ETHION        JMPR 1975

    Explanation

         Ethion was evaluated by the Joint Meeting in 1972 (FAO/WHO, 1973)
    and a residue limit of 2 mg/kg was recommended for melons. At the 8th
    Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues it was pointed
    out that in the monograph, no residue data were presented for melons
    (Alinorm 76/24, para. 121).

         Some data on ethion residues on melons were made available to the
    Meeting.

    RESIDUES RESULTING FROM SUPERVISED TRIALS

         The data available to the Meeting are summarized below:

                                                                    

    Rate of
    application    No. of        Pre-harvest           Residue1
    (kg/ha)        treatments    interval (days)       (Mg/kg)
                                                                    

         1             1               0            0.09 - 0.21 (3)

         1             1               3            <0.05 - 0.09 (4)

         1             1               7            <0.05 - 0.07 (3)

         0.2           1               10           <0.05 (1)

    1 - 1.2            1               15           <0.05 - 0.05 (4)

         1             1               21           <0.02 (2)
                                                                    

         1 Figures in parenthesis are the number of samples

         The 1968 report of the Joint Meeting (FAO/WHO, 1969) showed
    residue data for one sample of melons harvested 11 days after one
    treatment with ethion at the rate of 1.25 kg/ha. The residue level was
    0.07 mg/kg. No further information was available to the Meeting.

    APPRAISAL

         The CCPR referred to the Joint Meeting a request that the 2 mg/kg
    practical residue limit for ethion residues in melons be re-evaluated
    in the light of available data. Some data on ethion residues in melons
    was submitted to the meeting. On the basis of this new information,
    the Joint Meeting concluded that a maximum residue limit for ethion of
    0.2 mg/kg on melons could be recommended.

         Apparently an error occurred in the preparation of the 1972
    Monograph because the recommendations for residue limits reads
    practical residue limits. This should read tolerances since an ADI was
    allotted.

    RECOMMENDATIONS

         The following revised maximum residue limit is recommended for
    ethion and its oxygenanalogue expressed as ethion.

                                                                      

         Commodity                                    Maximum residue
                                                          limit
                                                          mg/kg
                                                                      

         Melons                                            0.2
                                                                      
    

    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       Ethion (ICSC)
       Ethion (FAO/PL:1968/M/9/1)
       Ethion (FAO/PL:1969/M/17/1)
       Ethion (AGP:1970/M/12/1)
       Ethion (WHO Pesticide Residues Series 2)
       Ethion (Pesticide residues in food: 1982 evaluations)
       Ethion (Pesticide residues in food: 1983 evaluations)
       Ethion (Pesticide residues in food: 1986 evaluations Part II Toxicology)
       Ethion (Pesticide residues in food: 1990 evaluations Toxicology)