Chemical Exposure Study Suspended

EPA has suspended, until next spring at the earliest, a controversial study that was to try to discover how pesticides and certain other common household chemicals get into children's blood.

The agency has decided to ask a group of independent experts to reexamine the study design, which has already been reviewed by four panels.

The chemicals to be measured include pesticides, phthalates, brominated diphenyl ethers (flame retardants), and perfluorinated chemicals. In October, the American Chemistry Council (ACC) contributed about $2 million to support the $9 million study, allowing the monitored chemicals to be expanded beyond pesticides (C&EN, Oct. 18, page 10).

According to the original design, the research was to involve 60 children from birth to three years of age, all from Duval County, Fla. Each participating family was to receive up to $970 and a video camcorder. The original brochure and fact sheet on EPA's website both stated that to be selected, participants "must spray or have sprayed pesticides" inside their homes routinely during the two-year study period. After press reports made an issue of this, however, EPA removed almost all information about the study from the brochure and changed the fact sheet to read, "You must maintain your normal pesticide or nonpesticide use patterns for your household."

Rank-and-file EPA scientists around the U.S. questioned the study, saying low-income families might consent to pesticide use because of the money involved, and that accepting industry funding could compromise EPA's independence. They also criticized the study design for not requiring that participating families be informed of potential dangers of pesticide use.

In a statement, ACC says it "continues to strongly support the study because of the great importance of increasing understanding of the exposures of young children to pesticides and other chemicals."