Grantee Research Project Results
Improving Ecological Risk Assessment of Pesticides for Nontarget Terrestrial Vertebrates
EPA Grant Number: R825347Title: Improving Ecological Risk Assessment of Pesticides for Nontarget Terrestrial Vertebrates
Investigators: Wolff, Jerry O. , Edge, W. Daniel
Institution: Oregon State University
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: January 1, 1997 through December 31, 1999
Project Amount: $358,354
RFA: Exploratory Research - Environmental Biology (1996) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Aquatic Ecosystems , Biology/Life Sciences
Description:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency uses the "Quotient Model" (QM) for ecological risk assessments when evaluating pesticide registrations. Although appealing because of its simplicity and intuitive nature, the use of the QM has been questioned because of cases in which pesticides classified as "low risk" resulted in mortality in nontarget wildlife populations. Inherent in the use of the QM are at least 12 assumptions, many of which have not been critically examined under field conditions. Also, the QM does not consider how the natural history and behavior of individuals, environmental stochasticity, and chemical and physical properties of pesticides interact in natural environments t affect exposure and hazard. Building on our previous experimental research in risk assessment evaluation, we propose 4 field experiments over 3 years to test critical assumptions of the QM that take these mitigating factors into consideration. These experiments will directly or indirectly field test all 12 assumptions of the QM while incorporating life history characteristics into risk assessment. We will test specific hypothesis that will lead to a measurable understanding of some of the causes of variation in wildlife response to pesticides. This understanding will allo us to propose modifications that would improve ecological risk assessments.Publications and Presentations:
Publications have been submitted on this project: View all 17 publications for this projectJournal Articles:
Journal Articles have been submitted on this project: View all 10 journal articles for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Health, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Toxics, Ecological Indicators, pesticides, Risk Assessments, Ecosystem Protection, Chemistry, Ecology, Biology, Environmental Chemistry, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, exploratory research environmental biology, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecological Effects - Human Health, Chemical Mixtures - Environmental Exposure & Risk, toxic environmental contaminants, mutagenic properties, ecological risk assessment, terrestrial vertebrates, quotient model, chemical mixtures, ecological assessment, mortality, pesticide exposure, risk assessment, wildlife populations, field experiments, ecological exposureProgress and Final Reports:
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.