Fumigants
As a fumigant is called gaseous substances to kill pests , broaching, or mounted therein inventories containers or materials used in buildings. They therefore have poisonous or very poisonous properties and under certain circumstances represent a health hazard and a danger to life. Occasionally they are also used in combination.
conditions
Fumigants should free stored goods from mites , insects and other undesirable organisms without having to move them. This should happen between the particles of the products as well as inside them. The fulfillment of the requirements for quality and freedom from pests should be sufficient. Further properties are low residue formation in de-gassed stocks and good penetration capacity.
Areas of application
Pesticides
Gaseous pesticides are used in closed rooms, but also outdoors.
Sea containers and other closed spaces
The best-known area of application are sea containers . In addition, storage rooms on land and churches are also gassed to kill pests.
The requirements for the transport of fumigated containers are regulated internationally by the IMDG code . In addition, containers must be labeled in accordance with the container manual.
Approval for entry may only be granted by specially trained personnel. Suppliers and importers are obliged to register and declare fumigated containers. Nevertheless, according to a Hamburg study from 2007, recipients must expect in two percent of all cases that a container was fumigated but not labeled or that the label was removed too early. In another fifteen percent of the containers there are other harmful gas residues in the cargo.
Outdoors
Voles
Voles , especially water voles , can damage orchards, vegetable and rice fields and are also fought by fumigants.
“Fumigation is more likely to be carried out by trained specialists in larger, self-contained areas such as parks or orchards; Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen phosphide or pellets (gas formation after moisture absorption) are used.
moles
The fumigation of the otherwise protected moles for the preservation of golf turf is controversial . For this purpose, aluminum phosphide is used, which develops toxic gases and is classified as hazardous to water. The gases are released on contact with soil moisture. The highly toxic and non-specifically acting phosphine kills almost all higher animal life in the soil. The decomposition in the soil produces gaseous phosphines, which quickly react to form non-toxic aluminum compounds.
Maturity
Gases can delay or accelerate the ripening of foods. Classic examples of this are apples and bananas, which release the phytohormone ethene (ethylene) and CO 2 when they ripen. Adding CO 2 delays ripening, adding ethene stimulates ripening.
If ripening is desired, ethene is released in order to ripen fruits faster and in a more controlled manner. Ethene (= ethylene) acts like a plant hormone and is also produced by plants themselves. It is used to ripen apples, bananas and tomatoes. Ethene is already effective in nanomolecular quantities. Traditionally, ethene formation is restricted by reducing the oxygen content to one to two percent, increasing the carbon dioxide content to one to three percent and keeping the temperature low. The gas 1-methylcyclopropene (MCP), on the other hand, can delay maturity by blocking the ethene receptors and thus preventing ethene uptake in plants. It needs to be added constantly as it is broken down by the plants.
Fruits are often nitrogen at maturity prevented. Maturity can also be delayed by negative pressure and the associated inflammation of ethene .
Germ killing of spices
Because of the often very high microbiological and pathogenic germ contamination of herbs and spices, treatment with ethylene oxide was previously carried out, but this was banned in Europe in 1990. As an alternative, treatment with ionizing radiation was introduced, which is now permitted in all EU countries. Because of its low use, however, there is a suspicion that ethylene oxide will continue to be used.
Substances used and risk
Inhaling fumigants often causes symptoms after a short time. Such contacts can already occur during exposures in grain stores or even in private areas when vole preparations are spread.
carbon dioxide
Carbon dioxide is used in large quantities to effectively delay ripening, and because it is necessary to displace the oxygen, entering storage rooms that have been fumigated with it can lead to asphyxiation. The use of carbon dioxide for pest control is currently prohibited within the EU by the EU regulation (No. 528/2012) on biocidal products.
nitrogen
Nitrogen is an inert gas . Inert gases are used more and more frequently as fumigants. Since the air we breathe consists of 78% nitrogen, one can speak of a non-toxic fumigant. Nitrogen fumigation is used against insects and parasites. The fumigation is implemented in gas-tight film tents or chambers, in which the oxygen content is gradually reduced by replacing the oxygen with nitrogen. With a residual oxygen content of less than 1%, insects die within three to ten weeks from anoxia ( anoxia , hypoxia ), which is why the process is also called anoxia process. The key to successful fumigation is killing the insect eggs. The nitrogen gassing can be accelerated by using gas-tight pressure chambers. Since the residual oxygen content can be kept at 0.5% to 0.1%, the eggs of the insects are killed after four to seven days.
Inert gases do not cause any damage to the fumigated materials during pest control. The Anoxia process can therefore be used universally and is the method of choice for protecting cultural property, especially for museums, archives and libraries.
The use of nitrogen generated by generators for pest control is currently prohibited within the EU by the EU regulation (No. 528/2012) on biocidal products.
Phosphine
Phosphorus is a colorless gas with the odor of garlic or fish . It is used in both commercial and private areas. It may only be used by trained specialists. However, it can also be formed in the body from aluminum or magnesium phosphide , which are generally not considered to be dangerous when ingested orally. However, in grain stores with moisture, phosphorus hydrogen (PH 3 ) can form, which can even penetrate through masonry due to its small molecule size . The exposure to PH 3 can be detected with test tubes or electrochemical devices. Symptoms of poisoning can still occur after 24 to 48 hours.
Consequences arise from the blockade of important fermentation processes in the body in the form of possible permanent kidney or liver damage. At a very high concentration in the blood, up to 30 percent methaemoglobin is formed . Most dangerous, however, is endangering the function of the airways. It can lead to acute poisoning up to sudden death as well as subacute poisoning with nausea and fatigue.
In its pure state it is considered very toxic, extremely flammable , corrosive and dangerous to the environment . In addition, it is self-igniting in air.
An indication of phosphorus hydrogen are gray powder residues on the packaging or on the container floor.
Bromomethane
Bromomethane , also known as methyl bromide, is poisonous and dangerous for the environment.
A closed room with a bromomethane concentration above 2 g / m³ must not be entered. At concentrations above 0.4 g / m³, a maximum of 10 minutes under breathing protection is permitted. When ventilating rooms, respiratory protection must first be worn and the room may not be entered initially. The room may be entered after an hour at the earliest in order to create additional openings. Other work may only be carried out after complete ventilation with constant monitoring of the bromomethane content.
It is mainly used on wood against mold and wood pests, but is almost completely banned in Germany. The application is mostly done with the help of small tin cans that remain in the container.
Hydrogen cyanide
Hydrogen cyanide , also known as hydrogen cyanide , is considered to be very toxic, dangerous for the environment and extremely flammable.
When gassing , it can also be absorbed through the skin. This is favored by wounds, which is why people with open wounds are not allowed to work with this material. Employees must wear work clothing that covers their body and breathing apparatus with a type B2 gas filter.
The release takes place from flat, brownish plates, which are usually placed on the floor of the container without a system.
Sulfuryl fluoride
Sulfuryl fluoride is classified as toxic and dangerous for the environment. In addition, it is almost inert , colorless, non-flammable, odorless and heavier than air.
When opening cylinder valves, body-covering work clothing, safety shoes and face splash protection must be worn. When entering fumigated objects only self-contained breathing apparatus may be worn, not a mere filter.
Sulfuryl fluoride is best known in the arts and has almost completely replaced bromomethane in the USA since the 1950s. The reasons for this are the lower toxicity , the faster action, the safe ventilation and the better environmental behavior. According to scientific research, sulfuryl fluoride has no harmful effects on pigments , metal , paper , leather and rubber , so that the originality of the works of art is not compromised. Sulfuryl fluoride is used to combat wood, textile and other material pests in museums, churches and restoration workshops. Due to the boiling point of −55 ° C, it does not condense under normal conditions.
1,2-dichloroethane
Poisoning by 1,2-dichloroethane occasionally occurs when unloading sea containers.
1-methylcyclopropene
1-Methylcyclopropene (MCP) has only a low toxicity and is classified as harmless because it works even in the smallest dose and thus only leads to extremely low residues of less than 0.01 ppm. It is not carcinogenic, not mutagenic, and does not harm reproduction. No influence on ozone , earth or aquatic organisms is ascribed to it. It is approved for apple treatment in many countries around the world.
Well-known manufacturers
In Germany, which belongs Degesch of the largest manufacturers.
Web links
- Fumigants working group in the protection of stored products at the Julius Kühn Institute
- IMDG (PDF; 2.6 MB) The provisions for the transport of fumigated containers can be found under points 5.3.2.5 and 5.4.4.2
- Regulations regarding fumigation of the Hamburg Committee for Hazardous Substances (PDF; 218 kB)
- Information on risks from fumigants from the Central Institute for Occupational Medicine and Maritime Medicine (PDF; 221 kB)
- List of all approved fumigants according to the German Ordinance on Hazardous Substances
- Sulfuryl fluoride - a modern fumigant
See also
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Institute for Occupational Safety and Health of the German Social Accident Insurance (IFA): Chemical Hazards. Retrieved October 11, 2019 .
- ↑ Information from the Fumigants Working Group of the Julius Kühn Institute ( Memento of the original from September 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Office for Occupational Safety and Health, Hamburg: Study: Hazardous substances in freight containers (PDF, engl .; 206 kB) from October 2009
- ↑ Hamburg Authority for Health and Consumer Protection : Fumigated Container ( Memento of the original from December 21, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.dlr.rlp.de/Internet/global/themen.nsf/59cc5a1fc9c7e89ec1256fa50045969a/9cc7643f885314e6c12570b4003cfeaa?OpenDocument ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Waste management company in the Tübingen district: PDF ( Memento of the original from October 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. .
- ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from September 23, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c d Ministry for the Environment, Agriculture, Food, Viticulture and Forests, Rhineland-Palatinate : MCP - Effects in Apple Storage ( Memento of the original from October 21, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , as seen in 2012.
- ↑ a b Kristina Behrend; Sebastian Jutzi: Sleeping pill for bananas in Focus-online from July 27, 2009.
- ↑ a b Description of the biological effects of ethylene, University of Hamburg
- ^ Report in the 3Sat media library on fruit ripening
- ↑ Investigation by the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office Karlsruhe on the possible use of ethylene oxide fumigation ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b Report on suspected cases of poisoning by fumigants ( memento of the original from September 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Regulation (EU) No. 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 22, 2012 on the making available on the market and the use of biocidal products. Retrieved October 3, 2019 .
- ↑ Regulation (EU) No. 528/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of May 22, 2012 on the making available on the market and the use of biocidal products. Retrieved October 3, 2019 .
- ↑ Under 12.3 (PDF; 218 kB)
- ↑ See 12.1 on handling bromomethane, p. 20 (PDF; 218 kB)
- ↑ Under 12.2 (PDF; 218 kB)
- ↑ a b Information about sulfuryl fluoride from Angermeier's pest control ( memento of the original from June 25, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ See 12.4 (PDF; 218 kB)
