Fumigation Resources

Fumigation Resources The primary active ingredient in structural fumigation is sulfuryl fluoride, an odorless toxic gas. (NPIC, 2012) During fumigation, sulfuryl fluoride is mixed with tear gas or something else you would definitely notice if you breathed it. After fumigation, the equilibrium concentration is checked to be below 5ppm (Jaquith, 1992, p. 2) A later test recommended lowering the maximum concentration to 1ppm, about the detection limit of field instruments (Daiss 2001, p.3)

**Fumigant gases dissipate quickly. **In tests of 2 treated houses, concentrations had dropped to less than 1.5ppm in all tested rooms within 10 hours and below 1ppm within 24 hours . (Jaquith, 1992, p. 7) Another study testing 10 treated houses found concentrations below 0.5ppm within 24 hours, even under poor ventilation conditions (all doors and windows closed). (Daiss 2001, p.3) They estimated the half-life at between 1.5 and 4 hours. 

Any residual gas is probably not going to cause health effects. A Noah’s ark of unlucky animals got 100ppm sulfuryl fluoride 24*7, 5 days a week for 6 months. No adverse effects were seen. (Hayes & Laws, 1990) Sulfuryl fluoride was found not to be mutagenic. (Gollapudi et al, 1990)

However, all these findings are based on research conducted by DowElanco, the sole manufacturer of sulfuryl fluoride. Hayes & Laws (1990) and Gollapudi et al (1990) were conducted by DowElanco, and Jaquith (1992) and Daiss (2001) are also based on data from studies by DowElanco. 

There are plenty of examples of chemical companies manipulating research and policymaking. Chapter 2 of Unreasonable Risk (Center for Public Integrity, 1998), p. 23-40 for an account of DowElanco’s manipulation of public policy around residential pesticides. I was not able to find any specific complaints about research on sulfuryl fluoride.

**I think we should go ahead with the fumigation. Let’s remove all food, and as much permeable stuff (clothes) as possible, to reduce the amount of residual gas. Waiting 48 hours after fumigation would be a very good margin of safety. **

References

NPIC 2012 http://npic.orst.edu/pest/fumigation.html

Jaquith 1992 https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/cleared_reviews/csr_PC-078003_28-Jul-92_021.pdf

Daiss 2001 https://www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/cleared_reviews/csr_PC-078003_15-May-01_a.pdf

Cornell, 1993 http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/pyrethrins-ziram/sulfuryl-fluoride-ext.html

Hayes, W.J. and E.R. Laws (eds.). 1990. Handbook of Pesticide Toxicology, Classes of Pesticides, Vol. 3. Academic Press, Inc., NY.

Gollapudi, B.B., et al. Aug. 17, 1990. Evaluation of sulfuryl fluoride in the Ames salmonella/mammalian-microsome bacterial mutagenicity assay, Summary (Study ID TXT: K-016399-037). DowElanco, Indianapolis, IN.

Center for Public Integrity. (1998). Unreasonable Risk: The Politics of Pesticides.  http://cloudfront-files-1.publicintegrity.org/legacy_projects/pdf_reports/UNREASONABLERISK.pdf