In the US, organic farming is reported to be the fastest growing sector of the food industry. Although the general public often defines organic agriculture simplistically and associates it with the non-use of pesticides, organic farmers rely on a variety of biological and chemical methods to protect crops from various pests, diseases, and weeds. Under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) Rule, only a limited number of active and inert ingredients are permitted in pesticide formulations for crop protection in organic production. In general, synthetic substances are prohibited unless explicitly listed under the rule while all non-synthetic (natural) substances are allowed unless they are explicitly prohibited. All pesticide products considered for organic farming need to comply with FIFRA and the NOP Rule. Registrants are required to collect<br/>and submit safety data, and have their formulations and labels reviewed and approved by EPA. But depending upon the classification of the active ingredient (synthetic, biochemical, microbial), the regulatory requirements for toxicological and exposure data differ. In this presentation, we will compare the human safety study requirements for registration of synthetic pesticide active ingredients generally used in conventional pesticide products with those for biopesticides (microbials, biochemicals) generally used in organic pesticide products. We will also compare the residue profiles for a couple of popular biochemicals used in organic pest control products with conventional pesticides and take a look at the trading standards set for biopesticides.

EPA human health risk assessment of pesticides used in organic products – a different approach with the same goal

ACS Fall 2021

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