If the higher levels and additional routes of exposure experienced by farm children are not considered in setting tolerances, this violates the child protection provisions of the law. Address current data gaps with regard to excess exposures among farm children by including an additional tenfold safety factor into threshold-based risk assessments for food tolerances. The FQPA requires use of such a tenfold factor unless U.S. EPA can demonstrate, based on reliable data, that all infants and children will be safe using a different safety factor. It is clear that with regard to farm children, there is disproportionate exposure, and uncertainty about the degree of exposure. Thus an additional child-protective safety factor should be used to set tolerances for any pesticides to which farm children could be exposed.
Children receive a large daily dose of pesticides from indoor air and dust.
In the case of farm children, these exposures are not just limited to pesticides registered for household use. Risks to children from take-home exposures must be considered in setting tolerances for all agricultural pesticides. I acutely toxic pesticides, and phase out use of the most hazardous neurotoxic organophosphate and carbamate pesticides, endocrine disrupters, and carcinogens, while developing and promoting alternative pest management practices. Reevaluate post-application reentry intervals to account for children. If children are to continue to work legally in agriculture, then all reentry standards must be reevaluated to adequately protect children as recommended by the Children s Health Protection Advisory Committee.