Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia

 

Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code (Chemical Products) Standard 2025

I, Sheila Logan, Executive Director, Risk Assessment Capability, Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, make the following Standard.

Dated  6 August 2025

 

 

 

   

Sheila Logan
Executive Director, Risk Assessment Capability

Delegate

Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority

1 Name

2 Commencement

3 Authority

4 Definitions

5 Standards for chemical products................................2

  This instrument is the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code (Chemical Products) Standard 2025.

  This instrument commences on the day after it is registered.

  This instrument is made under section 6E of the Schedule to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994.

Note: A number of expressions used in this instrument are defined in section 3 of the Code including the following:

  1.      active constituent
  2.      agricultural chemical product
  3.      approved label
  4.      chemical product
  5.      substance
  6.       veterinary chemical product

 

 In this instrument:   

declared content means the concentration of an active constituent in a chemical product as specified on the approved label for that product.

Code means the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code set out in the Schedule to the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Act 1994.

formulation type has the same meaning as in the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Regulations 1995.

impurity means a substance other than the active constituent that is present in a chemical product (including substances that are process byproducts or degradation products).  

 

specified active content means the permitted range from the declared content within which the concentration of an active constituent must fall when measured using a validated analytical method.

specified impurity level means the permitted concentration, value, range or amount of an impurity when measured using a validated analytical method.

validated analytical method means an analytical method validated in accordance with generally accepted scientific principles for the purpose of analysis of the relevant chemical or property.

  1.             A chemical product with the active constituent listed in Column 1 of the following table that is of the type listed in Column 2 and the formulation type listed in Column 3 of that table must conform to the following:
  1.     the relevant specified active content listed in Column 4 for that chemical product; and
  2.     the specified impurity level listed in Column 5 for that chemical product.


    Note 1: Section 5A provides a definition of “meets the safety criteria” for the purposes of the Code. Subsection 5A(3) of the Code requires the APVMA to have regard to the matters specified in paragraph 5A(3)(a) for the purposes of being satisfied as to whether a chemical product meets the safety criteria. In particular, these matters include whether the product conforms, or would conform, to any standard made for the product under section 6E to the extent that the standard relates to matters covered by subsection 5A(1) (subparagraph 5A(3)(a)(via).             

    Note 2:   A person may commit an offence or be liable to a civil penalty if the person supplies a prescribed chemical product, or causes or permits a prescribed product to be supplied, if the product or an active constituent contained in the product does not conform with a standard prescribed in respect of the product or the active constituent contained in the product (see section 87 of the Code and regulation 42 of the Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals Code Regulations 1995).

Active constituent(s)

Column 2

Type

Column 3

Formulation type

Column 4

Specified active content

Column 5

Specified Impurity Levels

Malathion

Agricultural chemical product or veterinary chemical product

Emulsifiable concentrate (EC)

Declared malathion content up to and including 25 g/L: ±15%

Declared malathion content above 25 g/L up to and including 100 g/L: ±10%

Declared malathion content above 100 g/L up to and including 250 g/L: ±6%

Declared malathion content above 250 g/L up to and including 500 g/L: ±5%

Declared malathion content above 500 g/L: ±25 g/L

Malaoxon: maximum 0.1% of the measured malathion content
 

Isomalathion: maximum 0.8% of the measured malathion content
 

O,O,S-trimethylphosphorothioate (MeOOSPO): maximum 0.5% of the measured malathion content

Malathion

Agricultural chemical product or veterinary chemical product

Emulsions, oil‑in‑water (EW)

Declared malathion content up to and including 25 g/L: ±15%

Declared malathion content above 25 g/L up to and including 100 g/L: ±10%

Declared malathion content above 100 g/L up to and including 250 g/L: ±6%

Declared malathion content above 250 g/L up to and including 500 g/L: ±5%

Declared malathion content above 500 g/L: ±25 g/L

Malaoxon: maximum 0.8% of the measured malathion content
 

Isomalathion: maximum 0.6% of the measured malathion content
 

O,O,S-trimethylphosphorothioate (MeOOSPO): maximum 0.5% of the measured malathion content

Malathion

Agricultural chemical product

Ultra‑low volume liquid (UL)

 

Declared malathion content 500 g/L and above: ±25 g/L

 

Malaoxon: maximum 0.1% of the measured malathion content
 

Isomalathion: maximum 0.4% of the measured malathion content
 

O,O,S-trimethylphosphorothioate (MeOOSPO): maximum 0.5% of the measured malathion content
 

O,S,S-trimethylphosphorodithioate (MeOSSPO): maximum 0.01% of the measured malathion content

Malathion

Agricultural chemical product or veterinary chemical product

Dustable powder (DP)

Declared malathion content up to and including 25 g/kg: ±25%

Declared malathion content above 25 g/kg up to and including 100 g/kg: within -10% and +25%

Malaoxon: maximum 0.1% of the measured malathion content
 

Isomalathion: maximum 2.5% of the measured malathion content
 

O,O,S-trimethylphosphorothioate (MeOOSPO): maximum 0.5% of the measured malathion content