United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Prevention, Pesticides
and Toxic Substances
(7508C)
EPA738-F-00-012
September 2000
Mevinphos Facts
EPA has assessed the dietary risk of mevinphos and prepared a "Report on FQPA Tolerance
Reassessment Progress and Interim Risk Management Decision" for this organophosphate (OP)
pesticide. Mevinphos fits into its own "risk cup"-- its individual risks are within acceptable levels.
Mevinphos has no U.S. registrations and
currently has fifteen import tolerances. Mevinphos
does not pose acute or chronic dietary risk
concerns, and no risk mitigation is necessary at this
time.
EPA's next step under the Food
Quality Protection Act (FQPA) is to complete
a cumulative risk assessment and risk
management decision encompassing all the OP
pesticides, which share a common mechanism
of toxicity. The interim decision on mevinphos
cannot be considered final until this cumulative
assessment is complete. Further risk mitigation
may be needed at that time.
EPA is reviewing the OP pesticides to
determine whether they meet current health and
safety standards. Older OPs need decisions
about their eligibility for reregistration under
FIFRA. OPs with residue limits in food
(tolerances), drinking water, and other non-
occupational exposures also must be reassessed
to make sure they meet the new FQPA safety
standard.
The mevinphos interim decision was made through the OP pilot public participation process,
which increases transparency and maximizes stakeholder involvement in EPA's development of risk
assessments and risk management decisions. EPA worked with affected parties to reach the decisions
presented in this interim decision document, which concludes the OP pilot process for mevinphos.
Uses
The OP Pilot Public Participation Process
The organophosphates are a group of
related pesticides that affect the functioning of the
nervous system. They are among EPA's highest
priority for review under the Food Quality Protection
Act.
EPA is encouraging the public to
participate in the review of the OP pesticides.
Through a six-phased pilot public participation
process, the Agency is releasing for review and
comment its preliminary and revised scientific risk
assessments for individual OPs. (Please contact
the OP Docket, telephone 703-305-5805, or see
EPA's web site, www.epa.gov/pesticides/op .)
EPA is exchanging information with
stakeholders and the public about the OPs, their
uses, and risks through Technical Briefings,
stakeholder meetings, and other fora. USDA is
coordinating input from growers and other OP
pesticide users.
Based on current information from
interested stakeholders and the public, EPA is
making interim risk management decisions for
individual OP pesticides, and will make final
decisions through a cumulative OP assessment.
Mevinphos is an insecticide-acaricide used to control insects that attack fruit and vegetable plants.
It is not registered for use in the U.S.
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• Fifteen import tolerances are currently established for residues of mevinphos in or on imported
broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, grapes, lettuce, melons, peas, peppers, spinach,
summer squash, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelon.
Health Effects
• Mevinphos can cause cholinesterase inhibition in humans; that is, it can overstimulate the
nervous system causing nausea, dizziness, confusion, and at very high exposures (e.g., accidents
or major spills), respiratory paralysis and death.
Risks
• Potential acute and chronic dietary exposures from eating food crops treated with mevinphos are
below the Agency's level of concern for the entire U.S. population, including infants and children.
Risk Mitigation
• Dietary risk from exposure to mevinphos does not exceed EPA's level of concern. Therefore,
no mitigation is necessary and no further actions are warranted at this time.
Next Steps
• Numerous opportunities for public comment were offered as this decision was being
developed. The mevinphos interim decision document therefore is issued in final (see
www.epa.gov/REDs/ or www.epa.gov/pesticides/op ), without a formal public comment period.
The docket remains open, however, and any comments submitted in the future will be placed in
this public docket.
• When the cumulative risk assessment for all organophosphate pesticides is completed, EPA will
issue its final tolerance reassessment decision for mevinphos and may make further FQPA-
related determinations and may request risk mitigation. The Agency will reassign one tolerance
and amend two tolerances for mevinphos, now. The tolerance on watermelon will be reassigned
(watermelon is covered by the tolerance on melons), the tolerances on cucumbers and melons will
be lowered, and the other twelve tolerances are to be determined after additional data is
submitted to the Agency. For all OPs, raising and/or establishing tolerances will be considered
once a cumulative assessment is completed.
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