PESTICIDES AS TOXIC AIR CONTAMINANTS

January, 1984 
AB 1807 establishes the California Toxic Air Contaminant Program. Intent of program is to achieve earliest possible control of Toxic Air Contaminants (TAC), and to provide for consistency in protecting public health statewide.

January, 1985 
AB 3219 becomes law, setting forth specific criteria for Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) to evaluate Pesticides as Toxic Air Contaminants.

1987 
12 pesticides considered as TAC candidates.

1989 
Pesticide TAC candidate list expanded to 26 pesticides.

1993 
AB 2728 amends TAC program to list the 189 Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAPS) listed in the Federal Clean Air Act, as TACs. 34 of these are pesticides.

1998 
DPR reinitiates TAC review process with release of draft review for chemical defoliant DEF. DPR announces plans to review nine additional pesticides during 1999.


KEY ISSUES

SRP Comments The Scientific Review Panel is an appointed committee that reviews all health information that is used in the TAC determinations. The SRP is taking issue with pesticides, indicating that if a compound is found in the air and is toxic, then it should be listed as a TAC. This is the case under the AB 1807 program, except for pesticides. A pesticide can only be listed as a TAC if it presents a health risk as determined by the Director of DPR.

Pesticide TACs Currently 190 chemicals are listed as TACs, which includes 35 pesticides. 34 of these pesticides were incorporated by law through the Federal Clean Air Act, and have not been evaluated by DPR. 205 active ingredients are currently being reviewed as possible TACs, including 37 of which are contained in products used on cotton, including the following:

Accelerate Ambush Bladex Buctril 
Caparol  Capture Comite DEF/Folex
Demosan Dibrom Eptam Furadan
Ginstar Goal Gramaxone Kelthane
Lannate Lindane * Metam-Sodium Metasystox-R
Monitor MSMA Nemacur Ovasyn 
Prep  Prowl Round-up Sevin *
Starfire Supracide Temik Thimet
Thiodan Treflan * Vapam  Vydate

* Already identified as a Toxic Air Contaminant, but not reviewed.

 

 


California Code of Regulations, Title 3, Division 6, Chapter 4, Subchapter 2, Article 1, § 6890. Criteria for Identifying Pesticides as Toxic Air Contaminants

A pesticide shall be identified as a toxic air contaminant if its concentrations in ambient air are greater than the following levels (for the purposes of this section, a threshold is defined as the dose of a chemical below which no adverse effect occurs):

(a) For pesticides which have thresholds for adverse health effects, this level shall be ten-fold below the air concentration which has been determined by the Director to be adequately protective of human health.

(b) For pesticides which do not have thresholds for adverse health effects, this level shall be equivalent to the air concentration which would result in a ten-fold lower risk than that which has been determined by the Director to be a negligible risk.

California Food and Agriculture Code, Division 7, Chapter 3, Article 1.5, § 14023 (e):

The director shall determine, in consultation with the Office of Health Hazard Assessment, the State Air Resources Board, and the air pollution control districts or air quality management districts in the affected counties, the need for and appropriate degree of control measures for each pesticide listed as a toxic air contaminant pursuant to subdivision (d).

 

 

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