The U.S. EPA's revised endosulfan risk assessments

On November 16, 2007, the U.S. EPA released its updated endosulfan risk assessments for public comment. The public comment period ended Feb 19, 2008, and PANNA submitted a technical comment letter critiquing the new EPA documents, as well as a petition with over 13,000 signatures calling on the Agency to cancel all remaining uses of endosulfan. On May 19th, three more petitions calling for endosulfan’s cancellation were submitted to the Agency. One was signed by 55 prominent scientists, another by more than 100 non-profits, and the third by artic indigenous groups.

• NEW! Petitions from scientists, non-profits, and artic tribes submitted May 19, 2008.
• NEW! PANNA’s Technical Comment Letter to the EPA submitted Feb 19, 2008.
• NEW! NRDC’s Comment Letter and Petition to EPA submitted Feb 19, 2008.

The EPA’s updated endosulfan risk assessment documents are available online at www.regulations.gov under Docket No. EPA-HQ-OPP-2002-0262. You can also download them from our website below:

• Federal Register notice: Endosulfan Updated Risk Assessments, Notice of Availability, and Solicitation of Usage Information.
  • [The official announcement of the availability of updated risk assessment documents and open comment period.]
• Federal Register notice: Extension of Comment Period.
  • [Comment deadline extended to Feb. 19, 2008]
• Note to Reader. Endosulfan: Request for Additional Information on Usage and Availability of Alternatives
  • [A brief summary of the new documents and a request for comments on some specific issues.]
    
• Endosulfan – Developmental Neurotoxicity Feeding Study in Rats with Endosulfan [MRID# 46968301]
  • [A summary of a new developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) study submitted by the manufacturers of endosulfan.]
    
• Data Evaluation Record: Developmental Neurotoxicity Study - Rat
  • [A more detailed description of the new DNT study.]
    
• REVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL AND RESIDENTIAL EXPOSURE / RISKASSESSMENT FOR THE ENDOSULFAN REREGISTRATION ELIGIBILITY DECISION DOCUMENT (RED) (Revised)
  • [The updated assessment of the risks endosulfan use poses to pesticide applicators and farmworkers. Note: There are 7 appendices to this memorandum that are also available in the docket.]
• A Review of “Maternal Residence near Agricultural Pesticide Applications and Autism Spectrum Disorders among Children in the California Central Valley” Roberts et al., 2007 [EHP, 115; 10: 1482-1489]
  • [The EPA’s reaction to a 2007 study that found a higher incidence of autism among children born to mothers who lived close to where endosulfan was applied while pregnant. See here for more information about the study.]
    
• Endosulfan. Acute and Chronic (Food and Drinking Water) Dietary Exposure Assessment to update the 2002 Reregistration Eligibility Decision.
  • [Updated analysis of the general population’s intake of endousulfan through food and water.]
    
• Benefits of Endosulfan in Agricultural Production: Analysis of Usage Information.
  • [Analysis of the importance of endosulfan to the production of various crops.]
    
• Addendum to the Ecological Risk Assessment of Endosulfan.
  • [A summary of the updated analysis of endosulfan’s effects on the environment.]
    
• Appendix 1 to 2007 Addendum: Environmental Fate and Ecological Risk Assessment of Endosulfan.
  • [The details of the updated analysis of environmental effects.]
    
• Endosulfan. The Health Effects Division’s Addendum and Update to the 2002 Risk Assessment.
  • [Announcement that the FQPA safety factor for endosulfan has been reduced from 10X to 1X and that a more sensitive endpoint for assessment of dermal exposure has been selected.]
    
• Endosulfan. Hazard Characterization and Endpoint Selection Reflecting Receipt of a Developmental Neurotoxicity Study and Subchronic Neurotoxicity Study.
  • [The EPA describes its rationale for the new FQPA safety factor and dermal endpoint.]
    
• 2002 RED EFED Assessment.
  • [The EPA’s old (2002) risk assessment.]

PANNA’s comments on the updated risk assessments will be posted here once they are uploaded to the docket.