Citrus Growers\u2019 Association, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedtic.gov.za\/south-africas-cases-against-eu-citrus-measures-move-forward-at-wto-2\/#:~:text=On%20Friday%2026%20July%202024,Africa%20by%20the%20European%20Union%20(\">launched a case with the World Trade Organisation\u2019s Dispute Settlement Body<\/a> challenging what they deem discriminatory measures on the citrus exports from South Africa to the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The press release didn\u2019t mention the health effects of mancozeb spraying, but instead highlighted the R3.7-billion a year in opportunity costs for the export citrus industry to comply with the rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201c140 000 livelihoods at farm level alone are sustained by the citrus industry,\u201d Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen was quoted as saying. \u201cIt is a priority for government to protect these jobs and to make sure citrus can continue to play the essential economic role it does in so many rural communities throughout the country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For now, the citrus industry, the Minister and the Registrar are all pulling in the same direction. But if the EU refuses to budge, it\u2019s likely that farm workers will be told, once again, to take one for the economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>UPL\u2019s new data<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, there are also commercial pressures to keep mancozeb on the market. UPL is heavily invested both locally and globally in this regard, and not just for the sake of the citrus industry. In January, UPL announced that it had bought the rights to Corteva\u2019s mancozeb products outside China, Japan, South Korea and the EU.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UPL is the fifth largest agrochemical company in the world, holding around 20% of market share. In a press release, UPL\u2019s global office wrote that \u201cmancozeb is a highly effective protective fungicide used to prevent plant diseases across a range of crops, including rice, soybean, wheat, onions, potatoes, and other vegetables and fruits \u2026 UPL, the market leader in this technology, was instrumental in introducing mancozeb for soybean production in 2014, where it proved effective in controlling fungal diseases and boosting growth and yield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If UPL\u2019s application is successful in South Africa and mancozeb is reclassified from 1B (<em>presumed<\/em> reproductive toxin) to 2 (<em>suspected<\/em> reproductive toxin), it will mean that it can continue to be widely used on a variety of crops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u200b\u200b\u201c[We] have data to show that Mancozeb is actually a group 2 \u2026 product, and the European Food Safety Authority categorisation as a carcinogen, mutagen or reproductive toxin (CMR) is incorrect,\u201d UPL told us. \u201cThere is currently an application with the South African Department of Agriculture to have it correctly classified.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UPL South Africa wouldn\u2019t discuss what kind of data would justify mancozeb being downgraded, but according to the Department, UPL has made the argument that, despite what the EU says, a number of countries regard mancozeb as a group 2: <em>suspected<\/em> reproductive toxin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe information provided by UPL included a list of countries where Mancozeb is still registered and classified as not being a CMR 1A or 1B. Such countries include Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, Russia and the USA,\u201d the Department told us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2019, when the European Chemical Agency reviewed mancozeb, it was presented with new animal studies showing that, at lower doses, the birth defects seen in the original rat study did not occur.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The EU however refused to downgrade mancozeb to a 2: <em>suspected<\/em> reproductive toxin, arguing that \u201cthe new data is not convincing enough to reduce the concern for the malformations seen in the original \u2026 study\u201d.&nbsp; It added that \u201cthe severe and irreversible developmental findings in [the original study] make it difficult to argue for a category 2 classification\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">UPL has decided to let go of a number of other products it actively trades, including Benomyl, Colloso and Propicon \u2013 all of which were present in large volumes in the UPL warehouse in Cornubia when it burned down during the July 2021 unrest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Very little is known about the volumes of pesticides sold in South Africa, so the inventory of the UPL warehouse offers an imperfect but valuable snapshot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Amongst the thousands of tons of various products was 5 227 kgs of Benomyl (containing benomyl, 1A: toxic to reproductive health), 1 223 kgs of Colloso (containing flusilazole and carbendazim, 1B: mutagenic, toxic to reproductive health), and 1 425 litres of Propicon (containing propiconazole, 1B: toxic to reproductive health).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All of these products will be banned from June 2025. Mancozeb, which was listed as the active ingredient in 91 518 kgs of product, may remain on the market for a lot longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Public reckoning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The phase-out process means that for once, the secretive pesticides industry is being forced into the open. When new pesticides are registered the public isn\u2019t asked for comment. In fact, there isn\u2019t even a public register showing which pesticides have been legally approved for use in South Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This time however, if companies want to keep using 1A\/1B products via one of the three loopholes in the derogation process they will have to publish a risk assessment report and call for public comments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So far none of the companies seeking exemptions for their 61 products have made a move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe registration holder will invite the public for comments through the media platforms. The Registration holder will make the risk assessment reports and\/or any relevant information available in their respective websites. In addition, the documents will also be available on DALRRD website,\u201d &nbsp;the Department told us.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Interested parties will submit their comments or objections in connection with the proposed application in writing to:<br>Mr. Maluta Mudzunga<br>The Registrar: Fertilizer, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies and Stock Remedies, 1947 (Act no. 36 of 1947)<br>Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development<br>Private Bag X343, Pretoria, 0001<br>30 Hamilton Street, Harvest House Building, Office 417, Arcadia, Pretoria, 0002<br>Tel no: 012 319 6530<br>Email to <a href=\"mailto:MalutaM@dalrrd.gov.za\">MalutaM@dalrrd.gov.za<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, the more controversial process \u2013 having 54 products reclassified as no longer carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproductive health \u2013 will take place behind closed doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Department says that this process has not yet been completed, but CropLife is confident. In April, it told members that all 54 of these products had been \u201c[r]eclassified as not being a CMR and will remain on the market\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Update: 1 November 2024. This story has been updated to more accurately reflect the findings of the 2003 pesticide study in the Eastern\u00a0Cape.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cancer, birth defects or DNA mutations \u2013 these are some of the risks of the 346 pesticides the South African government says must be removed from the shelves by June 2025. The Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":31963,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31888","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31888","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31888"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31888\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32016,"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31888\/revisions\/32016"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/31963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31888"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31888"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/further.co.za\/amabwp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31888"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}