July 25, 2002

CSIRO and the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) are working together to ensure a new grain fumigant developed by the CSIRO can be released in Australia and, potentially, onto lucrative overseas
markets.

CSIRO is confident its new product, COSMIC®, will become a significant addition to the armoury of chemical weapons arrayed against insects which threaten Australia's, and the world's, grain stores.

A Principal Toxicologist with the TGA, Dr Andrew Bartholomaeus, is working within CSIRO's Stored Grain Research Laboratory (SGRL) to ensure that all human health hazards associated with using COSMIC® are accurately identified.

"COSMIC® has the potential to replace the ozone-depleting fumigant methyl bromide which is still being used widely, especially for quarantine fumigations," Dr Bartholomaeus says.

"However, with methyl bromide being phased out in line with the requirements of the Montreal Protocol
on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, the global grain industry urgently needs an effective
replacement for methyl bromide.

"Provided it can meet the appropriate registration requirements, COSMIC® will be a likely contender,"
he says.

Dr Bartholomaeus is working with the SGRL's head Toxicologist, Dr Victoria Haritos, to review the
available toxicological data on COSMIC® and identify what needs to be done to ensure the chemical
qualifies for full registration by the National Registration Authority (NRA).

Dr Haritos says COSMIC® contains carbonyl sulfide - a compound which occurs naturally in many raw
and processed foods, sometimes at high levels.

"Carbonyl sulfide is also part of the natural global sulfur cycle where sulfur passes continuously from
the atmosphere to plants, water and soil, then back to the atmosphere.

"In essence, carbonyl sulfide is with us all the time," she says.

Dr Bartholomaeus says providing as much information as possible about the mammalian toxicity of
carbonyl sulfide is fundamental to the NRA's decision about whether or not to fully register it.

"SGRL has progressed a long way with laboratory and field evaluation of the chemical for use as a
grain fumigant. However, the toxicology component of their data package is limited," he says.

"My aims are to deduce the known toxicological properties of carbonyl sulfide and identify what
toxicological studies need to be undertaken to adequately identify the potential hazards of this
compound."

Dr Bartholomaeus' collaborative role with the SGRL is funded by a major supporter of the Laboratory's
toxicological work, the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC).

"The benefits to be gained from this type of exchange between regulatory bodies and industry can be
considerable and ensures staff remain up-to-date with current developments in products and
technology," he says.

* The TGA is an executive agency of the Australian Department of Health and Ageing.
* CSIRO has a patent on the use of carbonyl sulfide as a fumigant in the treatment of grain and
other stored commodities.

Further information:
Dr Andrew Bartholomaeus, TGA, 02 6246 4397
Dr Victoria Haritos, SGRL , 02 6246 4245