An important appeal regarding rodent control measures

Due to the occurrence of accidental poisonings in people with chemicals used to combat pests, the Chief Sanitary Inspector reminds that chemical substances contained in plant protection products or biocides may contain ingredients that are highly harmful to human health and life.

“Chemical products must be used for the intended purpose specified by the manufacturer and only in accordance with the instructions and recommendations on the label. Before using these products, read the instructions for use and strictly follow them,” we read in the announcement.

GIS emphasized that many products from this group are intended only for use by people with special authorizations. “Information on such requirements can be found on the product label. The use of these agents by untrained people, without personal protective equipment, is illegal and may pose a serious threat to health or life,” he added.

Sanitary and Epidemiological Station emphasized that the use of chemical products is safe only if they are used as intended, in the manner specified in the manufacturer's instructions.

Chief Inspector of Plant Health and Seed Inspection, Andrzej Chodkowski, announced on Friday that companies selling rodent control products based on aluminum phosphide to unauthorized persons are being reported to law enforcement authorities.

On Thursday, the National Prosecutor's Office announced the receipt of the first such notification – submitted by Deputy Minister of Agriculture Michał Kołodziejczak regarding the sale of one of the rodenticides.

In recent weeks, several poisonings, including fatal ones, have occurred in Poland, resulting from the incorrect use of fumigation agents to combat rodents. Three children lost their lives.

The State Plant Health and Seed Inspection Service (PIORiN) conducts explanatory proceedings in these matters, aimed at determining the cause and source of the acquisition of toxic preparations. At the same time, he points out that in order to avoid similar tragedies in the future, current regulations should be changed, completely banning the distribution of fumigants on the Internet.

Chodkowski said that the trade in plant protection products is very strictly regulated and a company or person who wants to sell must register in the register. register kept by the Provincial Inspector of Plant Health and Seed Inspection.

PIORiN inspectors – as he noted – regularly carry out inspections at such distributors, checking both the technical conditions of sales and storage of products, as well as the legality of their origin, labeling and expiry dates.

– So the supervision is quite thorough. However, unfortunately, we also have a form of distribution that has become very popular in recent years, i.e. online sales. And the Act on Plant Protection Products of 2013 no longer corresponds to the realities, said Chodkowski.

He explained that purchasing plant protection products online, including highly toxic preparations based on aluminum phosphide, allows you to bypass some requirements, such as the need for the buyer to have and present a certificate of training in the safe use of these substances. Supervision mechanisms in e-commerce are insufficient, which means that substances may end up in the hands of people who are not prepared to use them safely.

The deputy head of the Ministry of Agriculture, Michał Kołodziejczak, announced on Thursday that he had talked to the OLX and Allegro platforms and they agreed to withdraw rodent control products from online sales. He assured that he would also conduct talks with other sellers, including: with Amazon and Ceneo.

Due to cases of poisoning and the results of inspections carried out by plant protection inspectors, PIORiN has been requesting changes to the applicable regulations for some time now. This year Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has taken such an initiative and the draft amendment to the act is almost ready.

– The final consultations are underway, so let's hope that statutory changes will take place, which will tighten and strengthen supervision over the distribution and safe use of these toxic agents – said Chodkowski.

However, several months will pass before the amended act enters into force, which is why the Chief Inspector of Plant Health and Seed Inspection has initiated immediate steps to reduce the risk of further tragic events.

– Our inspectors inspect all companies that sell online. If any irregularities or violations of the law are found, we will apply not only the sanctions provided for in the Act, i.e. a fine and withdrawal of the trading permit, but also, in justified cases, we will refer the case to law enforcement authorities. Because this is undoubtedly a situation that threatens human health and life, Chodkowski announced.

He added that the above-mentioned activities concern the legal distribution network, but there is also a gray zone of fumigant trade, which can be described as criminal activity.

– Here the seller is anonymous and meets no legal requirements. Therefore, if we detect such offers, and unfortunately there are still many of them, we will always refer the case to law enforcement authorities – he emphasized.

– I hope that public awareness is high enough that criminal cases will be investigated in these cases, because so far, unfortunately, we have reported the trade in illegal substances to the prosecutor's office, and the prosecutor's office, after analyzing the case, discontinued the investigation. I really hope that now it will be carried out much more carefully and that people who commit crimes will be punished – he noted.

When asked about the reasons for such a sudden increase in cases of poisoning with vapors of rodent control products, the Inspector replied that research is being carried out on this matter, but it is probably the result of several factors.

– More and more users exchange opinions and information on online forums, which may result in the inappropriate use of harmful substances. An additional factor could have been the weather conditions prevailing in recent days, i.e. high air humidity – explained the expert.

The emission of poisonous phosphine gas from fumigants increases in contact with water. Exposure to toxic fumes in such conditions is therefore even more serious.

– When the preparation is used in the immediate vicinity of people's homes, or even, as happened now, on the facade of a building, it is simply a death trap – summed up Andrzej Chodkowski.