United States or elsewhere. Since all uses of the chemical in the United States were canceled in 1991, use is likely to have declined, although there are no data showing this trend. Regulation and advisories No international regulations exist for the use of chlorfenvinphos, although standards and guidelines have been set to protect people from the possible harmful effects of the toxin. No regulation exists for inhalation exposure, but multiple minimal risk levels (MRL) have been estimated for oral exposure. These data have been developed from lowest observed adverse effect levels (LOAEL) in test rats, based on adverse neurological effects. The acute oral MRL has been established at 0.002 mg/kg/day, while the chronic MRL has been established somewhat lower, at 0.0007 mg/kg/day. Furthermore, chlorfenvinphos is one of the chemicals regulated under “The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know act of 1986”. This means that owners and operators of certain facilities that manufacture, import, process or otherwise use the chemical, are obligated to report their annual release of the chemical to any environmental media. However, the use of chlorfenvinphos has now been banned in the European Union and in the United States. In Europe it is banned as a plant protection product. An exception is Switzerland, where chlorfenvinphos is still allowed for use in crops and certain vegetables under the brand name Birlane. In Australia, chlorfenvinphos is partially banned. Thus, it was withdrawn in alfalfa, potatoes and mushrooms, while it is still used in veterinary medicine for combating ectoparasites until 2013. Production Chlorfenvinphos was first introduced in the United States in 1963, by the Shell International Chemical Company Ltd., Ciba AG (now Ciba-Geigy AG) and by Allied Chemical Corporation. Its main use was as an insecticide and acaricide used to control insect pests on livestock and household pests such as flies, fleas, and mites. Since its first application, many manufacturers included chlorfenvinphos in their products. Some common trade names are Birlane, Dermaton, Sapercon, Steladone, and Supona. Since 1991, however, information on current production of chlorfenvinphos has been conflicting. One source lists base producers of the compound as the American Cyanamid Company. However, no producers of chlorfenvinphos were identified in a 1993 Directory of Chemical Producers for the United States of America. Moreover, there have been no registered uses for this compound as a pesticide in the United States since 1995. Chlorfenvinphos is produced by reaction of triethylphosphite (P(OEt)3) with 2,2,2,4-tetrachloro acetophenone (C8H4Cl4O).