Spinetoram Presidential Green Chemistry Award

The Presidential Green Chemistry Award is an effort to recognize innovative developments in chemistry that decrease environmental impact.  Initiated in 1996, the awards are distributed among five categories: Greener Synthetic Pathways Award, Greener Reaction Conditions Award, Designing Greener Chemicals Award, Small Business Award, and an Academic Award. 1

In 2008, Dow AgroSciences took home the Designing Greener Chemicals Award, for enhancement of their widely used biopesticide Spinosad.  Used to control insects primarily on vegetable crops, it is not very effective against fruit insects, which required many farmers to apply a separate pesticide to cure problems with fruit insects.  One such product, Azinphos-methyl, is considered 1000 times more toxic than the new product developed, Spinetoram. 2

Issuing the award, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicated that Spinetoram is less persistent in the environment, less toxic to non-target insect species.  Additionally, because much less of the product is required for comparable effects to similar products, the results will undoubtedly induce a reduction of risk throughout the entire supply chain.1 Indeed, it is estimated that Spinetoram will replace 1.8 million pounds of insecticides currently applied to fruit and nut trees, during the first five years of use.

Supporting data is scant on the product; the PAN Pesticides Database, only provides a bit of information on its potential for ground water contamination.3   Those numbers seem to bear out the suggestions of the EPA, though only time will tell.

1. The Presidential Green Chemistry Award.  [article online] 2009.  Available from http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/pgcc/presgcc.html .  Accessed October 21, 2009.
2. Spinotoram:  Enhancing a Natural Product for Insect Control.  2008 Designing Greener Chemicals Award.  US Environmental Protection Agency.  [article online] 2008.  Available from http://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/pubs/pgcc/winners/dgca08.html . Accessed October 21, 2009.
3. Spinetoram.  PAN Pesticides Database [article online] 2009.  Available from http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC41693 .  Accessed October 21, 2009.

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BI301:  Human Ecology