Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides in Water Published

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published a table of human health benchmarks for approximately 350 pesticides to enable states, water systems and the public to better determine whether the detection of a pesticide in drinking water or source waters for drinking water may indicate a potential health risk.

Advanced testing methods now allow pesticides to be detected in water at very low levels. These small amounts of pesticides detected in drinking water or source water for drinking water do not necessarily indicate a health risk.

Concentrations of pesticides in drinking water that have the potential for cancer risk are not currently included in the human health benchmarks for pesticides table. EPA intends to include these concentrations later. The table includes pesticide active ingredients for which health advisories or enforceable National Primary Drinking Water Regulations have not been developed.

EPA intends to update its online table of human health benchmarks for pesticides annually to ensure that the best available science is accessible to the public.

To view the EPA's table of human health benchmarks for pesticides, click here.