Recently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Thailand proposed to remove citronella oil from the list of hazardous substances.
According to the list of hazardous substances published by the Department of Industrial Works (DIW) of Thailand in 2013, citronella oil (substance number 99, CAS number: 8000-29-1) was classified as Type 1 hazardous substance, which is commonly used for household or public hygiene purposes to prevent, control, repel, and eliminate insects and other animals.
Reasons for concern in relation to citronella oil are listed in the following:
- Human health: Based on the acute toxicity data of citronella oil to laboratory animals, a conclusion can be drawn that there was no clear evidence to prove that the oil is toxic or carcinogenic to humans. Although the data indicates that citronella oil cause skin and eye irritation to laboratory animals, these are just side effects that occur only in individuals who come into contact with the oil.
- Environment: according to the environmental toxicity data, citronella oil will not persist in the environment. Although reports asserted that citronella oil may cause mild toxicity to aquatic organisms, the odds of aquatic organisms coming into contact with citronella oil is very low.
- Exposure: although insecticide users may come into contact with citronella oil, it is possible to avoid exposure to the substance based on toxicity data. Therefore, a conclusion can be drawn that citronella oil has a low toxicity and will not cause chronic toxicity or carcinogenicity.
Moreover, citronella oil is currently being used in consumer products for purposes other than insect repellent. For example, it can be used in natural flavoring agents in the food industry or as a fragrance in some consumer products such as perfumes and herbal ointments, which indicates that the exposure of citronella oil has existed in our daily life.
If Thailand removes citronella oil from the list of hazardous substances, it would bring benefits to both enterprises and FDA since it would not impose unreasonable burdens on FDA notifications. Moreover, manufacturers and importers of citronella oil would no longer be subject to FDA supervision, nor would they need to provide manufacture information or comply with other standards such as labeling, manufacturing, and storage rules.
