WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard and Guidelines to Classification 2009

The document lists common technical grade pesticides and recommended classifications together with a listing of active ingredients believed to be obsolete or discontinued for use as pesticides, pesticides subject to the prior informed consent procedure, limitations to trade because of the POPs convention, and gaseous or volatile fumigants not classified under these recommendations. It replaces the 2000-2002 edition of the Classification. For this latest revision the WHO Hazard Classes have been aligned with the Acute Toxicity Hazard Categories of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) as the starting point for allocating pesticides to a Hazard Class and the GHS Acute Toxicity Hazard Category for each pesticide has been presented alongside the existing information. Part I describes the overarching principles for the classification of pesticides as recommended by the World Health Assembly. The guide-points originally proposed in 1975 are now being aligned with the corresponding Acute Toxicity Hazard Categories from the Globally Harmonized System of Classification. As has always been the case, the classification of some pesticides has been adjusted to take account of severe hazards to health other than acute toxicity. Part II provides guidelines to Classification. Individual products are classified in a series of tables, according to the oral or dermal toxicity of the technical product. The tables are subject to review periodically. The latest tables also present the GHS Acute Toxicity Hazard Category for each pesticide. To assist in the classification of formulations, an annex is provided giving numerical tables from which the classification may also be derived.