Precautions for Using Fumigants and Suspensions in Air

Certified Farmers must take extra precautions when using a pesticide that is a fumigant or a suspension in air. 

A fumigant is a pesticide that is formulated as a gas or vapour, or forms a gas or vapour shortly after application. These pesticides include fumigant gases, liquid and solid soil fumigants, and other products that volatilize.

A fumigant gas means a fumigant that, (a) is a gas at a temperature of 20° C and standard pressure, or (b) produces or evolves a gas at a temperature of 20° C and standard pressure and functions as a pesticide exclusively or primarily by the action of the gas (O. Reg. 63/09).

The only Class B fumigant gases that Certified Farmers can purchase and use are fumigant gases that contain aluminum phosphide for groundhog control. Certified Farmers MAY NOT buy and use fumigant gases that contain methyl bromide, carbon dioxide or ethylene oxide.  

Soil fumigants that contain chloropicrin, metam-sodium, dazomet, or metam potassium are applied and incorporated into the soil prior to planting to control soil-borne pests such as root lesion nematodes and soil-borne disease organisms such as Phytophthora spp. and Pythium spp. The treated soil is then sealed and later aerated prior to planting.

A 'suspension in air' is a pesticide that produces an aerosol, mist or fog.  It may also be an ultra low volume or ultra low dosage application.  To use these products, Certified Farmers must work with a co-worker who is a Certified Farmer or Licenced Exterminator, and follow specific application procedures.

Work with a Co-worker who is a Certified Farmer or a Licensed Exterminator

You must work with another Certified Farmer or an appropriately Licensed Exterminator to monitor each other when you work with fumigants or suspension in air that are:

•  Class B, or
•  Class C with label directions that state entrances to the fumigation area must be locked, barricaded or posted with signs.

Any person involved must be certified or an appropriately licensed exterminator.

The following chart gives examples of different applications with these types of products.

Fumigants or Suspensions in Air
Application	Example Products	Certified or Licensed
soil fumigant in a field on a farm	Chloropicrin 100 Liquid, Pic Plus Fumigant	Certified Farmer or Licensed Agriculture Exterminator
suspension in air inside a greenhouse	Agrotek Vaporized Sulphur, DDVP 20% Insecticide	Certified Farmer or Licensed Greenhouse /Interior Plant Exterminator
suspension in air inside a barn	EcoFOG-170 DPA, Disvap Fog, No Scald DPA EC-283	Certified Farmer or Licensed Structural Exterminator

  Procedures for Inside Structures

When you use these pesticide, you must follow these procedures for applications inside structures:

Before you begin –

• Ø  Make sure your qualified assistant is with you at all times.
• Ø  Lock all doors into the building except the door you will use to leave the building.
• Ø  Post a “Structural Extermination Sign” (referred to as Sign B) on all doors.  This sign must meet the requirements of ‘Sign B’ as described on the Ontario Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks website
• Ø  Make sure that no people or animals are in the building.

After you apply the pesticide –

• Ø  Leave the building,
• Ø  Lock this door   

You must make sure that no one enters the building while the pesticide is suspended in the air or during use of the fumigant.  If you must re-enter the building, teh other Certified Farmer of Licensed Exterminator must enter with you, and both of you must wear respirators that protect you  from exposure. 

Application Procedures for Soil Fumigants

Certified Farmers and Licensed Exterminators must:

• Ø Write a Fumigation Management Plan before the start of the application and include key steps for a safe and effective fumigation, included monitoring of site conditions (soil, air, weather, etc.), calculating and posting of buffer zones, and providing an emergency response plan. 

For advice, contact the Pesticides Specialist in your area from the Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (416-327-5519), experts from the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (1-877-424-1300) or the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (1-800-267-6315).

FUMIGANTS

Certified Farmer MAY NOT buy and use fumigant gases that contain:

 -  methyl bromide such as

· Terr-O-Gas 67 Preplant Soil Fumigant, PCP Act No. 13477 

· Gardex Methyl Bromide Fumigant PCP Act No. 12248

· Methyl Bromide Fumigant PCP Act No. 16495

· Methyl Bromide PCP Act No. 18613

· TCC Methyl Bromide Fumigant PCP Act No. 19498

· Meth-O-Gas Space Fumigant PCP Act No. 9564

- carbon dioxide such as

· Carbon Dioxide Fumigant PCP Act No. 20088

- ethylene oxide such as

· Ethylene Oxide Fumigant-Sterilant Gas PCP Act No. 22965

Certified Farmers MAY buy and use soil fumigants that contain

- chloropicrin such as

· Pic Plus Fumigant, PCP Act No. 28715

· Chloropicrin 100 Liquid Soil Fumigant, PCP Act No. 25863

- metam-sodium such as

· Engage Agro Enfuse M 510,  PCP Act No. 29142

· Vapam Liquid Solution Soil Fumigant,  PCP Act No. 6453

· Vapam HL, PCP Act No. 29128

· Metam Sodium Agriculture, PCP Act No. 28247

· Busan 1236, PCP Act No. 25103