Summary

The analytical chemical authority control of pesticide products on the Danish market performed in 2004 is reported. Samples of selected groups of pesticides have been collected from the market and analysed to verify whether the actual contents of the respective active ingredients in the products comply with the labelled content. The tolerance of deviation from the labelled content of active ingredient is set by the Danish Statutory Order on pesticides. In addition to the examination of the content of active ingredients all collected samples are examined for content of octylphenol ethoxylates (OPEO) and nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEO). The industry and the Danish authorities have agreed on removing these compounds from all Danish-sold pesticide formulations produced after June 2000.

 

Four different groups of products covered by the pesticide regulation were included in the 2004 analytical chemical authority control:

1. Herbicides containing bentazone, dicamba, dichlorprop-P, mecoprop-P, MCPA, foramsulfuron, iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, rimsulfuron and triasulfuron.
2. Fungicides containing hymexazol.
3. Insecticides and molluscicides containing imidacloprid and methiocarb.
4. Rodenticides containing coumatetralyl.

 

Satisfactory results were found for herbicides containing bentazone, dichlorprop-P, mecoprop-P, MCPA, foramsulfuron, iodosulfuron-methyl-sodium, rimsulfuron and triasulfuron, for fungicides containing hymexazol, and for insecticides and molluscicides containing imidacloprid and methiocarb. Thus, the analysed samples of these formulations complied with the accepted tolerance limits with respect to the content of the active ingredient as specified in Danish Statutory Order on pesticides.

 

Two out of three products containing coumatetralyl did not comply with the tolerance limit for content of active ingredient. The contents of coumatetralyl were too high compared with the declared content. One out of four products containing dicamba did not comply with the tolerance limit for content of active ingredient. The content of dicamba was too high compared with the declared content.

 

None of the examined samples contained OPEO, but one of the samples contained NPEO. The concentration of NPEO in the formulation was approximately 0.02%.

 

On three products the content of active ingredient were declared only in g/L, but not in % (w/w) as required by the Statutory Order.

 

Full report in pdf-format (549 kB).