Special Review Decision SRD2022-02, Special Reviews: Potential environmental risk related to squash bee exposure to Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam and Imidacloprid used on cucurbits

Pest Management Regulatory Agency
24 February 2022
ISSN: 2561-6269 (PDF version)
Catalogue number: H113-17/2022-2E-PDF (PDF version)

Summary

Table of contents

• Special review decision
• Next steps
• Other information
• Appendix I Registered products containing Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam or Imidacloprid for cucurbit use in Canada subject to special review

Special review decision

Pursuant to subsection 17(1) of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) initiated special reviews on pest control products containing clothianidin, thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid used on cucurbits such as pumpkin and squash. These special reviews were initiated based on a preliminary analysis of the information received under subsection 17(4) of the Pest Control Products Act. The aspect of concern for these reviews is to assess potential risk to squash bees, Eucera pruinosa (previously called Peponapis pruinosa), exposed to clothianidin, thiamethoxam or imidacloprid when products containing these active ingredients are used on cucurbits.

Health Canada evaluated the aspect of concern that prompted the special review in accordance with subsection 18(4) of the Pest Control Products Act. The proposed special review decision was published for consultation in Proposed Special Review Decision PSRD2021-02, Special Reviews: Potential environmental risk related to squash bee (Peponapis pruinosa) exposure to Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam and Imidacloprid used on cucurbits.^{Footnote 1} Since the publication of PSRD2021-02 on 29 June 2021, several comments were received during the consultation period.

This Special Review Decision SRD2022-02, Special Reviews: Potential environmental risk related to squash bee exposure to Clothianidin, Thiamethoxam and Imidacloprid used on cucurbits presents the final regulatory decision^{Footnote 2} for the special reviews of clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid used on cucurbits. All pest control products containing clothianidin, thiamethoxam or imidacloprid that are registered in Canada for use on cucurbits are subject to this special review decision (see Appendix I).

Comments were received and are summarized in the Additional Environmental Risk Assessment Section along with the responses from Health Canada (list of commenters available in Appendix II of the full version of SRD2022-02). The comments were considered and prompted an additional environmental risk assessment to address potential risk to squash bees that could be exposed to persistent neonicotinoid residues from seed treatments. Additional consideration was given to squash bees that may be in cucurbit crops grown on fields that had a previous crop rotation of cucurbit, corn or soybean planted with treated seed. Ultimately, the additional assessment did not result in a change to the risk conclusions. Therefore, this decision is consistent with the proposed regulatory decision as described in PSRD2021-02.

Evaluation of available scientific information related to the aspect of concern indicated that the potential environmental risks to Eucera pruinosa (squash bee) through exposure to clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid used on cucurbits are considered acceptable when used according to the current conditions of use.

On this basis, Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency, pursuant to subsection 21(1) of the Pest Control Products Act, has determined that continued registration of clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid products for sale and use on cucurbits in Canada is acceptable under the current conditions of use. No additional risk mitigation measures are required.

Next steps

Health Canada has completed the special reviews for clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid used on cucurbits. Under the authority of the Pest Control Products Act, Health Canada has determined that the use of clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid on cucurbits continues to be acceptable when used according to label directions. No additional data or mitigation measures are required at this time.

Other information

Please refer to PMRA Guidance Document: Approach to Special Reviews of Pesticides, for details on the special review approach.

Any person may file a notice of objection^{Footnote 3} regarding this decision on clothianidin, thiamethoxam and imidacloprid used on cucurbits within 60 days from the date of publication of this Special Review Decision. For more information regarding the basis for objecting (which must be based on scientific grounds), please refer to the Pesticides section of the Canada.ca website (Request a Reconsideration of Decision) or contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service.

The relevant confidential test data on which the decision is based (as referenced in PSRD2021-02) are available for public inspection, upon application, in the PMRA's Reading Room. For more information, please contact the PMRA's Pest Management Information Service.

Appendix I Registered products containing clothianidin, thiamethoxam or imidacloprid for cucurbit use in Canada subject to special review

Table 1 Registered commercial class products containing clothianidin, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam in Canada^{Table 1 Footnote 1}

Registration number	Registrant	Product name	Formulation type	Active ingredient
29382	Valent Canada Incorporated	Clutch 50 WDG Insecticide	Water Disperable Granules	50% Clothianidin
29384	Valent Canada Incorporated	Clothianidin Insecticide	Water Disperable Granules	50% Clothianidin
30972	Bayer CropScience Incorporated	Sepresto 75 WS	Wettable Powder	56.25% Clothianidin; 18.75% Imidacloprid
25636	Bayer CropScience Incorporated	Merit 60 WP Greenhouse And Nursery Insecticide	Wettable Powder	60% Imidacloprid
27357	Bayer CropScience Incorporated	Intercept 60 WP Greenhouse Insecticide	Wettable Powder	60% Imidacloprid
27045	Syngenta Canada Incorporated	Cruiser 5FS Seed Treatment	Suspension	47.6% Thiamethoxam
Table 1 Footnote 1 As of 29 December 2021, excluding discontinued products or products with a submission for discontinuation. Reg. No. 24094 is not included as the soil use on cucurbit vegetables was cancelled in the Re-evaluation Decision RVD2019-06, Imidacloprid and Its Associated End-Use Products: Pollinator Re-evaluation. Table 1 Return to footnote 1 referrer