United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory Research Abstract Government Performance Results Act (GPRA) Goal 3 Annual Performance Measure 244 Significant Research Findings: Design for a Field Study to Evaluate Protocols for Obtaining Reliable Data on Children's Exposure to Pesticides Scientific The U.S. EPA has pledged to increase its efforts to provide a safe and healthy Problem and environment for children by ensuring that all EPA regulations, standards, policies, Policy Issues and risk assessments take into account children's vulnerabilities to environmental toxicants. The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 requires the EPA to upgrade the risk assessment procedures for setting pesticide residue tolerances in food by considering the potential susceptibility of infants and children to both aggregate and cumulative exposures to pesticides. The exposure assessments used in this process must consider the aggregate exposures of infants and children from all sources (food, water, soil, dust, and air) and routes (inhalation, dermal, indirect ingestion, and dietary ingestion). However, the data on children's exposures and exposure factors are very limited, especially for very young children, and are generally not adequate to assess residential exposures to pesticides, chemicals in consumer products, and other environmental contaminants. Field measurement studies are required to generate high quality data on exposure concentrations and exposure factors and to improve our understanding of children's exposures by age and developmental life stage. Research The EPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) is developing and Approach evaluating protocols for assessing children's aggregate exposures to pesticides and collecting data required to reduce the reliance on default assumptions in the development of quantitative exposure assessments. The results from recently completed NERL-sponsored children's exposure studies have been used to develop the Draft Protocol for Measuring Children 's Non-Occupational Exposure to Pesticides by all Relevant Pathways (EPA Research Report No. 600/R-03/026) A longitudinal children's pesticide exposure study, based on the framework provided by the Draft Protocol has been developed by researchers from the EPA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Duval County (Florida) Health Department (DCHD). Additional measurements have been included to address phthalate, brominated flame retardant, and perfluorinated chemical hypotheses generated by EPA. The study design has been peer reviewed by researchers in the academic community and several EPA program offices. This study, entitled the Longitudinal Study of Young Children's Exposures in Their Homes to Pesticides, Phthalates, Brominated Flame Retardants, and Perfluorinated ------- Chemicals (A Children's Environmental Exposure Study - CHEERS) will be conducted in Jacksonville, FL. The DCHD will serve as EPA's research collaborator and liaison to the community. During the longitudinal study, the same cohort of 60 very young children (ages 0-3 years) will be monitored over a two-year period. Measurements will be performed to estimate inhalation, dermal, indirect ingestion, and dietary exposures to pyrethroid and other selected pesticides. Questionnaires and activity diaries will be used to collect activity data to assess the impact of the children's activities and other related factors on the children's exposures. Urine samples will be collected from the children and analyzed for selected pesticide metabolites. Aggregate exposure estimates will be developed using the study environmental measurements and activity pattern data. These data-based aggregate estimates will be compared to exposure estimates based on biomarkers in the urine samples. In addition to the pesticide measures, measurements will be made to estimate the children's potential exposures to selected persistent pollutants (e.g., phthalates, brominated flame retardants, and perfluorinated compounds) found in consumer products. Results and This study will generate high quality exposure measurement and exposure factor Impact data for very young children (under three years of age). These data will be used to evaluate the impact of age, developmental lifestage, and activities on children's exposures in the home. The study will contribute data on exposure concentrations and exposure factors that are needed to improve exposure and risk assessments for young children. Results of the study will be used to evaluate and refine the Draft Protocol, which can then be used by other researchers to collect high quality exposure and exposure factor data that are comparable across children's exposures studies. Data from the study will also be used by the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), the Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances (OPPTS), other EPA offices, the scientific community, and the pesticide industry to replace current default assumptions, thereby reducing the uncertainty of risk assessments for children. The field study design was developed by EPA/NERL in collaboration with EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL), the CDC (which will also provide analytical support), and the DCHD. Additional input was obtained from EPA's OPP/OPPTS. The American Chemistry Council is collaborating with the EPA by providing additional funding for measurements of phthalates, brominated flame retardants, and perfluorinated chemicals during the study. Relevant publications include the following: Longitudinal Field Measurement Study of Infant and Toddler's Aggregate Exposure to Pesticides and Persistent Pollutants, Principal Investigators: Roy Fortmann and Nicolle Tulve; Co- Principal Investigators: Suzanne McMaster, Lisa Melnyk, Dana Barr, and Aaron Hilliard; EPA Contributors: Craig Bernard, Peter Egeghy, Elaine Cohen Hubal, Tom McCurdy, Marsha Morgan, Linda Sheldon, James Starr, Dan Stout, and Donald Whitaker; National Exposure Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, NC 27711 (Internal Report). Draft Protocol for Measuring Children's Non-Occupational Exposure to Pesticides by all Relevant Research Collaboration and Research Products ------- Pathways. Office of Research and Development, Research Triangle Park, NC (EPA Research Report No. 600/R-03/026). Future Research The design phase of a longitudinal field study has been completed and will be implemented over the next three years, beginning in fiscal year 2004. Results will be compiled and reported to OPP and other EPA offices in fiscal year 2006. Data analysis and reporting will continue in fiscal years 2007 and 2008. Contacts for Questions and inquiries can be directed to the principal investigators: Additional Roy Fortmann, Ph.D. Information jj.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory MD E205-04 Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711 Phone: 919-541-1021 E-mail: fortmann.rov@epa.gov Nicolle Tulve, Ph.D. U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory MD E205-04 Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711 Phone: 919-541-1077 E-mail: tulve.nicolle@epa.gov Linda Sheldon, Ph.D. U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development National Exposure Research Laboratory MD E205-01 Research Triangle Park, NC, 27711 Phone: 919-541-2205 E-mail: sheldon.linda@epa.gov Federal funding for this research was administered under EPA contract 68-D-99- 011 with Battelle Memorial Institute. ------- |