Product: OMITE
Active ingredient: PROPARGITE 30%
Other ingredients: 70% Withheld as trade secrets by the manufacturer.
Type: A synthetic sulfur MITICIDE (contact)
Of the propargite used in California in 1994, 5% was used on wine grapes. High cancer potential led to the withdrawl of several uses of propargite in 1996, but it is still allowed for use on grape crops. It is particularly dangerous in ecosystems due to its ability to bioconcentrate.
TOXICOLOGY
U.S. EPA lists Propargite as a probable human carcinogen, meaning that there is sufficient evidence of cancer causing potential in animals. It is listed as a human carcinogen by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment under California's Proposition 65.
U.S. EPA and Uniroyal Chemical, propargite's manufacturer, reached a voluntary agreement in 1996 to withdraw propargite from use on apples and nine other fruits and vegetables because research had been completed demonstrating high cancer risk associated with exposure to the chemical. However, propargite is still registered for use on grapes and 12 other crops (U.S.EPA 1996).
Propargite is categorized by U.S.EPA as Toxicity Category I, the same classification as methyl bromide and others of the most acutely hazardous chemicals (Farm Chemical Handbook XXX).
Propargite is a severe eye and skin irritant (R. Carson Institute 1992). It ranked second for reported skin and eye acute illnesses and total acute illnesses related to pesticide exposure from 1984 to 1990 in California (Pease 1993).
Propargite is a fetotoxin, meaning it can poison the fetus (EPA 1986).
ENVIRONMENTAL FATE AND EFFECTS 
Propargite is a high priority pesticide for evaluation as a toxic air contaminant, in a ranking in which it tied with cyanazine for first place. (DPR 1994)
Of pesticides used in California, propargite was ranked first for hazard posed to ecosystems due to a high bioconcentration potential (Pease 1996.).
Propargite was ranked tenth highest in toxicity to invertebrates, and sixth highest as a hazard to aquatic life (Ibid). It is highly toxic to fish and crustaceans (EPA 1986).
Propargite wastes are acutely hazardous. If propargite wastes cannot be disposed of by use, hazardous waste authorities must be contacted for disposal (Product label). |
