Comments are accepted until November 30th on a federal proposal to add chitosan to EPA’s list of active ingredients eligible for EPA’s minimal risk pesticide exemption.
What is chitosan?
It is a naturally occurring active substance found in the cell walls of crustaceans. It is currently registered with the EPA as a fungicide, anti-microbial agent and plant growth regulator that increases the ability of plants to defend themselves against fungi.
Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, assistant administrator in EPA’s Office of Pollution and Chemical Safety, says chitosan is not a concern for human health or the environment when used as a pesticide, so it makes sense to add it to the agency’s list of low-hazard pesticides.
In addition, it states that by doing so, the EPA can free up resources to review the pesticides of greatest concern and save time and money for taxpayers and industry through a reduced regulatory burden.
EPA’s proposal to add chitosan to its list of active ingredients eligible for the agency’s minimal risk pesticide exemption comes after consultation with the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act Scientific Advisory Panel, which ensured that all criteria were met.
Comments may be submitted in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2019-0701 at regulations.gov.
More information on conditions to qualify for this exemption are at epa.gov/minimum-risk-pesticides.
