OPINION OF THE SCIENTIFIC PANEL ON CONTAMINANTS IN THE FOOD CHAIN ON A REQUEST FROM THE COMMISSION RELATED TO CAMPHECHLOR AS UNDESIRABLE SUBSTANCE IN ANIMAL FEED Question No EFSA-Q-2003-068 Adopted on 2 February 2005

Camphechlor is a non-systemic insecticide with some acaricidal action and was used on crops and animals. It has been the most heavily applied pesticide in many parts of the world and replaced DDT in the early 1970s. The use of camphechlor is now phased out in most of the world. Technical camphechlor mixtures show a complex composition, with at least 202 different compounds identified. Due to its persistence and chemical properties it has found a widespread distribution. Environmental biotransformation and accumulation in the aquatic environment has led to relatively high levels of certain camphechlor congeners in fish, marine mammals and sea birds while other congeners rapidly degrade. Camphechlor is readily absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and distributed to the lipid portion of the organism. It passes the placenta and transfer to milk has been shown in animals and humans. Neurotoxicity has been reported in fish, birds and mammals. Other toxic effects occur in the liver, thyroid and immune system. Fish oil and fish meal are the main sources of camphechlor exposure of farmed animals, particularly fish. Human dietary exposure is mainly from fatty fish, which is estimated to be between 1 and 25 ng/kg b.w./day. High fish consumers may have intakes of about 60 ng/kg b.w./day, which is still considered to remain without health effects, based on a NOAEL of 100 mu g/kg b.w. for immunotoxicity, the most sensitive endpoint, from a 33 week study in macaque. The congeners CHB 26, 50 and 62, which accumulate in the food chain, can serve as indicators of camphechlor contamination. Moreover, congeners CHB 40, 41, 42 and 44, should also be included in analytical studies as they are also found in fish samples and as CHB 42 appears to be one of the most toxic congeners. Furthermore, CHB 32 should be included as an indicator for a recent contamination. There are substantial data gaps for camphechlor. Detailed occurrence data for camphechlor in feedingstuffs and food of animal (other than fish) and plant origin are lacking. There is also a general lack of congener specific toxicity data as well as data on oral toxicity for farmed fish.