Timișoara is a famous Romanian town. This is where the 1989 revolution started that ended the Ceauceșcu dictatorship. Recently, the town made headlines again, less favourable this time. In a Facebook post, the commune proudly shared a video of a plane spraying a toxic pesticide on the town to repel mosquitos. Residential areas but especially parks, ponds, river banks and children’s playgrounds were the target. The product? Cymina Plus, a biocide containing Cypermethrin. This pesticide is highly toxic to human health and the environment. An alert journalist contacted us, collected information and wrote to the responsible authorities. As a result the Romanian National Institute for Public Health confirmed that aerial spraying of biocides is illegal.
The aerial spraying strongly reminded us of the 1960s, when it was a common practice in the US and many other countries at that time. It led to the mass extinction of insects and birds, which inspired Rachel Carson to write her famous book Silent Spring in 1962. [1] Our knowledge has greatly increased since, and aerial spraying is banned in Europe. So it was shocking to see the images of spraying a town with a particularly harmful pesticide. It was also heartening to see a concerned citizen taking action to end this harmful practice.
Cypermethrin
Cypermethrin is one of PAN Europe’s list of 'toxic 12' pesticides that should immediately be banned for all uses. It is an endocrine disruptor and therefore especially dangerous for the unborn child and young children. The substance is suspected of being linked to Parkinson's disease. It is a bee-killer, and highly toxic for aquatic and soil organisms. [2]
Use as biocide
The complication here was that it was not used as an agricultural pesticide but as a biocide to control mosquitos. Biocides are applied to control or kill harmful and unwanted organisms. They are regulated differently from pesticides used for crop protection. However, they of course also adversely affect not only harmful organisms but also humans, the environment, and beneficial species.
So do the same rules apply for aerial spraying? We supplied the journalist with information on the EU and international level. Next, he did a thorough search on Romanian legislation and contacted all involved authorities to give them the opportunity to comment on the planned publication, including the secretariat of the committee in charge of approving biocides. As a result of the article the National Public Health Institute clearly indicated that the use of cypermethrin and other dangerous pesticides is illegal (see below). So this should be the end of aerial spraying of toxic chemicals in Romania.
This should end the aerial spraying of dangerous pesticides. It finally sets a truly positive step forward and is an important result for health and biodiversity. The next step to curb the harmful effects of pesticides in Romania should be to end the widespread use of derogations to allow the use of banned pesticides in agriculture, such as bee-killing neonicotinoids, which violates the EU pesticide law.
Timișoara City Hall communication on aerial spraying
“Timisoara City Hall continues the series of aerial pest control treatments to combat mosquitoes and their larvae on the public domain of the city. The action is scheduled to take place from June 17 to June 22, 2024. Depending on weather conditions, treatments will be carried out in the morning between 6:00-10:00 and in the evening between 17:00-21:00.
The spraying will be carried out throughout Timisoara, and will be emphasised in the areas of parks, playgrounds, the banks of the Bega and puddles. At the same time, we recommend beekeepers to take all necessary measures to protect bees during this period, namely to remove beehives outside the spraying area.
The products used are approved by the National Commission for Biocidal Products of the Ministry of Health and are included in the National Register of Biocidal Products approved for human health prophylaxis by the Ministry of Health (Cymina Plus, with the active substance Cypermethrin, for the control of adult mosquitoes). The substances are part of Toxicity Group III (non-agricultural pesticides), Type 18 (insecticides, acaricides and products for the control of arthropods).”
New aerial treatments against mosquitoes, Municipality of Timisoara, 11 June 2024 (in Romanian)
The Facebook post showing the aerial spraying
Clarification by the Romanian National Institute of Public Health
The National Institute of Public Health clarified that high temperatures and heat waves favour the appearance and/or breeding of mosquitoes, ticks, flies, etc. Vectors that transmit certain diseases, including West Nile neuroinfection, Lyme disease, etc. Specific treatments are applied to combat them, especially in green spaces. Depending on the expected action, insecticides are divided into two categories subject to distinct authorisation legislation for introduction on the market and for use, respectively:
- Insecticides used to combat pests affecting plants or plant products [3] falling under the category of "agricultural pesticides" called phytosanitary products or plant protection products
- Insecticides used for the control of organisms harmful to humans, animals or the environment falling under the category of biocidal products, Main Group III, product type TP18 "Insecticides, acaricides and products for the control of other arthropods" formerly known as "non-agricultural pesticides" [4]
Legislation in Romania and in the European Union prohibits aerial spraying of pesticides in general. In the context of national and European legislation, aerial spraying means the application of pesticides from an aircraft (plane or helicopter). According to the provisions in force, aerial spraying of agricultural pesticides is only allowed in special cases, when there are no viable alternative methods or when aerial spraying presents clear advantages from the point of view of reduced effects on human health and the environment, compared to land application of pesticides.
The exception is not applicable in the case of insecticides from the category of biocidal products ("non-agricultural pesticides"), because aerial spraying is prohibited in the immediate vicinity of residential areas, protected natural areas and protection areas located in the vicinity of waters. This sine qua non condition is opposed to the granting of exemptions for aerial spraying with insecticides from the category of biocidal products because the target organisms to be combated are around residential houses and spaces occupied by people and animals.
In conclusion, and following the evaluation by the National Institute of Public Health of the toxicological risks for humans and the biocidal efficacy, in Romania there are no insecticides from the category of biocidal products approved or authorised by the National Commission for Biocide Products to carry out aerial spraying treatments from an aircraft (helicopter, plane). [5]
Read more:
- Romania gives green light for mass extinction of bees
- Why does the EU Commission not act against Romania's unlawful pesticide derogations?
- The article that disclosed the issue (in Romanian)
Notes:
[1] More on Rachel Carson and Silent Spring
[2] Harmful effects of cypermethrin
[3] Regulation (EC) NO. 1107/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 21 October 2009 regarding the placing on the market of phytosanitary products and repealing Council Directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC
[4] Regulation (EU) no. 528/2012 REGULATION (EU) NO. 528/2012 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 22 May 2012 regarding the making available on the market and the use of biocidal products
[5] The conclusion by the Romanian Institute of Public Health (in Romanian)
