Food Quality and Protection ActThe Food Quality Protection Act or FQPA, became law in August 1996. The main focus of FQPA is to protect the public from pesticide residues in dietary and nondietary sources. Some provisions of FQPA include: A single health-based safety standard for pesticide residue tolerances in both raw and processed food; An explicit determination that residue tolerances are safe for children; Consideration of (1) Aggregate exposure to residues of pesticides (including food, drinking water, and residential use) and (2) Exposure to all other pesticides with a common mechanism of toxicity, when setting residue tolerances; and EPA review of all existing residue tolerances within 10 years. FQPA has profoundly changed the way pesticide tolerances are determined. Prior to FQPA, each pesticide was examined individually when setting a residue tolerance. Now EPA must consider the cumulative effects of all pesticides with a common mechanism of toxicity, i.e., pesticides that act in the same manner on human health. For example, since all organophosphate (OP) insecticides (e.g., chlorpyrifos, malathion, diazinon) have a common mechanism of toxicity, the cumulative effects of all of them must be considered when setting a residue tolerance for one of them. EPA must combine (aggregate) the risks of dietary exposure resulting from the pesticide's use on food crops with the risks of residues that might be found in drinking water and residential use. What does this all mean? EPA uses the risk cup to describe how tolerances will be set under FQPA. A full cup represents the amount of pesticide that a person could receive every day for 70 years without significant health risk. This is determined through animal studies where a non-effect exposure amount for the pesticide is identified. This amount is reduced by a 100- to 1,000-fold factor to determine the daily/lifetime safe exposure for humans. What does FQPA do to the RISK CUP? BEFORE FQPA: When setting a residue tolerance, EPA considered only exposure to pesticides in food.--THE RISK CUP CONTAINED ONLY DIETARY EXPOSURE. NOW:
EPA must consider exposure through ALL POSSIBLE
SOURCES.--the CUP CONTAINS BOTH DIETARY
AND NONDIETARY EXPOSURE. RESULT:
Cup fills more quickly; less room for new and
existing uses. BEFORE FQPA: When establishing a residue tolerance, EPA considered each pesticide separately/--THERE WAS ONE RISK CUP FOR EACH PESTICIDE. NOW:
FQPA must consider compounds with a common
mechanism of toxicity--EACH CUP, CONTAINS A GROUP
OF PESTICIDES THAT WORK THE SAME WAY. RESULT:
CUP FILLS QUICKLY; LESS ROOM FOR THE PESTICIDES AND
THEIR USES. BEFORE FQPA: When setting a residue tolerance, EPA added safety factors to account for animal testing and human variability. One hundred to 1,000-fold safety margin. NOW: EPA must consider infants and children. An additional 10-fold safety factor may be added to protect kids. One thousand to 10,000-fold safety margin. RESULT:
CUP GETS SMALLER; LESS ROOM FOR PESTICIDES AND
THEIR USES. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE CUP IS FULL OR A MANUFACTURER WANTS TO ADD A NEW USE OR PRODUCT? The pesticide manufacturer could: 1. Make label or formulation changes so the pesticide is safer. This means the pesticide and/or its uses require less room in the cup. 2. Drop pesticides and/or uses from the cup. This would make more room for the remaining uses or for possible new uses. All pesticide tolerances must be reviewed by EPA by 2,006, but the deadline for reviewing organophosphate and carbamate (e.g. methomyl, aldicarb, Sevin, etc.) food-use tolerances is August 1999. Minor crops like fruits and vegetables are most at risk for label restrictions and loss of product registrations. If you grow such crops, be aware that your pesticide options may change over the next few years. WHAT CAN YOU DO? Be informed about FQPA and its impacts on pesticide use. Determine what pesticides are important to you in producing the crops you grow. Communicate these needs to the MSU Extension Service, commodity groups, USDA and EPA Respond to university, USDA-NASS or commodity-sponsored pesticide-use surveys. This information is needed to make informed decisions about pesticide registrations, new uses and tolerances. See below for crops/pesticides of concern. EPA's Priority Crops for Pesticide Use Data (based on importance in diets of children)
*crop profiles being developed in MS Pesticides
of Concern under FQPA Organophosphates Carbamates
Potential
Carcinogens (B1's and B2's)
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Last Modified: Friday, 31-Aug-01 09:02:58
URL: http://msucares.com/insects/pesticides/fqpa.html
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