Fumigation: An overview for the maritime sector
Britannia P&I Club warns against the risks of fumigation and presents steps people onboard can take in order to mitigate those risks.
Fumigation is an effective approach to eradicate living organisms, such as insects or rodents, and is used to mitigate the transmission of invasive species or phytosanitary risks when transporting an agricultural cargo from one port to another.
FUMIGATION IN GENERAL
Fumigation carried out in cargo spaces on board should be in accordance with the IMO’s circulars on the issue: MSC.1/Circ.1264 ‘Recommendations on the Safe Use of Pesticides in Ships Applicable to the Fumigation of Cargo Holds’ as amended by MSC.1/Circ. 1396 and MSC.1/Circ.1358 ‘Revised Recommendations on the Safe Use of Pesticides in Ships’.
The IMO circulars clearly state that fumigation in-transit should only be carried out at the discretion of the master. Crew members can carry out small-scale or ‘spot’ treatment pest control if they adhere to the product manufacturer’s instructions and cover the whole area of infestation. However, more extensive or hazardous treatments, including fumigation and insecticide spraying, should only be carried out by professional pest control operators in accordance with the IMO’s recommendations.
The materials available for pest control on board vessels can broadly be divided into insecticides and fumigants. Insecticides are normally used to specifically target and kill the insects with direct contact, while fumigation is a pest control method achieved by filling the cargo spaces with toxic gaseous fumigants to neutralise the insects. From a commercial perspective, fumigation,
rather than contact insecticides, is the preferred method of removing potential infestations when shipping agricultural commodities. This is because it is easier for the fumigators to handle aluminium phosphide tablets or pellets. It is also relatively lower in cost and effective with the near absence of chemical residues on the cargo.
However, its popularity and associated risks have also resulted in the majority of marine fumigation incidents. Therefore, we will focus on fumigation rather than insecticides in this guidance. According to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) guidelines stipulated in MSC.1/ Circ.1264, ‘Recommendation on the Safe Use of Pesticides in Ships Applicable to the Fumigation of Cargo Holds’, two of the most widely used fumigants are phosphine and methyl bromide.
Aluminium phosphide is available in solid tablets or pellets, mostly known by their brand names; QuickPhos, Phostoxin, Fumitoxin and Weevil-cide. These tablets or pellets react with moisture in the air to produce an active fumigant gas – phosphine (PH3).
In contrast, methyl bromide is normally supplied in liquid form or as pressurised gas, known commercially sometimes as Bromomethane, Brom-o-gas or
Celfume. However, methyl bromide is not permitted for in-transit fumigation and has been found to deplete the ozone layer. It is gradually being replaced by other fumigants. Additionally, fumigation with methyl bromide must be carried out by qualified operators while the vessel remains at port with the ship’s crew disembarked. There have been occasions when fumigation by methyl bromide has been conducted with the crew on board, but this should be avoided as it does not follow IMO guidance and can be extremely hazardous.
The choice of fumigant and the application method depends on the:
• type of commodity carried • potential insects and rodents that may be present
• dosage and extent of coverage required by the cargo
• volumetric size of cargo holds • location of infestation • habits of pests found from the port of origin
• climate of the regions in-transit.
Given the complexity of these fumigants and wide variety of brand names, it is essential for the crew to review the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) to understand the type of fumigant gas used and associated requirements, and the potential hazards and safeguarding measures required.
THE REPORT | DEC 2023 | ISSUE 106 | 93
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