All News Releases By Date

PA PESTICIDE PROPOXUR DO NOT WARRANT SPECIAL REVIEW

Release Date: 2/10/96
Contact Information:

PA PESTICIDE PROPOXUR DO NOT WARRANT SPECIAL REVIEW

FOR RELEASE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1996

EPA CONCLUDES THAT RISKS POSED BY PESTICIDE PROPOXUR DO NOT WARRANT SPECIAL REVIEW

Based on its review of new scientific data, EPA has concluded that a special review of the pesticide propoxur is not warranted. Propoxur (trade names Baygon and Sendran) is a contact insecticide. It is used by homeowners and commercial operators to control a wide variety of insects, such as ants, cockroaches, crickets, wasps, and hornets in and around the home, as well as commercial, industrial and institutional sites. The Agency's initial concerns about propoxur were based on evidence that the chemical might pose significant risks to applicators and home residents. EPA has more recently determined that the risks from this chemical are negligible, based on new data which showed that it is a less potent carcinogen than originally believed and that exposure estimates are lower than originally calculated. In addition, the registrant has voluntarily canceled ready-to-use liquid formulations which posed the most significant risks. Propoxur is also used to control ticks and fleas on pets and is incorporated into pest strips and shelf paper (shelf paper for nonfood areas only). Approximately 200 formulated products are on the market. The single manufacturer and registrant of the technical product is Bayer Corp. (formerly Miles Inc.) of Kansas City, Mo.

R-11 # # #