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Human Health Criteria
Alachlor
Notice of Data Availability and Request for Information to Develop Criteria
EPA has published a Federal Register notice requesting scientific information about the toxicity and bioaccumulation of alachlor. The Agency is considering next steps in an effort to develop human health water quality criteria for both atrazine and alachlor.
Alachlor is a herbicide that is widely used in the U.S., especially in the Midwest, to control weeds in a variety of major crops including corn, soybeans, sorghum, peanuts, and beans. When EPA re-registered alachlor in December 1998 (see EPA-738-F-98-018), it found that the pesticide presents a clear hazard to groundwater quality. Further, monitoring studies have demonstrated that alachlor use may result in groundwater contamination and that alachlor levels in surface water impact aquatic plants and animals. Because of its widespread use, concerns have been raised about human health risks that may be associated with exposure to this herbicide in ambient water.
Therefore, EPA intends to develop human health ambient water quality criteria for both atrazine and alachlor. To help in this effort, the Agency also seeks any scientific information that may be useful in developing hese criteria. Specifically, we seek data on human exposure to alachlor from ambient water bodies, including exposure from consumption of potentially contaminated fish tissues with this herbicide, as well as data on the bioaccumulation of this chemicals in aquatic organisms.
If you wish to provide such information, you should adequately document any data you submit and provide enough supporting information to show that you used acceptable test procedures. To review current documents or submit information, visit Regulations.gov (docket # EPA-HQ-OW-2005-0009).
For Further Information, contact Amal Mahfouz, Health and Ecological Criteria Division (4304T), US EPA, 1200 Pennsyvania, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20460; (202) 566-1114 or send an e-mail to mahfouz.amal@epa.gov.