Air Monitoring in Watsonville, California NOVEMBER 3–12, 2014
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Air Monitoring in Watsonville, California NOVEMBER 3–12, 2014 TECHNICAL REPORT CALIFORNIANS FOR PESTICIDE REFORM PESTICIDE ACTION NETWORK NORTH AMERICA 2015 Pesticide Action Network North America Californians for Pesticide Reform April 2015 Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR) is Pesticide Action Network North America (PAN) a coalition of over 170 public interest organiza- works to replace hazardous pesticide use with ecologically tions committed to protecting public health and sound and socially just alternatives. For over 30 years, our the environment from pesticide proliferation. international network of over 600 citizens groups in more CPR’s mission is to: than 90 countries has created a global pesticide reform movement with regional coordinating centers in Africa, Asia, t &EVDBUF$BMJGPSOJBOTBCPVUFOWJSPONFO- &VSPQF -BUJO"NFSJDBBOE/PSUI"NFSJDB1"//PSUI tal health risks posed by pesticides; America links the collective strengths and expertise of groups t &MJNJOBUFUIFVTFPGUIFNPTUEBOHFSPVT in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. with their counterparts in pesticides in California and reduce overall other countries to further sustainable agriculture, environ- pesticide use; mental protection, workers’ rights, improved food security, t 1SPNPUFTVTUBJOBCMFQFTUDPOUSPMTPMV- and guaranteed human rights for all. tions for our farms, communities, forests, PAN also maintains the world’s most comprehensive set of homes and yards; and databases on pesticides available on the web. For information t )PMEHPWFSONFOUBHFODJFTBDDPVOUBCMF on pesticide toxicity, registration status, poisoning symp- for protecting public health and Califor- toms and many other factors, see www.pesticideinfo.org. nians right to know about pesticide use For information about pesticide residues on food, see www. and exposure. whatsonmyfood.org. Support for air monitoring in Watsonville was generously provided by the Rose Foundation and by Jacobs Farm Del Cabo. For more information, contact CPR and PAN at: Californians for Pesticide Reform Pesticide Action Network North America 1611 Telegraph Ave, Suite 1212 1611 Telegraph Ave., Suite 1200 Oakland, CA 94612 Oakland, CA 94612 (510) 788-9025 (510) 788-9020 www.PesticideReform.org www.panna.org © Copyright 2015 Pesticide Action Network North America. Permission is granted to reproduce portions of this report, provided Pesticide Action Network North America is acknowledged. Air Monitoring for Chloropicrin in Watsonville, California: November 3-12, 2014 1 Table of Contents LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .......................................................................................................3! EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..........................................................................................................4! INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................7! SITE DESCRIPTION AND APPLICATION DETAILS ....................................................................7! METHODS .............................................................................................................................9! Sample Collection ........................................................................................................9! Sample Analysis and Quality Assurance ....................................................................11! Weather Monitoring ...................................................................................................11! RESULTS .............................................................................................................................11! DISCUSSION ........................................................................................................................15! Meteorology and Timing of Fumigations ..................................................................15! Distances from Fumigated Blocks .............................................................................16! Comparison to Levels of Concern ..............................................................................16! Non-Cancer Levels of Concern for Chloropicrin ......................................................17! U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Levels of Concern ............................18! California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) Levels of Concern ...............20! California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) Levels of Concern ..................................................................................................21! Comparison of Watsonville Results to Non-Cancer Levels of Concern ....................22! Cancer Risks from Chloropicrin Exposure in Watsonville ........................................22! DPR Management Contradicts Conclusions Reached by DPR and OEHHA Scientists ................................................................................................................24! Lifetime Cancer Risk ..................................................................................................25! Less-Than-Lifetime Cancer Risk ................................................................................27! Exposure Assumptions ..............................................................................................27! Neither EPA Proposed Buffer Zones nor CA DPR Buffer Zone Mitigations Would Have Protected Watsonville Residents ...........................................................28! Comparison of Watsonville Data to Other Air Monitoring Studies ...........................30! Application Site Monitoring Studies for Chloropicrin ..............................................30! Seasonal Air Monitoring Studies for Chloropicrin ....................................................33! Health Effects of Chloropicrin ...................................................................................34! Short-term Effects, High Exposures ..........................................................................34! Short-term Effects, Low-Level Exposures ................................................................35! Long-term Effects ......................................................................................................35! Developmental and Reproductive Effects .................................................................35! Mechanism of Action .................................................................................................36! Poisoning Incidents Related to Chloropicrin .............................................................36! CONCLUSIONS .....................................................................................................................41! CALCULATIONS ...................................................................................................................42! © Pesticide Action Network North America 2 Air Monitoring for Chloropicrin in Watsonville, California: November 3-12, 2014 Air Concentrations .....................................................................................................42! Calculation of Reference Exposure Levels ................................................................42! Estimation of Lifetime Cancer Risk ...........................................................................43! Estimation of Average Air Concentrations during the Application Period ...............44! Estimation of Exposure Frequency ............................................................................44! Estimation of Average Annual Air Concentration and Exposure ..............................44! Determination of Lifetime Cancer Risks ...................................................................44! Determination of Age-Adjusted Cancer Risks ...........................................................44! Estimation of Less-Than Lifetime Cancer Risks .......................................................45! QUALITY ASSURANCE – QUALITY CONTROL ......................................................................47! Operator Training .......................................................................................................47! Sample Labels ............................................................................................................47! Sample Check-In ........................................................................................................47! Leak Check .................................................................................................................47! Trip Blanks .................................................................................................................47! APPENDIX 1: METEOROLOGICAL DATA ..............................................................................48! APPENDIX 2: INTERPRETING AIR MONITORING RESULTS ....................................................49! How Are “Safe” Levels of Pesticides in Air Determined? ........................................49! Are RELs and RfCs Air Quality Standards? ..............................................................51! Are Levels Below the Level of Concern “Safe”? .......................................................51! What Do Air Monitoring Results Tell Us About Exposure? .....................................51! APPENDIX 3: CHLOROPICRIN ...............................................................................................53! Chloropicrin Use and History .....................................................................................53! Physical Properties of Chloropicrin