Surveillance assessment for veterinary biocidal products in Korea: A laboratory investigation

Veterinary biocides used in animal husbandry have the potential to cause human health concerns. Biocidal products for veterinary use, which contain pesticides approved in Korea, comprise 49 active ingredients within 234 products. Within 17 of these products there are 3 ingredients which are highly hazardous pesticides: coumaphos, dichlorvos and methomyl. In this study, the content of the active ingredients of 160 products sold domestically was investigated. Samples were collected for 119 biocidal products for veterinary use. These were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). Seventeen products were noncompliant (insufficient or excess quantity of active ingredients). The ingredients that were below the stated concentrations were amitraz, chlorpyrifos-methyl, cypermethrin, cyromazine, dichlorvos, fipronil, muscamone and trichlorfon. The ingredients that exceeded the stated concentrations were abamectin, fluvalinate and pyriproxyfen. The noncompliance rate in biocidal products for veterinary use was 9.19%. The results of this study show that three highly hazardous pesticides (coumaphos, dichlorvos and methomyl) and 10 active ingredients (abamectin, amitraz, chlorpyrifos-methyl, cypermethrin, cyromazine, fipronil, fluvalinate, muscamone, pyriproxyfen and trichlorfon) deviated from the stated concentrations. Thus, management plans should be established to ensure compliant veterinary drugs by post-distribution quality control, such as planning for regular inspection.