Chlorpyrifos, which belongs to the group of organophosphate pesticides, is widely applied as an insecticide in agriculture and as a biocide to control non-agricultural pests. In 2008 chlorpyrifos pro-ducts were authorised for use in more than 88 countries. Usage as a biocide was phased-out in the European Union by Commission Decision (2007/565/EC) by 2008 (EC, 2007). A decision on phasing out most non-agricultural applications was adopted by the EPA in 2000 (US-EPA, 2006). However, usage as a biocide, e.g. for termite control in buildings, is still practiced in other countries. For example, termite control is still recommended by Indian authorities (GOI, 2020).
In 2014 the human health risk assessment on chlorpyrifos was revised by the US-EPA (2014). Risks were identified for workers; potential risks were found for drinking water. According to the US-EPA (2017) exposure to chlorpyrifos is also linked to the delay of mental development of young children. In 2019, the renewal of the approval of chlorpyrifos for use as active substance in plant protection products has been denied in the European Union (EC, 2020), following the risk assessment carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA, 2019). EFSA had concluded that the approval criteria, which are applicable to human health as laid down in Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 are not met. The data presented in this dossier is considered relevant, unless noted otherwise. All other information, as well as most tables, can be found in the INF-document.