Updates on the global application of Eco2Fume and Vaporph3OS®

Eco2Fume (2 % phosphine and 98 % CO2 w/w) and Vaporph3OS ® (99.3 % phosphine w/w) are cylinderised gas formulation of phosphine which are commercially used for safe, effective and user-friendly fumigation of food and non-food commodities. In, response to the increasing global concern on safety and environment, new applications had been developed to expand the use of these two phosphine fumigants. As an alternative to methyl bromide, new fumigation protocols for Eco2Fume and Vaporph3OS ® to kill all stages of insects were established and approved in the USA which allows a shorter fumigation time of 24 hrs at 500-1,000 ppm phosphine concentration and 27 °C or higher temperatures. In Australia, a new fumigation protocol was approved which can completely kill all stages of insects in 3- 24 days at 70 – 700 ppm phosphine concentration and 15-> 30 °C temperature. Trials conducted on the fruit fumigation showed that cylinderised phosphine can effectively kill all stages of insects using 1400 ppm at 0- 6 °C in 48 – 72 hours and a residue level below the maximum residue limit of 0.01 mg/kg. For treatment of exported cut flower and foliage in New Zealand, a shorter fumigation time of 4 hours is in commercial use with Eco2Fume under vacuum condition. Promising results are also shown in the trials conducted on timber and log fumigation. Techniques have been developed for the application of Vaporph3OS ® in combination with the Horn Diluphos System for fumigation of cereal grain and oil seeds in sealed silos, horizontal sheds and bunkers with capacities ranging from 1000 – 300,000 tonnes. This paper describes the different applications of Eco2Fume and Vaporph3OS ® in Nort