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TRANSFER EFFICIENCES OF PESTICIDES FROM HOUSEHOLD CERAMIC TILE TO FOODS
Citation:
Bernard, C E. TRANSFER EFFICIENCES OF PESTICIDES FROM HOUSEHOLD CERAMIC TILE TO FOODS. Presented at EPA Science Forum 2004, Washington, DC, June 1-3, 2004.
Impact/Purpose:
The purpose of this research is to reduce uncertainties in exposure assessments of young children by improving EPA's ability to measure exposures in the context of aggregate and cumulative exposure assessments. The general objective of this research is to support FQPA children's exposure assessment efforts by improving procedures and reducing uncertainty in measurements for dietary exposure of young children, a critically needed area for improved risk assessment. Specifically, this research will evaluate a protocol and companion model for measuring or otherwise assessing the combined dietary intake of a young child as influenced by pesticides, or other environmental contaminants, which contaminate their foods during the eating process (indirect ingestion exposure). This research will continue to develop the important factors which are needed to characterize excess intake of pesticides by young children. Specifically, the research will measure pesticide surface transfer efficiencies for food contacts with surfaces and eating activity patterns of young children that define the frequency of contacts with contaminated surfaces. A series of reports/products are anticipated by the end of FY05.
Description:
Traditional assessments of pesticide exposure through diet have focused on contamination during production (e.g., pesticides in agriculture). However, recent residential monitoring studies have demonstrated that a significant portion of total exposure to infants and children can result from food contamination in homes following residential pesticide usage. The US EPA's Office of Research Development (ORD) is generating exposure data and models specifically concerning these exposures for accurate assessments. These exposures, termed excess dietary exposure, occur from foods handled by children in homes were pesticides have been applied. Foods become contaminated from either direct contact with contaminated surfaces (surface-to-food) and/or through an intermediate such as hands (surface-to-hands-to-food).
Excess dietary exposure estimates require empirically determined measurements of transfer efficiencies of pesticides from contaminated household surfaces to foods handled by children. Limited data exists concerning these transfers, but they have been shown to be a critical element in estimating children's excess dietary exposure. This study was conducted to determine the transfer efficiencies (%) of pesticides (organophosphate, pyrethroid, and pyrazole insecticides) from ceramic tile, a common household surface, to three different types of foods (bologna, apple, and Fruit Roll-Ups?) that are representative of items (i.e., meat, fruit, and snack foods) typically handled and eaten by children. The study also determined the moisture and fat content of each food as tools for predicting transfer efficiencies.
The highest transfer efficiencies were observed for the organophosphate pesticides to bologna (56-79%). Lower transfer efficiencies were observed for apples (20-37%) and Fruit Roll-Ups (6-17%). Transfer efficiencies of pyrethroid pesticides to bologna were 33-52%. The corresponding transfer efficiencies to apples and Fruit Roll-Ups were 12-34% and 3%, respectively. Fipronil (pyrazole insecticide) had a similar transfer to that of the pyrethroids (bologna 39-45%, apple 13-41%, and Fruit Roll-Up 4%). The average percent fat content for bologna, apples, and Fruit Roll-Ups were 30%, 1%, and 7%, respectively. The corresponding average percent moisture content were 54%, 85%, and 11%, respectively. Although neither percent fat nor moisture content directly project the ranking of transfer between the foods, these two factors combined may provide a better prediction of transfer. Ultimately, these results suggest the extent of transfer is affected by the food type and chemical properties of the pesticide itself. Findings from this study in conjunction with models under development will be used to generate more accurate estimates of excess dietary exposure to infants and children in homes where pesticides are used.