uses by California and the EPA in 2002 (chlorpyrifos was previously a key ingredient
in the pesticide Raid). An analysis of PON-1 in newborns found that those with
lower levels of the enzyme may be twenty-six times more susceptible to diazinon ex-
posure than those with the highest level of the enzyme. The former may be sixty
times more susceptible than adults with the highest enzyme levels.
With chlorpyrifos, some of the newborns may be fifty times more susceptible than
newborns with high enzyme levels and 130 to 164 times more susceptible than some
of the adults. The enzyme typically reaches adult levels by the time children reach
two years of age. The two pesticides are still used on cropland under the brand names
Dursban and Lorsban. Chlorpyrifos was banned in households largely because of its
hazards to children but it is still widely used in farm applications.^42Malathion and Methyl ParathionBased on the FDA’s residue analyses, malathion has been the most commonly
detected pesticide in food products. Malathion residues were in 18 percent of 936
food items tested, indicative of its widespread use in many crops. It is also commonly
found in animal feeds.^43 In one greenhouse study, malathion applied at recom-
mended rates was easily detected on plant surfaces up to nine weeks after spraying.^44
Another pesticide, methyl parathion, is so toxic that a five-year-old cannot eat an
apple with any detectable methyl parathion on it without being exposed to an unsafe
dose. Some apples and peaches are so contaminated that just two bites (four to seven
grams) are unsafe for children under age six. Any other organophosphate exposure in
food, at home, at school, in water, or in the air will push that child’s daily exposure to
these compounds further into the zone that the EPA already considers unsafe. In Au-
gust 1999, the EPA accepted voluntary cancellation of many of the most significant
food crop uses of methyl parathion. Reducing these crop uses considerably reduced
risks to children through food, as well as risks to workers and the environment.
The EPA’s risk assessment showed that methyl parathion could not meet the FQPA
safety standards. The acute dietary risk to children ages one to six exceeded the acute
population-adjusted dose (the amount that can be consumed safely in one day or less)
by 880 percent. To lessen the high dietary risk to children, the EPA accepted voluntary
cancellation of use on those crops that contribute most to children’s diets. These can-
celed uses represent 90 percent of the dietary risk to children. Removing these crop
uses brings the estimated dietary risk down to 78 percent of the reference dose, mak-
ing the risk from food acceptable for children and all others in the United States.^45Restricted and Canceled UsesThe EPA registers pesticides and their use on specific pests and under specific cir-
cumstances. For example, ‘‘Pesticide A,’’ registered for use on apples, may not be used
legally on grapes; an insecticide registered for outdoor use may not legally be used
inside a building. In some circumstances, use of a registered pesticide may be re-
stricted to pesticide applicators with special training.96 | Pesticides