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New Zealand Timber Preservation Council Annual Conference 2005. The Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority Review of Arsenic Timber Treatments. David Loschke 18 March 2005. NATIONAL REGISTRATION SCHEME FOR AGVET CHEMICALS. APVMA is an independent statutory authority
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New Zealand Timber Preservation Council Annual Conference 2005 The Australian Pesticides & Veterinary Medicines Authority Review of Arsenic Timber Treatments David Loschke 18 March 2005
NATIONAL REGISTRATION SCHEME FOR AGVET CHEMICALS • APVMA is an independent statutory authority • APVMA regulates up to point of retail sale • States & Territories control usage
APVMA OPERATING ENVIRONMENT PARLIAMENT External Advisers State Agricultural Departments Office of Chemical Safety Dept. Environment and Heritage Office of Gene Technology Regulator Stakeholders State Agricultural and Environmental Departments Agvet Chemical Industry Grower Organisations Consumers and the Community MINISTER BOARD APVMA Internal Service Providers
APVMA ROLES • Assessment of Chemicals • Before sale (registration) • On the market • (review) • On-Going Quality • of Chemicals • Vet GMP • Ag Quality Assurance • Compliance • Surveillance and enforcement • Adverse experience reporting
CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT • Section 14 Agvet Code • Can only approve if • Is not an undue hazard to people (handling or residues) • No unintended harmful effect on plants, animals or the environment • Does not unduly prejudice trade (residues) • Is effective • Cannot trade risk against benefit
Regulatory Science • Technical science function • Assessing hazards • Assessing risks • Policy aspect • Determining adequate safety margins • Establishing formal health standards
KEY DATA REQUIREMENTS • Environment • Toxicology / human health • Occupational Health and Safety • Efficacy and Crop Safety • Residues, including overseas trade aspects of residues in food commodities • Chemistry and Manufacture
Chemical Hazards • Acute Toxic Effects • Immediate or short term toxic effects • Longer Term Effects • Cancer • Birth Defects • Threshold Effect
Studies for Toxic Hazard Acute Toxic Effects (immediate) • Oral • Dermal • Inhalation • Eye and skin irritancy • Skin sensitisation
Studiesfor Toxic Hazard Longer Term Effects • Repeat dose studies • Short-term (28 day), Subchronic (3 to 12 months), Chronic/Carcinogenicity (lifetime studies in 2 species) • Reproduction studies • Developmental studies • Genotoxicity studies • Neurotoxicity studies • Immunotoxicity studies • Endocrine effect studies
Review Findings For CCA Products • Treatment plants to meet Australian Standards • Certain end uses to be discontinued • Labels specify circumstances where CCA used • Treated timber must be branded • Product label instructions to be improved
Review Findings • In addition • CCA proposed to be a Restricted Chemical Product • CCA Worker exposure data to be supplied • Arsenic trioxide anti-termite treatments OK’d
Natural Human Exposures Severe arsenic exposure can come from well water in certain areas of the world. • Argentina and Chile • Bangladesh and northern India • Japan • Taiwan
Words from the Legislation – the Authority must be “satisfied” that use of the chemical product “would not be an undue hazard to the safety of people exposed to it” and “would not be likely to have an effect that is harmful to human beings”
Considerations for Arsenic Critical Points • Proven human carcinogen • Mechanism not understood • Group at risk = children • Product variability
Considerations for Arsenic Critical Points • Proven human carcinogen • Mechanism not understood • Group at risk = children • Product variability • Inadequate Exposure Data
Words from the Legislation – the Authority must be “satisfied” that use of the chemical product “would not be an undue hazard to the safety of people exposed to it” and “would not be likely to have an effect that is harmful to human beings”