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.
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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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