Bird deaths are also seen, though the EPA notes that chlorpyrifos is unlikely to produce large visible bird kills, as birds have time to fly elsewhere before showing symptoms. The chemical is also highly toxic to honey bees, already in a crisis due to an epidemic of exotic diseases and parasites. Another common use of chlorpyrifos is the aerial spraying of Christmas tree farms, and drenching freshly cut stumps to retard decay after consumers take the trees home. Previous risk assessments were based on exposure to a single drop of the 3,595 parts per million spray. Wild animals are placed at high risk by normal drinking of the spray or bathing in the runoff.
Birds are at risk when preening wet feathers.
While the EPA cautions against drawing premature conclusions from these preliminary results, it seems likely that the agency will set lower thresholds for safe exposure to chlorpyrifos, reducing the possible uses for the chemical. The company says chlorpyrifos is quite safe. Yet in eight of nine of EPA s tests on chlorpyrifos, the agency calculated risk levels well above the EPA cutoff for further action to reduce the chemical s health risks. Without the additional testing required by the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the EPA s safe exposure levels for organophosphate pesticides such as chlorpyrifos would remain at their current levels, regardless of actual risk. The EPA official said today that testing programs, including the controversial high production volume chemical testing program, may also lead to a net reduction in the amount of toxins released to the environment.