Chemical name: 1,1'-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)bis[4-chloro-benzene]

Final regulatory action has been taken for the category: Pesticide

Final regulatory action: The chemical is Banned

Use or uses prohibited by the final regulatory action:

All types of formulations are prohibited in Malawi.

Pesticide use or uses that remain allowed:

Despite the ban of DDT use in the country in 1985, the chemical is still being used illegally in vegetables to control insect pests. It was not possible to establish the exact amount of DDT being used illegally by vegetable farmers.

Utilization of DDT for malaria control has not been confirmed in Malawi.

The final regulatory action was based on a risk or hazard evaluation: Yes

Summary of the final regulatory action:

DDT was used for agricultural purposes to control major cotton pests such as African Bollworms. Malawi stopped using DDT in cotton and other crops in 1985 in order to comply with the world ban on DDT. Malawi had to implement the ban to ensure that no agricultural produce for export showed any traces of DDT residues. The control of DDT falls under several ministries but the parent ministry is the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Food Security (MoAIFS) under the Pesticides Act No. 12 of 2000.

Section 17 of the Pesticides Act No. 12 of 2000 stipulates that subject to subsection (2): no person shall import, manufacture or sell a pesticide, which has not been registered under this Act. It further stipulates that an unregistered pesticide may be imported under an import permit issued under section 20 for the purpose of analysis, registration or research, or under a pest emergency permit issued under section 52; and manufactured for export in accordance with a license to manufacture issued under section 24.

Section 22 of the Pesticides Act No. 12 of 2000 stipulates that the Regulatory Authority may cancel the registration of a pesticide on the grounds that the pesticide is harmful to human health or to the environment. The Regulatory Authority for pesticides in Malawi is the Pesticides Control Board.

The reasons for the final regulatory action were relevant to: Human health and environment

Summary of known hazards and risks to human health:

The use of DDT in cotton fields posed a great hazard as the applicators were usually women and children. Malawi was using the chemical in large quantities in agricultural sector from early 1960s to 1985 when DDT was finally banned. This implies that quite a close to 3 million farming families, of which the majority were women and children, were exposed to the chemical through daily inhalation, the re-use of chemical containers for drawing water and for storage of food stuffs such as salt and various types of seeds. The Government of Malawi banned the importation and use of DDT in 1985 because of its persistence and cumulative effects in the environment and its accumulation in human and animal adipose tissues.

Expected effect of the final regulatory action in relation to human health:

With the withdrawal of DDT from the market, other alternative safer pesticides were sought and are now in place. The Pesticides Control Board, which monitors and regulates all pesticides imports into Malawi, has not processed any permits to import DDT. The presence of some DDT in the country shows that illegal importers and traders of DDT remain but at limited scale. Therefore enforcement of 1985 ban by Malawi government has not been effective and needs to be strengthened. To ensure sustainable control of crop pests, both government and the chemical industry introduced alternatives to DDT.

Summary of known hazards and risks to the environment:

The Government of Malawi banned the importation and use of DDT in 1985 because of its persistence and cumulative effects in the environment and its accumulation in human and animal adipose tissues.

Expected effect of the final regulatory action in relation to the environment:

Withdrawal of DDT from the market ensures safer environment.

Date of entry into force of the final regulatory action: 12/08/2000