&EPA HEALTH ADVISORY SUMMARY Acifluorfen What is a Health Advisory? Health Advisories are guidance documents issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to assist federal, state, and local officials in responding to drinking water contamination. The Health Advisories contain information on health risks and treatment technologies, and specify levels of chemical concentrations in water that are acceptable for drinking In preparing Health Advisories, EPA reviews available human data and experimental animal studies in evaluating potential human health effects. The Health Advisones are updated as new information becomes available. This summary presents key highlights from the Health Advisory for Acifluorfen. What is Acifluorfen? Acifluorfen, also known as BlazerŪ, Carbofluorfen, Tackle*, and RH-6201, is a herbicide used to control weeds and grasses in soybeans and peanuts. What Health Effects Might Be Caused by Acifluorfen in My Water? Non-Cancer Effects. Consuming Acifluorfen at high levels over a long period of time has been shown to result in adverse health effects in animal studies, including damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys, changes in the blood, and delayed fetal development Cancer Risk. Aciflourfen also causes cancer in laboratory animals that are given high doses of the pesticide over the course of their lifetimes. Therefore, EPA considers Acifluorfen to be a probable human carcinogen (cancer causing agent). EPA estimates that if an individual consumes water containing Acifluorfen at 1 microgram per titer * over his or her entire lifetime, that person would have no more than a one-in-a-million chance of developing cancer as a direct result of drinking water containing {his pesticide. What Actions Should I Take? Your first step should be to get the adv ice of your state or county health officials. Other experts in your state environmental or agriculture department may also be helpful to you * Micrograms per liter are the units of measurement Tor contaminants in water equivalent to parts per billion 3 ------- Page 2 These people can assist you in interpreting your sampling results They may recommend that you retest your well to get an accurate overall picture of the water quality Seasonal precipitation changes and changes in pesticide use can cause wide variations in the amount of pesticides found in your well. Your state or county health officials can refer you to approved testing services, advise you on the cost of testing, and recommend how often retesting should be done Depending on the results of testing, your state or county health officials may advise you to continue periodic retesting, or in some cases, to use an alternative drinking water supply (such as bottled water) or treat the water or dig a new or deeper well. At present, activated carbon adsorption and reverse osmosis appear to be possible methods for removing Acifluorfen from water However, these techniques may not be appropriate or available in every situation. Your state or county health officials should be able to advise you on the best approach to follow. Where Can I Get More Information? In addition to your state and county experts, EPA has two toll-free lines you can call For further information on drinking water quality, treatment technologies, and EPA's Health Advisories, please contact EPA's toll-free Safe Dnnking Water Hotline, Monday thru Friday, 8:30 AM. to 4:30 P.M. E.S.T at 1-800-426-4791. Additional information on the health effects of pesticides is available from the National Pesticide Telecommunications Network, toll-free, 24 hours a day, 1-800-858-7378. January 1989 ------- |