Update 11/07/2001:
EPA'S PESTICIDES IN WATER EXPOSURE MODELS ARE ON THE
WEB; VOLUNTARY CANCELLATION OF OXADIXYL ANNOUNCED; EPA RELEASES
TOXICOLOGY STUDIES ON ORGANOPHOSPHATE PESTICIDES
EPA Pesticide Program Update from EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs 11/07/01
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides
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IN THIS UPDATE:
1) EPA'S PESTICIDES IN WATER EXPOSURE MODELS ARE ON THE WEB
2) VOLUNTARY CANCELLATION OF OXADIXYL ANNOUNCED
3) EPA RELEASES TOXICOLOGY STUDIES ON ORGANOPHOSPHATE PESTICIDES
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1) EPA'S PESTICIDES IN WATER EXPOSURE
MODELS ARE ON THE WEB
The Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has designed a
website which describes the various exposure models it
uses to estimate the concentration of pesticides in water.
These models are based on laboratory studies that describe
how fast a pesticide breaks down to other chemicals and
how it moves in the environment. These exposure models
are now on EPA's Web site at the following address:
http://www.epa.gov/oppefed1/models/water/index.htm.
EPA relies on these mathematical models as well as monitoring data to generate pesticide
exposure estimates for its drinking water, aquatic exposure, and water quality assessments.
These models calculate estimated environmental concentrations
(EECs) using laboratory data that describe how fast the
pesticide breaks down to other chemicals and how it moves in
the environment. For drinking water assessments, the Agency
uses FIRST (FQPA Index Reservoir Screening Tool) as a Tier
1 screening model to estimate pesticide concentrations in surface
water. EPA uses SCIGROW (Screening Concentration in
Ground Water) as a Tier 1 screening model to estimate pesticide
concentrations in ground water.
For aquatic exposure assessments, OPP uses GENEEC2
(Generic Estimated Environmental Concentration) to estimate
pesticide concentrations in surface water and SCIGROW to
estimate pesticide concentration in ground water. For Tier 2
(more refined) surface water screening assessments, OPP uses
the linked Pesticide Root Zone Model (PRZM) and the
Exposure Analysis Modeling System (EXAMS) models which
better accommodate the specific characteristics of the chemical
and which include more site-specific information regarding the
application method and impact of daily weather on the treated
field over a period of 36 years.
For more information regarding this Web site and these water
exposure models, please contact Karen McCormack,
Environmental Fate and Effects Division, by phone at 703-
308-1835 or by e-mail at McCormack.Karen@epa.gov.
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2) VOLUNTARY CANCELLATION OF OXADIXYL
ANNOUNCED
EPA signed a cancellation order for the fungicide oxadixyl in
response to a request from the registrants to cancel all products
containing this pesticide. Oxadixyl is a systemic fungicide used
to treat seeds of a variety of food crops, as well as vetch, golf
course turf, and residential lawns. Both registrants cite declining
sales, and state that they have not produced this pesticide for
several years. EPA received no comments on this product and
use cancellation request. The cancellation is effective on
September 27, 2001. EPA published the final cancellation
order in the Federal Register on November 1, 2001. EPA
plans to propose revocation of tolerances for oxadixyl.
Existing stocks of these products may be sold until
September 27, 2002 and used by persons other than the
registrants until exhausted. This notice is available on EPA's
web site at www.epa.gov/fedrgstr
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3) EPA RELEASES TOXICOLOGY STUDIES ON
ORGANOPHOSPHATE PESTICIDES
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is placing in the
public docket the toxicology studies that will be considered in
assessing the hazard posed by cumulative effects of organophos-
phate pesticides. This cumulative assessment is being conducted
as required by the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). EPA
has reached an agreement to settle a lawsuit brought by the
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) regarding im-
plementation of the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). This
consent decree requires that EPA place toxicology studies that
form the basis of the hazard portion of the cumulative assessment
of the OPs in the public docket. Copies of the studies may be
viewed in the docket and are available on request in microfiche
or CD-ROM format. The docket is called "Toxicity Studies
Considered in the Organophosphate Cumulative Risk Assess-
ment." The pesticide docket is located in Room 119, Crystal
Mall 2, 1921 Jefferson Davis Highway, Arlington, VA, and is
open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 703-305-
5805. FIFRA Section 10(g) requires EPA to avoid knowingly
disclosing registrant-submitted pesticide studies or data to a
Multinational pesticide producer, or to agents or employees of
a Multinational. Therefore, in order to receive the OP toxicology
studies that are included in the Public Docket, the requester must
be able to sign an Affirmation of Non-Multinational Status form.
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EPA distributes its Pesticide Program Updates to external
stakeholders and citizens who have expressed an interest
in OPP activities and decisions.
For general questions on pesticides and pesticide
poisoning prevention, contact the National Pesticide
Telecommunications Network (NPTN), toll-free, at:
1-800-858-7378, by E-mail at nptn@ace.orst.edu,
or by visiting their website at:
http://ace.orst.edu/info/nptn/