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    CARBENDAZIM       JMPR 1978

    Explanation

         This pesticide was evaluated by the 1973 and 1976 Joint
    Meetings (FAO/WHO, 1974b, 1977b). The data available were not
    considered adequate for the estimation of an acceptable daily
    intake for men and in 1976 five items of requirements of additional
    information before an acceptable daily intake could be estimated
    and maximum residue limits recommended and two items considered to
    be desirable were recorded.

         At the 10th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide
    Residues (1978, Alinorm 79/24 par. 148) the committee noted, when
    considering thiophanate methyl, the close relationship between this
    compound, benomyl and carbendazim. It considered that for a
    particular commodity the MRLs for all three compounds should be the
    same as the residues were all measured as carbendazim. The
    delegations of Belgium and the Netherlands agreed to provide to the
    Joint Meeting data on residues of the three compounds on lettuce,
    strawberries and on potatoes (post harvest use).

         New residue data from supervised trials were obtained from the
    countries mentioned and from Australia, Finland and Ireland
    together with information on changes and additions to the use
    pattern and amendments to national tolerances.

    RESIDUES IN FOOD AND THEIR EVALUATION

    USE PATTERN

         Information not fully included in the 1973 and 1976
    Evaluations (FAO/WHO, 1974b, 1977b) is given in Table 1.

         The use patterns in Table 1 may not be typical of the
    countries mentioned and may also exist in other countries not
    listed.

    RESIDUES RESULTING FROM SUPERVISED TRIALS

         Additional information was obtained from Australia, Belgium,
    Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands. The main results are given in
    Table 2.

    FATE OF RESIDUES

    In processing and storage

         In residues studies carried out in Finland (1) it was shown
    that washing lettuce leaves containing residues arising from the
    use of benomyl resulted in considerable decreases in residue of
    carbendazim (see Table 3).


    
    TABLE 1. Use pattern of carbendazim in certain countries

                                                                                                                                       

    Country           Pest controlled        Application rate        Treatments               Pre-harvest        Remarks
    and Crop                                 g. a.i./ha or g/100l                             interval (days)
                                                                                                                                       

    AUSTRALIA
    Citrus            Blue and green mold    50 g/100l               30 sec dip               -
                                                                     of fruits
                                                                     after harvest

    Ginger seed       Rhizome rot            100 g/100l              5 min dip of             4-5 months
    pieces                                                           rhizome pieces
                                                                     before planting

    Sugar cane        Pineapple disease      30 g/100l               dip or spray             -
    seed pieces

    Peanut            Leaf spot disease      138-275 g/ha            spraying, starting       28
                                                                     6 weeks after
                                                                     planting at 14-21
                                                                     day intervals

    Subterranean      Leaf scorch            150-275 g/ha            two applications         (14)               refers to interest clover
    pastures                                                         during growing                              for grazing, harvesting
                                                                     season                                      or cutting for forage

    Apple             Apple mildew           210-280 h/ha            spraying from green-
                      apple scab                                     tip stage 10-14 days
                                                                     interval                 7

    Pear              Black spot             13-15 g/100l            "                        7

    Grapes            Bruch-rot disease      15-550 g/100l           twice at flowering       1
                                                                     14 days apart and
                                                                     again 3 and 1 weeks
                                                                     before harvest

    TABLE 1. (Cont'd)

                                                                                                                                       
    Country           Pest controlled        Application rate        Treatments               Pre-harvest        Remarks
    and Crop                                 g. a.i./ha or g/100l                             interval (days)
                                                                                                                                       

    Strawberries      Botrytis rot           19-25 g/100l            spraying at 10-14 days    2
                                                                     intervals

    Stone fruit       Brown-rot disease      13-25 g/100l            spraying at petal fall,   1
                      (blossom blight and                            and again 3 and 1 weeks
                      brown rot on fruit)                            before harvest

                                             dip 25-50 g/100l        30 sec post-harvest       -
                                                                     dip

    Bananas           Crown rot              dip 20 g/100l           30 sec dip of fruit
                                                                     bunches after harvest

    IRELAND
    THE NETHERLANDS
    FED. REP. OF
      GERMANY

    Wheat             Fusarium               250-400 g/ha            spraying two             35-42
                      Eye spot                                       applications; the
                      (Cercosporella)                                last one between
                      Ripening diseases                              ear formation and
                                                                     blossoming

    NETHERLANDS
    Seed potatoes     Fusarium               30 g/1000 kg tubers     immediately after        -
                                                                     harvest, dip or
                                                                     spraying

    Edible potatoes   Fusarium               30 g/1000 kg tubers     "                        -                  treatment recommended
                                                                                                                 only for potatoes which
                                                                                                                 are stored for at least
                                                                                                                 3 months
                                                                                                                                       

    TABLE 2. Residues resulting from supervised trials

                                                                                                                                 

                                            Application                   Residues, mg/kg, at intervals (days) after application
    Crop             Year         No.       Rate a.i.      Pre-or                                                                
    and                                     g/100l         post           
    Country                                 (kg/ha)        harvest        0         1         3         7         14        Ref.
                                                                                                                                 

    AUSTRALIA

    Cherries 1)      1972/73      4         25             pre            5.1       1.5       1.0                           1
                                  4         12.5           pre            0.6       0.3       0.3
                                  1         50             post           3.4       3.6       3.4       2.6
    Oranges          1973         3         25             pre                                                              1
    peel                                                                                                3.2       1.6
    peel             1973         3         12.5           pre                                          1.5       1.5
    peel             1973         3&1       25 & 25        pre & post                                   3.0       3.0
    peel             1973         1         25             post                                         1.9       2.4
    peel             1973         1         50             post                                         2.3       2.1
    flesh                                                                                               0.7       0.6

    Bananas          1974         1         20             post
    peel                                                                  23.2      10.8      7.4       1.4                 1
    flesh                                                                 1.3       2.8       2.4       0.5

    Grapes           1974         4         25             pre            2.9       2.4       3.0       2.4
                                  4         12.5           pre            2.2       1.5       1.6       1.7                 1
                                  4         12.5+oil       pre            1.7       1.6       1.6       1.3

    Peaches2)        1972/73      6         25             pre            5.7       3.6       2.2       2.2
                                            12.5+oil       pre            3.3       2.6       2.0       2.4                 1
                                                                                                                                 

    1) and 2) Data not corrected for recoveries, i.e. for cherries 78-84%, for peaches 70-74%.

    TABLE 2a. (same as Table 2 except for intervals (days) after application)
                                                                                                                                 
    Country        Year    No     rate a.i.     Pre-or
    and                           g/100l        post        0        1        3        5        7/8      11       15        Ref.
    Crop                          (kg/ha)       harvest
                                                                                                                                 
    AUSTRALIA
    Strawberries
                   1973    7      25            pre         9.0      7.0      3.3      2.4                                  1
                           7      12.5 + oil    pre         2.5      1.7      1.4      1.8

    FINLAND
    Strawberries
                   1974    3      2.5 kg/ha     pre                                                               0.3       2
                           3      40            pre                                                      < 0.4
                           3      4 kg/ha       pre                                             0.6
                           3      5 kg/ha       pre                                             0.6
                                                                                                                                 

    TABLE 2b. (same as Table 2 except for intervals (days) after application)
                                                                                                                                       
                               Application                 Residues in mg/kg, at intervals (days) after application
    Country      Year    No    rate a.i.     Pre-or                                                                                    
    and                        g/100l        post          
    Crop                       (kg/ha)       harvest       7        14           21          28        35       42        Ref.
                                                                                                                                       
    BELGIUM
    Lettuce      1974    2     1.5 kg/ha     pre                    25.4                     7.5                1.6       3
                                                                    18.0-32.3    7.1-9.4     1.2-2.7
                                                                    (159 g)                  (261 g)            (401 g)   Average weight
                                                                                                                          of head g.
    FINLAND
    Lettuce      1973    5     1.8           pre           37.5                                                           2
                                                           30-50
                         1     1.8           pre                    26
                                                                    19-32
                         1     1.8           pre                                 8.7
                                                                                 2.7-1.6
                                                                                                                                       

    TABLE 2c. (same as Table 2 except for intervals (days) after application)

                                                                                                                                       

                                                       Residues in mg/kg, at intervals (days) after application
                               Application             Residues in the peel and peel %, flesh 0.05 mg/kg
    Country        Year   No   rate a.i.    Pre-or                                                                                     
    and                        g/1000 kg.   post
    Crop                                    harvest    45              112           167/169         181          267            Ref.
                                                                                                                                       

    NETHERLANDS

    Potatoes       1977   1    30           post       2.4                                                                       4
                                                       1.6-3.0
                                                       (10.7% peel)

                               30           post                       8.4
                                                                       6.4-10.0
                                                                       (9.4% peel)

                   1976   1    30           post                                     2.2                                         4
                                                                                     0.05-4.4
                                                                                     (11.2% peel)

                   1976   1    30           post                                     5.9
                                                                                     5.8-6.0
                                                                                     (12.3% peel)

                   1976        40           post                                                     8.7
                                                                                                     5.0-11.0
                                                                                                     (12.5% peel)

                   1976        30           post                                                                  9.5
                                                                                                                  7.8-11.0
                                                                                                                  (9.9% peel)
                                                                                                                                       
    

        TABLE 3. Carbendazim residues in unwashed and washed lettuce

                                                                                     

                        Carbendazim, mg/kg
                        I                        II                       III
                                                                                     

    Unwashed            4.8;                     average 37.5;            average 7.5
                                                 (31 - 50 )               (2.7 - 16 )

    Washed              4.4;                     average 9.3;             average 2.2
                                                 (5.5 - 15);              (1.8 - 2.2)
                                                                                     
    
         Neville and Eades (1976) found that residues on barley grain
    decreased on melting. Treatment of barley in June with carbendazim at
    0.56 kg a.i./ha resulted in residues in the grain at harvest of 0.05 -
    1.88 mg/kg. Significant decreases occurred during malting: grain
    containing 0.2 and 1.9 mg/kg carbendazim yielded malts containing 
    <0.05 and 0.4 mg/kg respectively.

    METHODS OF RESIDUE ANALYSIS

         The data in references 1 - 3 were obtained with the
    spectrophotofluorimetric method of Pease and Holt (6) (see 1973
    monograph on carbendazim). Recoveries of 70 - 90% have been obtained
    depending on the commodity; the limit of determination is 0.1 - 0.3
    mg/kg. The data in reference 4 were obtained by the TLC method of de
    Vos (7) (1975) involving extraction with chloroform and bioassay on
    the TLC plate with a fungus, Cladosporium cucumerinum. The limit of
    determination is 0.05 - 01. mg/kg.

    RESIDUES IN FOOD IN COMMERCE OR AT CONSUMPTION

         Data were obtained from two countries, Australia and the
    Netherlands. In market basket surveys made in Australia in the years
    1970, 1973, 1974 and 1975 carbendazim residues were not detected,
    though not specifically sought, in the food examined. Residues of
    carbendazim have not been reported in the home produce (meat, grain,
    dairy products, fruit and vegetables) examined continuously in routine
    national surveys, A submission to the Meeting of data on the residues
    found in 1977 in the Netherlands in the monitoring programmes of the
    Food Inspection Services showed that none of the samples exceeded the
    MRLS.

    NATIONAL TOLERANCES REPORTED TO THE MEETING

         The following additional MRLs were brought to the attention of
    the 1978 Meeting. The figures between brackets are group tolerances,
    which include the items listed.


        TABLE 4. National MRLs reported to the Meeting
                                                                                                           
    Commodity             Australia       Belgium        Fed.Rep.Germany    Netherlands       Switzerland
                          (1970)          (1971)         (1978)             (1978)            (1978)
                                                                                                           
    Citrus fruit            10               -           7                     4              7

    bananas                  1                           0.2 (flesh)           -              1 (0.2 flesh)

    other fruits             -               2           (0.1)                 3              3

    apples, pears            2              (2)          (0.1)                (3)             (3)

    stone fruit              5              (2)          2                    (3)             (3)

    grapes                   3              (2)          3                    (3)             (3)

    strawberries             5              (2)          1.5                  (3)             (3)

    other berries            -              (2)          1.5                  (3)             (3)

    pineapple                -              (2)          2                    (3)             (3)

    vegetables               -               2           1                     3              -
    (general)

    cucurbits               0.5             0.3          0.5                  (3)             0.1

    celeriac                 -              (2)          (1)                  (3)             0.1

    mushrooms                -              (2)          (1)                  0.5             2

    raw cereals              -              0.5          0.5                 0.1*             0.3

    potatoes (washed         -               -           0.1                   3              -
    before analysis)

    peanut kernels          0.1              -           -                     -              -
                                                                                                           
    * at or about the limit of determination
    

    APPRAISAL

         Additional information was obtained from Australia, Belgium,
    Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands on changes and additions to the
    use pattern and on residues from supervised trials involving such
    uses.

         On the basis of the new data, together with the information
    already available the guidelines levels for carbendazim on bananas,
    cherries, citrus fruits, peaches, strawberries and lettuce could be
    confirmed. In order to cover the residues of carbendazim applied in
    less favourable conditions an illustrated in the data from Ireland and
    Finland, the guideline level for raw cereals should be raised to
    0.5 mg/kg.

         It was recognized that the extensive data on residues on potatoes
    after storage treatment were derived from supervised trials in a
    limited number of storage enterprises. To accommodate the larger
    variation in residue levels which may occur when the product is used
    in commercial storage practice a guideline level of 3 mg/kg on
    potatoes (washed before analysis) is recommended.

    RECOMMENDATION

         The following guideline levels, amending or additional to those
    of 1973 and 1976 are recorded:

                   Commodity                     Guideline levels mg/kg

                   grapes                        5

                   * potatoes (washed before     3
                   analysis)

                   raw cereals                   0.5

         * new recommendation

    FURTHER WORK OR INFORMATION

         The present meeting was not able to establish an ADI and in the
    absence of new data the needs set out under this heading in 1976
    therefore are still valid.

    REFERENCES

    1. Data provided by the Australian government to the 1978 JMPR.

    2. Data provided by Finland (Agriculture Research Centre, Pesticide
                        Regulation Unit) to the 1978 JMPR.

    3. De Jonckheere, W., W. Steurbaut, J.V. Damme and R.H. Kips,
    (1976)              Evolution des résidus de bénomyl, decarbendazim at
                        du thiophanate méthyl appliqués sur laitues
                        Phytiatrie-Phytopharmacie, 25, 141-150.

    Henriet, J., P. Meeus, F. Baelus, B. Valange and J.G. van Damme,
    (1976)              Recherches sur le traitment fungicide des laitues
                        d'hiver par le bénomyl et étude des residues.
                        Parasitica, 32 (1), 2-50.

    4. Residue data provided by the Netherlands to the 1978 JMPR.

    5. Neville, C., J.F. Eades, Pesticide residues in Crops. Res. Rep.
    (1975)              Pl. Sci. Crop Husb., An Foras Taluntais, Dublin,
                        101-103.

    Neville, C. and J.F. Eades, Res. Rep. Pl. Sci. Crop Husb., An
                        Foras Taluntais, 97.

    6. Pease, H.L. and R.F. Holt. Improved method for determining benomyl
                        residues, J. Assoc. Off. Agric. Chem. 54: 1399.

    7. de Vos R.H., The analysis of benomyl residues in crop samples
    (1975)              by a T.L.C.-Bioassay method. Environmental Quality
                        and Safety, suppl. 111, 120-123.
    


    See Also:
       Toxicological Abbreviations
       Carbendazim (EHC 149, 1993)
       Carbendazim (HSG 82, 1993)
       Carbendazim (ICSC)
       Carbendazim (WHO Pesticide Residues Series 3)
       Carbendazim (Pesticide residues in food: 1976 evaluations)
       Carbendazim (Pesticide residues in food: 1977 evaluations)
       Carbendazim (Pesticide residues in food: 1983 evaluations)
       Carbendazim (Pesticide residues in food: 1985 evaluations Part II Toxicology)
       Carbendazim (Pesticide residues in food: 1995 evaluations Part II Toxicological & Environmental)
       Carbendazim (Pesticide residues in food: 1995 evaluations Part II Toxicological & Environmental)
       Carbendazim (JMPR Evaluations 2005 Part II Toxicological)