US ACC welcomes new study of EPA ‘Cheers’ research plan

11 November 2004 22:27  [Source: ICIS news]

WASHINGTON (CNI)--The American Chemistry Council (ACC) said Thursday it welcomes a decision by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to seek a fifth external review of an EPA plan to study how children are exposed to pesticides.

 

ACC said in a statement distributed today that it agrees with the EPA that “misunderstanding exists” about the planned two-year research program, and that “it is very important for the public to have more information so that their concerns are appropriately addressed.”

 

The EPA study, which is partly funded by ACC, has come under fire from environmental groups and others who have charged, among other things, that the program will unnecessarily expose children to risks.

 

The EPA program, Children’s Health Environmental Exposure Risk Study (Cheers), will study 60 volunteer families in the Jacksonville, Florida area to determine the extent of pesticide exposure to children under age three in routine household environments.

 

The Jacksonville area, part of Duval County, was selected by EPA for the study because - due to its temperate climate - the area typically sees year-round in-home use of retail-type pesticides.  Duval County also was the focus of an earlier EPA study in 2001, so the agency has an existing database on the area.

 

EPA said the study will not introduce any pesticides to homes, and parents chosen for the 60-family study will not be asked to make any changes in their daily routines during the two-year program.  The objective, EPA said in a statement, is to establish baseline data on how children are exposed to pesticides and through which media - air, water, soil, dust, etc.  “There is insufficient research,” said EPA, “to define pathways of exposure, the routes by which pesticides may enter a child’s body.”  Possible pathways to be examined in the Cheers study might include ingestion (via food or drink), inhalation, residue from crops, soil and ingestion of household dust.

 

“Cheers was designed to fill these critical data gaps in our understanding of children’s exposure to pesticides and chemicals in household environments,” EPA said, adding: “Ultimately, this study will lead to actions that would lower children’s exposure to pesticides.”

 

But when the ACC announced last month that it was donating $2m (Euro1.5m) to help fund the Cheers study, both EPA and ACC came under fire from environmentalists.

 

In response, EPA is sending the Cheers research plan out for external review by a fifth group of authorities.  EPA said the program design will be reviewed by a panel made up of members of the Science Advisory Board, the Science Advisory Panel and the Children’s Health Protection Advisory Committee.  Each is an external body established by EPA under Congressional mandates to advise the agency.

 

EPA said the Cheers research plan was reviewed earlier this year for scientific merit and ethical protections by four external boards.

 

The new Cheers program evaluation will be completed and published by second quarter 2005, EPA said.

By: Joe Kamalick
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