How do the EPA and other government regulators determine how pesticides may affect humans and whether they are acceptable?
The EPA’s assessment of health risks of pesticides includes a determination regarding the “reasonable certainty of no harm” posed by pesticide residues allowed to remain on processed food. Before approving a pesticide, the EPA sets limits on how the pesticide may be used, how often it may be used, what protective clothing or equipment must be used, and so on. These limits are designed to protect public health and the environment. A major consideration in approving pesticides for use is whether they pose an unreasonable risk to humans. The EPA assesses such risks associated with individual pesticide active ingredients, as well as with groups of pesticides that have a common toxic effect. This latter assessment is known as “cumulative risk assessment” and is designed to evaluate the risk associated with exposure at one time to multiple pesticides that act the same way in the body.
