East Africa releases new specifications on Insecticidal aerosols

In November 2022, the East African Standards Committee (EASC)  released a Draft East African Standard (DEAS 1114:2022) that specifies the requirements, sampling, and test methods for insecticidal aerosols. This draft aims to categorize a standard for insecticides and pesticides as per ISO (International Organization for Standardization) and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards. The Draft Standard covers the following countries in East Africa: Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Uganda.

In keeping with the standards, the insecticidal aerosol needs to fulfill the following requirements:

• The final formulation of the insecticidal aerosol will be in solution or emulsion form of insecticides with the required number of propellants, deodorants, and other ingredients.
• The aerosol must be a non-staining and light-colored liquid without any obnoxious odor while spraying.
• The essential active ingredients will be pyrethrin or artificial pyrethroids with low mammalian toxicity with some other effective pest management product with low residual impact and without unacceptable risks posed to mammals subjected to non-stop inhalation of that product.
• The active ingredient used in the aerosol must be approved by the responsible national authority.

• All the active components used for formulation must be compatible, and the solvents or other diluents shall be inert.

• The insecticidal aerosol must not contain CFCs (chlorofluorocarbon).

Specific Requirements for insecticidal aerosol shall abide by obligations stipulated in Tables 1 and 2 when tested by the method prescribed therein. Annex A to F can be found in the DEAS 1114:2022.

Table 1: Biological efficacy of insecticidal aerosol

 Table 2: Other specific requirements for Insecticidal aerosol

The active ingredient content shall be declared on the labels and comply with the tolerance limits in Table 3.

Table 3 — Tolerance limits

The insecticidal aerosols must be packed in closed containers for quality protection. The nozzle of the aerosol

 must be packed in the following way:  

1. 1. 1. Protected against puncturing/activation with a cap or seal manufactured from a suitable material that does not react with the product
      2. Hermetically sealed at the bottom
      3. Equipped with a discharge button or spray cap
      4. The materials used for the valve and button shall be inert.

While labeling aerosol each package shall be decipherable and indelibly labeled in English or other official languages. The name of the product must be mentioned as “insecticidal aerosol” with all proper indications like “used for flying insects or crawling insects”. Other basic information like the name,  common name of active ingredients with their percentage, manufacturer name, net content, batch number, and other essential details should be properly mentioned on the label. Special indications like safety signs and hazard pictograms, and flammability categories must be indicated. Before moving into the market, the insecticidal aerosol must complete all the quality checks.