Re: The use of Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) by the City of Edmonton

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and partner organizations wrote to the Federal Minister of Health in February 2016 to request the revocation of Dursban's registration and the end of chlorpyrifos use for nuisance mosquito control in Edmonton. The letter cites the pesticide's acute toxicity to various organisms and its identification by the US EPA as a developmental neurotoxicant that can cause brain damage in children. It notes that the PMRA's re-evaluation of the chemical has been unacceptably prolonged and suggests Vectobac as a safer alternative.

• The City of Edmonton uses two products containing the active ingredient chlorpyrifos—Pyrate (sprayed) and Dursban (granular)—to control mosquitoes as a nuisance rather than as vectors for public health concerns like West Nile Virus. These products have been applied in rural areas surrounding the city and in at least one city park multiple times.
• The re-evaluation of chlorpyrifos, which began in 1999, was scheduled for completion in 2020, a timeline described by the Federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development as "unacceptably prolonged".
• The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) discontinued many residential uses of chlorpyrifos in 2002 and found the pesticide to be acutely toxic to honeybees, fish, aquatic invertebrates, birds, and mammals. Although the PMRA proposed cancelling its use on many crops in 2003, this was reversed in 2007 due to a "lack of alternative pest control products".
• Chlorpyrifos is identified as a powerful developmental neurotoxicant capable of causing brain damage in children exposed to very low doses during early postnatal life and critical pregnancy windows, according to a 2014 Revised Human Health Risk Assessment by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Pesticide Free Alberta recommends Vectobac, a bacteria-based insecticide used in cities with similar climates such as Grand Prairie, as a safer alternative to chlorpyrifos.

APA

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (2016). Re: The use of Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) by the City of Edmonton. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/6.CAPE’s-Letter-to-Federal-Minister-of-Health-Dr.-Jane-Philpott-re-the-use-of-Chlorpyrifos-Dursban-by-the-City-of-Edmonton-February-2016.pdf#new_tab

Chicago

Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. Re: The use of Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) by the City of Edmonton. 2016. https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/6.CAPE’s-Letter-to-Federal-Minister-of-Health-Dr.-Jane-Philpott-re-the-use-of-Chlorpyrifos-Dursban-by-the-City-of-Edmonton-February-2016.pdf#new_tab.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment |title=Re: The use of Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) by the City of Edmonton |date=12 February 2016 |url=https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/6.CAPE’s-Letter-to-Federal-Minister-of-Health-Dr.-Jane-Philpott-re-the-use-of-Chlorpyrifos-Dursban-by-the-City-of-Edmonton-February-2016.pdf#new_tab |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianassociationofphysiciansfortheenvironment2016use, author = {{Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}}, title = {{Re: The use of Chlorpyrifos (Dursban) by the City of Edmonton}}, publisher = {Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://cape.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/6.CAPE’s-Letter-to-Federal-Minister-of-Health-Dr.-Jane-Philpott-re-the-use-of-Chlorpyrifos-Dursban-by-the-City-of-Edmonton-February-2016.pdf#new_tab}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }