Chemical name: Acetic acid, 2,2,2-trichloro-, sodium salt (1:1)

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 applications are prohibited.

Pesticide use or uses that remain allowed:

None

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

Summary of the final regulatory action:

It is prohibited to sell, stock, store or use sodium trichloroacetate as a pesticide.

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

Summary of known hazards and risks to human health:

The Pesticides Authorisation Board (CTB) decided to withdraw all applications of sodium trichloroacetate based on the leaching potential to groundwater. The leaching to groundwater was considered very high in view of the transformation rate in soil, the mobility in soil, the high application dosages and the application times. After application in autumn and winter dozens of the percentage of the dosage can leach to groundwater, under unfavourable conditions even more than 50% of the dosage (CTB, 1985). Therefore, unacceptable concentrations (i.e.0.1 ug/l) of sodium trichloroacetate are expected in groundwater following application (CTB 1985, CTB 1988b, and CTB 1991). In the Netherlands, groundwater can be used for drinking water and therefore groundwater must remain free from pesticides (precaution principle). In the Netherlands, the limit value for the leaching to groundwater is 0.1 µg/l which was at that time based on the detection limit. In practic this leaching limit is used as a human health standard.

The decision for a ban was based on submitted (confidential) environmental fate studies in soil. No studies on mutagenicity, reproduction toxicity and teratogenicity have been submitted for sodium trichloroacetate (CTB, 1988b).

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

Prevention of contamination of drinking water derived from groundwater. The final regulatory action led to a complete risk reduction.

Date of entry into force of the final regulatory action: 01/11/1991