WASHINGTON – Dow AgroSciences, manufacturer of Dursban, a popular chlorpyrifos-based insecticide, recently criticized the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its preliminary risk assessment of chlorpyrifos.
As part of implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act, the EPA is re-registering all food-use pesticides under new standards. The EPA's initial review of chlorpyrifos was posted online, Wednesday, Oct. 27.
According to a statement released by Dow, the report contains "numerous errors and omissions of critical data that significantly skew the results." Furthermore, the company said, "revisions to the preliminary risk assessment submitted by Dow AgroSciences show that chlorpyrifos products have wide margins of safety to protect users and consumers, including children, when used in accordance with label instructions."
Dow has also criticized EPA for making policy changes that artificially inflate risk estimates, and for setting "risk cup" thresholds that are 100 rimes lower than scientifically derived regulatory values used by most international regulatory bodies, including the European Union and the World Health Organization.
According to early reports, long-term exposure to chlorpyrifos doesn’t concern the EPA as much as immediate contact with product residue following an application. As a result, uses of chlorpyrifos in structural pest control and lawn care applications are under more scrutiny than are agricultural uses of the product.
According to EPA research, between 21 million and 24 million pounds of active ingredient of chlorpyrifos were applied annually across the country since 1987. Of this amount, approximately 2.5 million pounds of the active ingredient were applied as part of turf applications, which includes golf courses, turf farms and lawn care applications. An additional 7 million pounds was applied for structural pest control purposes.
EPA's preliminary risk assessment of chlorpyrifos will be posted at www.epa.gov/pesticides/op/chlorpyrifos.htm for a 60-day comment period, ending on Dec. 27.
Dow AgroSciences has also established a website, www.chlorpyrifos.com, for people seeking information about Dursban (chlorpyrifos). The website also provides information on how PCOs can post comments to the EPA as part of the 60-day public comment period.
After the 60-day public comment period, the EPA will review and consider comments and information received, and, shortly thereafter, will revise their risk assessment. The agency will then post a final risk assessment and, if deemed necessary, will begin designing strategies to mitigate risks, such as restricting certain uses of the insecticide.
MEDIA COVERAGE. In addition to drawing criticism from Dow, EPA's chlorpyrifos assessment attracted the attention of several consumer media outlets. Reports included those from USA Today, CNN, The Wall Street Journal and U.S. News and World Report, as well as several local newspaper, radio and television reports.
Headlines of the reports included, "Popular Dursban Called Serious Risk For Children, Adults," "Common Pesticide May Be Health Risk," and "Widely Used Pesticide May Pose Health Risk."
A CNN report stated, "the assessment indicated that risks from the use of chlorpyrifos in residential settings, as well as risks to applicators, are of concern." In another report, an unnamed EPA source was quoted as saying that in light of the preliminary risk assessment, the EPA will likely seek to curb the use of chlorpyrifos.
Organophosphates, the class of chemicals that includes chlorpyrifos, are one of the first insecticide groups to be reviewed under new FQPA standards. Industry experts say the EPA's treatment of organophosphates may set the tone for further re-registrations of insecticides used in structural pest control.