United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Prevention, Pesticides
And Toxic Substances
(751 PC)
EPA-739- F-03-001
May 2OO3
&EPA R.E.D. FACTS
(HOCH2-)
methyldithiocarbamate
Pesticide
Reregistration
All pesticides sold or distributed in the United States must be registered by
EPA, based on scientific studies showing that they can be used without
posing unreasonable risks to people or the environment. Because of
advances in scientific knowledge, the law requires that pesticides which
were first registered before November 1, 1984, be reregistered to ensure
that they meet today's more stringent standards.
In evaluating pesticides for reregistration, EPA obtains and reviews a
complete set of studies from pesticide producers, describing the human
health and environmental effects of each pesticide. To implement
provisions of the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, EPA considers the
special sensitivity of infants and children to pesticides, as well as
aggregate exposure of the public to pesticide residues from all sources,
and the cumulative effects of pesticides and other compounds with
common mechanisms of toxicity The Agency develops any mitigation
measures or regulatory controls needed to effectively reduce each
pesticide's risks. EPA then reregisters pesticides that meet the safety
standard of the FQPA and can be used without posing unreasonable risks
to human health or the environment.
When a pesticide is eligible for reregistration, EPA explains the basis for its
decision in a Reregistration Eligibility Decision (RED) document. This fact
sheet summarizes the information for reregistration case 3076, (HOCH2-)
methyldithiocarbamate commonly known as potassium N-hydroxymethyl-
N-methyldithiocarbamate.
(HOCH2-) methyldithiocarbmate is used to formulate pesticidal products
that control fungus in pulp and paper mills, adhesives, coating hides,
leather stock, metal cutting fluids, oil recovery drilling mud, oil recovery
packer fluid, paints, resins, emulsions, cellulosic materials, paper-making
chemicals, alum solutions, clay slurries and starch solutions.
Regulatory 'n 1974, Buckman Laboratories, Inc. was granted a pesticidal registration
History f°r on'y a P°tassium N-hydroxymethyl-N-methyldithiocarbamate fungicidal
technical product. No end-use registrations were granted for this pesticide.
In June 1992, the Agency issued a Data Call-In Notice requesting product
Use Profile
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chemistry, ecology, toxicology, exposure and environmental fate data. In
August 1994, the registration for that product was voluntarily canceled due
to non-payment of maintenance fees. J~he cancellation order allowed for
distribution and sale of existing stock of the^canceled technical product
from August 1994 through January 1995. In September 2001, the Agency
received a letter from Buckman Laboratories International, Inc.
acknowledging and confirming that Buckman Lab had no existing product
registrations associated with the active ingredient (HOCH2-)
methyldithiocarbamate and was not going to support any uses for
reregistration.
Human Health
Assessment and
Environmental
Assessment
The data base had substantial outstanding data gaps for product
chemistry, ecology, environmental fate, exposure and toxicology which
were identified and listed as required in the 1992 Data Call-In Notice. With
the registrant's decision to cancel the technical product containing this
active ingredient, no data was submitted and it was not necessary to
perform the risk assessments.
Regulatory
Conclusion
Since there are no registered products containing (HOCH2-)
methyldithiocarbamate and there have been no requests to register
products containing this active ingredient, EPA will not deem any uses of
(HOCH2-) methyldithiocarbamate eligible for reregistration.
For More
Information
EPA is requesting public comments on the Reregistration Eligibility
Decision Fact Sheet for (HOCH2-) methyldithiocarbamate during a 60-day
time period, as announced in a Notice of Availability published in the
Federal Register. To obtain a copy of the Fact Sheet or to submit written
comments, please contact the Pesticide Docket, Public Information and
Records Integrity Branch, Information Resources and Services Division
(7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), US EPA, Washington, DC
20460, telephone
703-305-5805.
Electronic copies of this fact sheet are available on the Internet. See
http://www.epa.gov/REDs.
Printed copies of the fact sheet can be obtained from EPA's National
Service Center for Environmental Publications (EPA/NSCEP), PO Box
42419, Cincinnati, OH 45242-2419, telephone 1-800-490-9198; fax 513-
489-8695.
Following the comment period, the (HOCH2-) methyldithiocarbamate fact
sheet also will be available from the National Technical Information Service
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(NTIS), 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, telephone 1-800-
553-6847, or 703-605-6000.
For more information about EPA's Antimicrobial Division Pesticide
Reregistration Program, please contact the Antimicrobial Division (751OC),
OPP, US EPA, Washington, DC 20460, telephone 703-308-6411.
For information about the health effects of pesticides, or for assistance in
recognizing and managing pesticide poisoning symptoms, please contact
the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). Call toll-free 1-800-858-
7378, from 6:30 am to 4:30 pm Pacific Time, or 9:30 am to 7:30 pm
Eastern Standard Time, seven days a week. Their internet address is
http://npic.orst.edu. For specific information regarding antimicrobial
pesticides call (703) 308-0127.
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