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Pesticide News Story: Risk Management and Tolerance Reassessment Decisions Announced for Permethrin
For Release: June 29, 2006
EPA has determined that permethrin-containing products are eligible for reregistration provided that the risk mitigation measures identified in the reregistration eligibility decision (RED) document are adopted and labels are amended accordingly. Permethrin tolerances - residue limits in food and feed - have been reassessed and found to meet safety standards established by the Food Quality Protection Act. After considering the potential risks identified in the revised risk assessments, public comments, and risk mitigation suggestions from interested parties, the Agency developed its risk management decision for uses of permethrin that pose risks of concern. Preliminary risk assessments of permethrin indicated potential residential, occupational, and ecological risks of concern. The preliminary risk estimates were revised based on refinements to the assessments, and in some cases, mitigation measures. The Agency will be requiring additional data to confirm some exposure scenarios. Residential risks have been mitigated by discontinuing or restricting certain application methods and reducing some application rates. Occupational handler risks have been mitigated through personal protective equipment or engineering control requirements. Ecological risks have been addressed through adding buffer zone requirements and product stewardship statements to the labels, and amending use patterns. The Federal Register Notice announcing the risk management decision and tolerance reassessment is available on EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2006/June/Day-28/p5853.htm .
Permethrin is part of the synthetic pyrethroid class of pesticides and was first registered in 1979 as a broad spectrum, non systemic, insecticide. Besides permethrin, the prethroids include allethrin, alphametrin, cypermethrin, deltamethrin, dimethrin, resmethrin, and others. Permethrin is registered for use on numerous food/feed crops, livestock and livestock housing, modes of transportation, structures, buildings, public health mosquito abatement programs, many indoor and outdoor residential spaces, pets, and clothing. EPA is not currently following a cumulative risk approach for the pyrethroids. There is ongoing research by EPA and pyrethroid registrants to evaluate the biochemical and physiological actions of pyrethroids. When the research is completed, the Agency will consider it in determining whether a common mechanism will be a basis for assessing cumulative risk for pyrethroids.
More information on permethrin is available at http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/reregistration/permethrin/.