Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency Reclassifies More Than 1,900 Pesticides

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) published last Thursday, August 1st, the reclassification of 1,924 pesticides registered in Brazil. Based on the new regulatory framework, 600 products with red lines on the label — indicating a greater hazard — were assigned to lower classes.

Now, only the products that can lead to death if ingested or when coming into contact with the skin and eyes will be labeled “extreme toxicity” or “high toxicity” (red line).

Those that may cause poisoning without risk of death will be classified as “moderate toxicity” (yellow), “low toxicity” (blue) or “unlikely to cause serious harm” (blue).

Companies will have one year to adapt to the new packaging.

In total, 1,942 products were assessed by the agency, of which 1,924 were reclassified, and eighteen other ones provided insufficient information to be redistributed and may be categorized in the future.

The number of reassessments on Thursday corresponds to 87.4 percent of the 2,201 pesticides available for sale in Brazil, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to Carlos Raetano, professor of agronomic sciences at the Paulista State University (UNESP), the country needs to follow an international standardization, but he is concerned about the number of downgraded products.

In the “extreme toxicity” class, the highest of all, 43 pesticides will retain the same classification. Most of this total will be downgraded to “low toxicity” (277) and “unlikely to cause serious harm” (243), with a blue line.

The fungicide methyl bromide, used for pest control in coffee beans after harvesting, is an example of this and will be removed from the “extreme toxicity” class (red line) to the “low toxicity” class (blue line).

For Raetano, despite following the international guidelines, the reclassification of this pesticide is not positive. “It is an example of what should not be changed. This is a gas that affects the ozone layer and was limited. It is an odorless gas [without smell], the individual only realizes exposure to it when he begins to tear, after a long time of exposure,” he argues.

The new method is based on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), an international standard endorsed by the United Nations (UN).

Other hazards such as serious skin, eye, and respiratory injuries and single or repeated exposure, for instance, will be labeled, but will not affect the colors of lines.