ProFume® fumigant is a cylinderised fumigant labeled to control rodents, insects and invertebrate pests in residential and nonresidential structures, listed commodities, and import/export quarantine uses. The active ingredient, sulfuryl fluoride, is manufactured in the United States by Douglas Products. ProFume is registered in 22 nations and meets Codex Alimentarius Commission standards for international trade.

ProFume is a liquid under pressure shipped in steel cylinders. The fumigant is released from outside the space being fumigated through an introduction hose. Upon introduction, it immediately converts to a gas form due to its high vapour pressure and very low boiling point.

The active ingredient in ProFume is sulfuryl fluoride, which, as the active ingredient in Vikane® fumigant, has been used since 1961 in the United States to eliminate drywood termites in more than 3 million homes and other structures that have included museums, historical landmarks, and scientific and medical research laboratories.

ProFume is labeled to control rodents and insects infesting wood and timber, household items, and foods and listed commodities. It is labeled for use in residential and commercial properties and in postharvest applications that include means to transport, store and process commodities and foods. Sites include elevators, mills, food-handling establishments, dried fruit and tree nut storage, stationary transport vehicles, silos, fumigation stacks, and more.

The required amount of ProFume to be used is influenced by the circumstances for a situation. With ProFume, fumigators can tailor each fumigation plan and procedure for optimal efficiency using our unique Fumiguide® program. This computerised program integrates key factors, including target pest, temperature, half-loss time and exposure period, to accurately determine the fumigation dose and accumulated concentration over exposure time (CT) required for the space or commodity to be fumigated. Factors can be manipulated to ensure control while, for example, choosing to shorten facility downtime by using more fumigant or to reduce overall fumigation costs by extending the duration of the fumigation.

Sulfuryl fluoride disrupts glycolysis and the citric acid cycle within cells throughout the insect body, thereby depriving insects of the necessary energy for survival. This unique mode of action is not a concern for the development of resistance in insects and, in fact, is effective to control insects that may have developed resistance to insecticides or other fumigants. Used in a rotation, ProFume can help counter resistance development by eliminating the insect-resistant pests.

ProFume is labeled to control a range of important pests, including drywood termites, beetles, bed bugs, cockroaches, venomous spiders, rodents and stored product pests. The active ingredient in ProFume is proven to control all insect pest life stages, including eggs, which are more difficult to kill than insects in adult, larvae or nymph stages. The Fumiguide program helps calculate the fumigation requirements for the target pests.

ProFume will not cause corrosion of computers or other sensitive equipment when used according to label directions. ProFume is nonflammable, has low reactivity potential and, as a gas, is stable under temperatures and exposure duration normally encountered in fumigation.

ProFume has no physical, chemical, processing or taste effects on the quality of commodities, as demonstrated by university research and commercial use since 2004.

ProFume can only be used by individuals holding required fumigation licensing. In addition, completion of annual stewardship training of Douglas Products, through South Africa distributors, is required to purchase ProFume.

Eye protection or a full-face shield is needed during fumigation introduction, but no special skin protection is required. After completion of the fumigation exposure period, workers must wear a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to initiate aeration. An SCBA must be worn anytime a worker must enter a space undergoing fumigation or if the concentration of sulfuryl fluoride within the space exceeds 3 ppm or is not known. An approved detection device is then used to sample the air to ensure concentration levels are below the acceptable threshold for entry. The permissible exposure limit (PEL) for sulfuryl fluoride is 3 ppm for workers in South Africa.

Technical questions can be referred to Douglas Products, its master distributor or any of the local distributors in South Africa.

Yes, emergency help is available through Chemtrec or the Tygerberg Poison Information Centre. Douglas Products utilizes Chemtrec to extend emergency response system support to customers worldwide. The Chemtrec emergency number is country specific and can be found on updated labels, Safety Data Sheets and cylinders of ProFume fumigant with Douglas Products labeling. If there is more than one phone number listed, the emergency response number will be identified as the 24/7 number to call. (If a customer does not have a current label, SDS or cylinder, they can call 1-352-323-3500 for help, but it does not include a translator and this phone number is not toll-free.)

A call to Chemtrec will be answered by someone speaking the native language of the caller’s country. The Chemtrec representative will be fluent in both the caller’s language and English. He or she will connect with the Douglas Products emergency response system in the U.S. to contact the appropriate expert. The Chemtrec representative then stays on the call to serve as the translator. The emergency response system in the U.S. operates 24/7 and provides technical support in four areas — human exposure concerns; animal exposure concerns; leaks, spills and fires; and accidents. It also connects with Douglas Products customer service to provide help with SDS, label and general questions during normal business hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Central time zone).