Recent developments in the global application of ECO2FUME^® and VAPORPH3OS^® phosphine fumigants

ECO2FUME^® (2% phosphine, 98% CO₂ by weight) and VAPORPH3OS^® (99.3% phosphine average by weight) are cylinderized gas formulations of phosphine that have achieved significant growth in commercial applications for the disinfestation of food and non-food commodities in the last two decades. The expansion in the global application of these two cylinderized phosphine fumigants is driven by increasing concern for safety, efficacy, unreacted powdered residue and disposal associated with aluminium phosphide tablets, which are promoted as alternatives to methyl bromide, and the concern of insect resistance to phosphine in both developed and developing countries. This paper describes recent developments in the global application of ECO2FUME^® and VAPORPH3OS^® in terms of commercial in-transit fumigation of grains and logs in ships, fumigation of export distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS) in containers and shiphold, best practices in the management of phosphine resistance of insects in grains, and establishment and application of quarantine and preshipment (QPS) phosphine fumigation protocols for selected fresh fruits, vegetables, dried fruits and cut flowers as an alternative to methyl bromide. The growing issue of powdered residue from unspent aluminium phosphine tablets and the use of cylinderized phosphine as an effective solution are discussed.