Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides (HHBPs)

Advanced testing methods now allow for the detection of pesticides in water at very low levels. Small amounts of pesticides detected in drinking water or source water for drinking water do not necessarily indicate a health risk to consumers. EPA has developed human health benchmarks for 430 pesticides to enable our partners to inform: (1) whether the detection level of a pesticide in drinking water or source waters for drinking water may indicate a potential health risk; and (2) the prioritization of water monitoring efforts.

The table below includes noncancer benchmarks for exposure to pesticides that may be found in surface or ground water sources of drinking water. Noncancer benchmarks for acute (one-day) and chronic (lifetime) drinking water exposures to each pesticide were derived for the most sensitive life stage, based on the available information. The table also includes cancer benchmarks for 48 of the pesticides that have toxicity information that indicates the potential to lead to cancer. The HHBP table includes pesticides for which EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs has available toxicity data but for which EPA has not yet developed either enforceable National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (e.g., maximum contaminant levels) or non-enforceable Drinking Water Health Advisories.

HHBP

Common Name and Reference Document	CAS Number	Acute or One Day PAD (RfD) (mg/kg/day)	^a,f Acute or One Day HHBPs (ppb)	Acute HHBP Sensitive Lifestage/ Population	Chronic or Lifetime PAD (rfD) (mg/kg/day)	^b,f Chronic or Lifetime HHBPs (ppb)	Chronic HHBP Sensitive Lifestage/Population	^c Cancer Quantification (Q1) Values(CSF) (mg/kg/per day) -1	^d,e Carcinogenic HHBP (E-6 to E-4 ) (ppb)
1,2,4-Triazole	288-88-0	0.03	200	Children	0.005	30	General Population	-	-
2, 4 - DB DMA	2758-42-1	0.15	4200	Females 13-49 yrs	0.15	890	General Population	-	-
2,4-DP-p + salt & ester	15165-67-0	1.25	8330	Children	0.06	400	General Population	-	-
2,6-Dichlorobenzamide (BAM)	2008-58-4	0.1	700	Children	0.045	270	General Population	-	-
3,5-Dibromo-4-hydroxybenzonitrile butyrate	3861-41-4	0.08	500	Children	0.015	89	General Population	-	-
4-Chlorophenoxyacetic acid	122-88-3	--	--	--	1.32	7810	General Population	-	-
ADBAC	53516-76-0, 68424-85-1, 8001-54-5, 139-08-2, 8045-21-4, 73049-75-9, 121-54-0, 1330-85-4, 61789-71-7, 85409-23-0, 689-56-79-6, 68989-01-5, 68391-01-5, 63449-41-2, 61789-18-2	--	--	--	0.44	2600	General Population	-	-
Abamectin	71751-41-2	0.0025	17	Children	0.0025	15	General Population	-	-
Acephate	115096-11-2, 30560-19-1	0.0003	2	Children	0.0003	2	Females 13-49 yrs	-	-
Acequinocyl	57960-19-7	0.073	490	Children	0.027	160	General Population	-	-
Acetamiprid	135410-20-7	0.1	700	Children	0.071	420	General Population	-	-
Acetochlor	34256-82-1	--	--	--	0.02	100	General Population	-	-
Acibenzolar-S-methyl	135158-54-2	0.082	550	Children	0.082	460	Females 13-49 yrs	-	-
Afidopyropen	915972-17-7	0.16	4500	Females 13-49 yrs	0.08	500	General Population	-	-
Allethrins	584-79-2	0.03	200	Children	0.008	50	General Population	-	-
Alpha-Cypermethrin	67375-30-8	0.005	30	Children	--	--	--	-	-
Aluminum Phosphide	20859-73-8	0.018	120	Children	0.0113	66.9	General Population	-	-
Amicarbazone	129909-90-6	0.1	700	Children	0.023	140	General Population	-	-
Aminocyclopyrachlor + ester & salt	858954-83-3	--	--	--	2.79	16500	General Population	-	-
Aminopyralid + salts	150114-71-9	--	--	--	0.5	3000	General Population	-	-
Amisulbrom	348635-87-0	2	10000	Children	0.54	3200	General Population	-	-
Amitraz	33089-61-1	0.0125	83.3	Children	0.0005	3	General Population	-	-
Anthraquinone	84-65-1	--	--	--	--	--	--	0.0617	0.48-48.0
Aquashade	2650-18-2, 92170-50-8, 1394-21-0	--	--	--	5	30000	General Population	-	-
Asulam + sodium salt	3337-71-1	--	--	--	0.36	2100	General Population	-	-
Azinphos-methyl	86-50-0	0.003	20	Children	0.0015	8.9	General Population	-	-
Azoxystrobin	131860-33-8	0.67	4500	Children	0.18	1070	General Population	-	-
Benalaxyl-M	98243-83-5	--	--	--	0.02	100	General Population	0.0059	5.01-501
Benfluralin	1861-40-1	--	--	--	0.005	30	General Population	-	-
Benomyl	17804-35-2	0.025	170	Children	0.013	77	General Population	0.00239	12.4-1240
Bensulfuron methyl	83055-99-6	--	--	--	0.2	1000	General Population	-	-
Bensulide	741-58-2	0.15	1000	Children	0.005	30	General Population	-	-
Benthiavalicarb-isopropyl	177406-68-7	--	--	--	0.099	590	General Population	0.062795	0.47115-47.115
Benzene Sulfonic Acid	68584-22-5	--	--	--	0.5	3000	General Population	-	-
Benzobicyclon	156963-66-5	--	--	--	0.636	3760	General Population	-	-
Benzobicyclon (Metabolite B)	156963-66-5	0.00027	1.8	Children	0.00004	0.2	General Population	-	-
Benzovindiflupyr	1072957-71-1	0.1	700	Children	0.082	490	General Population	-	-
Beta Cyfluthrin	68359-37-5	0.0117	78	Children	--	--	--	-	-
Bicyclopyrone	3520 I 0-68-5	0.01	300	Females 13-49 yrs	0.00028	1.7	General Population	-	-
Bifenazate	149877-41-8	0.1	3000	Females 13-49 yrs	0.01	60	General Population	-	-
Bifenthrin	82657-04-3	0.031	210	Children	--	--	--	-	-
Bispyribac-sodium	125401-92-5	--	--	--	0.1	600	General Population	-	-
Bitertanol	55179-31-2	0.05	1000	Females 13-49 yrs	0.0021	12	General Population	-	-
Bixafen	581809-46-3	2.5	17000	Children	0.03	200	General Population	-	-
Boscalid	188425-85-6	--	--	--	0.22	1300	General Population	-	-
Bromoxynil, phenol + esters	56634-95-8	0.08	500	Children	0.015	89	General Population	0.103	0.287-28.7
Bromuconazole	116255-48-2	0.1	3000	Females 13-49 yrs	0.009	50	General Population	-	-
Buprofezin	69327-76-0	2	60000	Females 13-49 yrs	0.033	200	General Population	-	-
Butafenacil	134605-64-4	--	--	--	0.012	71	General Population	-	-
Butoxypolypropylene Glycol	9003-13-8	--	--	--	1.2	7100	General Population	-	-

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Footnotes:

a Formula for deriving Acute HHBP for Children = [aPAD (mg/kg/day) x 1000 (µg/mg)] / [0.15 (L/kg-day) Drinking Water Intake-Body Weight (DWI-BW) ratio]; Formula for deriving Acute HHBP for Females 13-49 Years = [aPAD (mg/kg/day) x 1000 (µg/mg)] / 0.0354 (L/kg/day) DWI-BW ratio

b Formula for deriving Chronic HHBP for General Population = [cPAD (mg/kg bw/day) x 1000 (µg/mg) x 0.2 RSC ] / 0.0338 (L/kg/day) DWI-BW ratio; Formula for deriving Chronic HHBP for Females 13-49 Years = [cPAD (mg/kg bw/day) x 1000 (µg/mg) x 0.2 RSC ] / 0.0354 (L/kg/day) DWI-BW ratio, and RSC = Relative Source Contribution assumed as 20%

c Where there is no value, refer to the document for the cancer classification and quantification.

d No value denotes that carcinogenic quantification is not applicable and therefore, no carcinogenic HHBP is determined.

e Formula for deriving carcinogenic HHBP (ppb) = [10-6 or 10-4/Drinking Water Unit Risk (ppb-1), where Drinking Water Unit Risk (ppb-1) = [CSF (per mg/kg/day) x 0.0338 (L/kg/day) adult DWI-BW ratio]/[1000 (µg/mg)]

f Represents the lowest benchmarks for the lifestage/population evaluated.

g Pesticide has no current registrations for food-use

h Pesticide is now classified as non-food use; benchmarks are based on tox data from 2017 HHBP update, using 2021 updated exposure factors.

i Pesticide was reevaluated by OPP with updated exposure pattern information demonstrating that no effects were seen at doses relevant for human health risk assessment; benchmarks were derived from 2017 OPP toxicity values using updated 2021 exposure factors.

j Mancozeb’s cancer risk is calculated by estimating exposure to mancozeb-derived ETU and using the ETU cancer potency factor (Q1*) of 6.01 x 10 -2 (mg/kg/day)-1

Human Health Benchmarks for Pesticides (HHBPs)

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