Pesticide Regulation

Susan King

Extension Specialist

University of Delaware

Pesticide Regulation

• Pesticide Laws

• Pesticide Registration

FQPA

Pesticide Laws

• Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, Rodenticide Act – FIFRA

• Food Quality Protection Act – FQPA

Pesticide Law

FIFRA• General Use Pesticides– Anyone may use

Pesticide LawFIFRA• General Use Pesticides– Anyone may use

• Restricted Use Pesticides– Certified Licensed Applicators

Pesticide LawFIFRA

EPA determines how pesticides are

Registered

Pesticide LawFIFRA

EPA determines how pesticides are

Sold Disposed of

Stored Handled

Transported Applied

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

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 Testing Tolerance 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 Actof 1996

FQPA

“Reasonable certainty that no harm will result

from aggregate pesticide exposure”

FQPA

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

39OP’s

mal

athi

onGuthion

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