An assessment of the health risks of seven pesticides used for termite control
These include health effects themselves and environmental end points that influence potential airborne concentrations, such as vapor pressure, persistence in the environment, and amount of material that needs to be applied for optimal effectiveness. The airborne exposure limits suggested in this rep...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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Washington, D.C.
National Academies Press
1982, August 1982
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| Collection: | National Center for Biotechnology Information - Collection details see MPG.ReNa |
| Summary: | These include health effects themselves and environmental end points that influence potential airborne concentrations, such as vapor pressure, persistence in the environment, and amount of material that needs to be applied for optimal effectiveness. The airborne exposure limits suggested in this report are intended to provide guidance in estimating the health risks of the pesticides in military housing. These are not standards like those suggested by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and they do not guarantee absolute safety. Given the available data and the fact that under conditions of prolonged exposure of families in military housing there may be persons, such as young children, who in general are more susceptible to environmental insults, the Committee concluded that it could not determine a level of exposure to any of the termiticides below which there would be no biologic effects. The exposure limits were derived on the basis of health considerations and reflect the combined judgment of the Committee members; the feasibility of achieving the suggested airborne concentrations was not taken into account. However, every effort should be made to minimize exposure to the greatest extent feasible. In deciding which, if any, of the termiticides are most appropriate for use in military housing, one should take into account not only the toxicity and suggested airborne exposure limits, but also other factors that would influence the extent of exposure and hazard. Some of these factors are discussed briefly in this report; they include vapor pressure, persistence in the environment, and amount of material that needs to be applied. The suggested guidelines for airborne exposure should be reviewed again as soon as additional health-effects data become available This report covers the usage concerns and effects of common termiticides and offers suggested guidelines to limit environmental exposure to military personnel in military housing. There are seven pesticides that are registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for control of subterranean termites: chlordane, heptachlor, aldrin, dieldrin, lindane, pentachlorophenol, and chlorpyrifos. Chlordane is the most widely used of this group, and heptachlor the second most widely used. To evaluate the risks associated with exposure to the seven pesticides that are available for controlling subsurface termites and to assess which of them, if any, are most appropriate for use in military housing from the standpoint of health risks, the Committee has considered several factors. |
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| Item Description: | Title from PDF title page |
| Physical Description: | 1 PDF file (v, 76 pages) |