The EPA has released an interim decision to cancel all but one use of the pesticide acephate based on an updated human health draft risk assessment and drinking water assessment that were released last year. The EPA said those risk assessments showed significant dietary risks from drinking water for currently registered uses of acephate.
Acephate is used in vegetable and fruit production including cranberries, Brussel sprouts, celery and more. The EPA said it will maintain the use of acephate for tree injections that do not produce food for human consumption because it does not contribute to drinking water exposure, there are no risks for workers and, with label changes, would not pose risks to the environment.
Acephate is an organophosphate pesticide that interacts with the nervous system by inhibiting the acetylcholinesterase enzyme. The EPA said this process makes the pesticide effective against insects, but it can also occur in mammals, including humans, depending on the level of acephate exposure. At high levels of organophosphate exposures, acetylcholinesterase inhibition can lead to neurological effects such as tremors, fatigue and nausea, the agency said.
The pesticide will proceed through the EPA’s standard registration review process. The human health draft risk assessment and drinking water assessment are open for public comment for 60 days. The EPA said commentors may propose alternative mitigation to consider some or all uses of acephate.
Acephate is one of 18 organophosphates currently in registration review, with many scheduled to have interim decisions between 2024 and 2026, according to the EPA.
For more information on the registration review of acephate and to provide comments on updated assessments, visit the acephate docket on Regulations.gov under the docket ID EPA-HQ-OPP-2008-0915.
