Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides Now Available on Global Website

Human health benchmarks for pesticides, developed by EPA, were published in December 2012 in the Global Portal to Information on Chemical Substances.  The portal makes available to the public information on properties of chemicals such as physical chemical characteristics, environmental fate, human toxicity, and ecotoxicity.  Sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the site provides links to information developed by national, regional, and international government chemical review programs, making information on over 350 registered pesticides available globally.

In April 2012, EPA posted the human health benchmarks for pesticides, developed using the same methods used to calculate health advisories for drinking water and data that were peer-reviewed in EPA’s pesticide registration process.  The benchmarks can enable states, water systems and the public to better determine whether the detection of a pesticide in drinking water or source waters for drinking water may indicate a potential health risk.