Pesticide Regulation Susan King Extension Specialist University of Delaware
Pesticide Regulation Pesticide Laws Pesticide Registration F Q P A
Pesticide Laws Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act – FIFRA Food Quality Protection Act – FQPA
Pesticide Law FIFRA General Use Pesticides – Anyone may use
Pesticide Law FIFRA General Use Pesticides – Anyone may use Restricted Use Pesticides – Certified Licensed Applicators
Pesticide Law FIFRA EPA determines how pesticides are Registered
Pesticide Law FIFRA EPA determines how pesticides are SoldDisposed of StoredHandled TransportedApplied
Pesticide Registration Tests: Toxicology –Single dose
Pesticide Registration Tests: Toxicology –Lifetime exposure Reproduction Mutations Cancer
Pesticide Registration Tests: Environmental fate –Breakdown in soil, water
Pesticide Registration Tests: Environmental fate –Movement Runoff Leaching Drift
Pesticide Registration Tests: Ecological effects –Birds –Fish –Non-target plants
Pesticide Registration Tests: Residue Analysis
Pesticide Registration Residue Analysis: Pesticide applied according to proposed label rates & procedures. Then pesticide residues on crops are measured.
How much residue is safe?
Pesticide Tolerances The amount of pesticide residue that will be legally allowed on food.
300 ppm =No Effect Level
10 X, animal test 30 ppm
300 ppm =No Effect Level 10 X, animal test 3 ppm 30 ppm 10X, human variability
300 ppm =No Effect Level 10 X, animal test 3 ppm 0.3 ppm 30 ppm 10x, kids 10X, human variability
0.3 ppm spread over 5 crops = Tolerance Average 0.06 ppm each
Pesticide Registration Residue TestingTolerance Setting If residue < tolerance, Pesticide registered
Safety Nets Never eat all crops in one day! Every day! For 70 years!
Safety Nets Never eat all crops in one day! Every day! For 70 years! Max rate not used! To all fields! To all parts of field!
Explain pesticide registration to your neighbor.
FQPA -- The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 F Q P A
“Reasonable certainty that no harm will result from aggregate pesticide exposure ” F Q P A
The Risk Cup EPA has compared setting tolerances to filling a “Risk Cup”
Exposure that you could receive every day. For 70 years. With no significant risk of long term, health effects. The Risk Cup
EPA must lump compounds with a common mechanism of toxicity
Common Mode of Action 39 OP’s malathion Guthion Lorsban
0.3 ppm OP spread over 5 crops = Tolerance Average 0.06 ppm OP each
Pets Food Home Garden Water EPA must consider aggregate exposure
Aggregate Exposure Chlorpyrifos (Dursban, Lorsban)
Dietary/ Non-Dietary Exposure & Common Mechanism of Toxicity
If the risk cup gets full, manufacturers could reduce risk…
By eliminating uses… … Especially minor uses!
FQPA HITS Methyl parathion Azinphos methyl Chlorphyrifos Bendiocarb Ethyl parathion
Changes in pesticide labels to reduce risk? Reduce number of sprays Reduce application rate Change formulation
Procedure for setting tolerances Common mode of action Aggregate exposure Summary
Procedure for setting tolerances Common mode of action Aggregate exposure Manufacturers need to reduce risk Summary
Procedure for setting tolerances Common mode of action Aggregate exposure Manufacturers need to reduce risk EPA needs “Real Life” data Summary