Caroline Cox

Background: The objective of this study is to determine whether the current use of agricultural pesticides in California is unequally distributed with respect to race and ethnicity.Methods: We conducted the analysis using publicly available data from the California Department of Pesticide Regulation and the US Census Bureau. We used two relatively simple statistical techniques to conduct the analysis: concentration curves and linear regression.Results: We showed that agricultural pesticide use in California is not distributed equally with respect to racial and ethnic composition. Similar patterns held whether we looked at current data, data from past years, or individual pesticides of public health concern. Importantly for public health, the use of a group of pesticides that, according to California regulations, causes reproductive harm also was concentrated in areas with a lower percentage of non‐Hispanic Whites. The percentage of the population that is Hispanic/Latinx is a strong statistical driver of these inequalities. The data also show similar patterns of inequity in pesticide use with respect to three socioeconomic factors: income, education level, and prevalence of agricultural employment.Conclusions: Policy and regulatory actions are needed to reduce these disparities and maintain California's leadership in environmental justice.

Environmental Health Perspectives is an Open Access journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Environmental Health Perspectives is an Open Access journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Horizontal drilling, hydraulic fracturing, and other drilling and well stimulation technologies are now used widely in the United States and increasingly in other countries. They enable increases in oil and gas production, but there has been inadequate attention to human health impacts. Air quality near oil and gas operations is an underexplored human health concern for five reasons: (1) prior focus on threats to water quality; (2) an evolving understanding of contributions of certain oil and gas production processes to air quality; (3) limited state air quality monitoring networks; (4) significant variability in air emissions and concentrations; and (5) air quality research that misses impacts important to residents. Preliminary research suggests that volatile compounds, including hazardous air pollutants, are of potential concern. This study differs from prior research in its use of a community-based process to identify sampling locations. Through this approach, we determine concentrations of volatile compounds in air near operations that reflect community concerns and point to the need for more fine-grained and frequent monitoring at points along the production life cycle. Grab and passive air samples were collected by trained volunteers at locations identified through systematic observation of industrial operations and air impacts over the course of resident daily routines. A total of 75 volatile organics were measured using EPA Method TO-15 or TO-3 by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Formaldehyde levels were determined using UMEx 100 Passive Samplers. Levels of eight volatile chemicals exceeded federal guidelines under several operational circumstances. Benzene, formaldehyde, and hydrogen sulfide were the most common compounds to exceed acute and other health-based risk levels. Air concentrations of potentially dangerous compounds and chemical mixtures are frequently present near oil and gas production sites. Community-based research can provide an important supplement to state air quality monitoring programs.

Exposure to lead-containing jewelry has been identified as one cause of elevated blood lead levels. Because of the significant health effects of lead exposure, litigation and legislation in California set standards for lead content of children’s and adult jewelry. We measured compliance with these standards for jewelry sold at 42 major retailers statewide. During a one-year period, we purchased over 1500 pieces of jewelry and used a two-step process (X-ray fluorescence analysis followed by laboratory verification) to identify noncompliant jewelry. About 4% of the jewelry we purchased did not comply with California lead standards, dramatically less jewelry with high lead content than has been measured in the past in California and in other states. We identified violations at 26 retailers. The violations were not restricted to particular types of jewelry or a particular price range. Most violations exceeded state standards by at least 2×. The most common violation was the “lobster-claw” clasp often used on necklaces. Litigation and legislation have been effective tools for reducing the prevalence of jewelry with high lead content in California. We are continuing our monitoring for at least another year with a goal of reducing the frequency of jewelry in violation of California lead standards to near zero.

Pesticide Risk Indicators (PRIs) are widely used to evaluate and compare the potential health and environmental risks of pesticide use and to guide pest control policies and practices. They are applied to agricultural, landscape and structural pest management by governmental agencies, private institutions and individuals. PRIs typically assess only the potential risks associated with the active ingredients because, with few exceptions, pesticide manufacturers disclose only the identity of the active ingredients which generally comprise only a minor portion of pesticide products. We show that when inert ingredients are identified and assessed by the same process as the active ingredient, the product specific risk can be much greater than that calculated for the active ingredient alone. To maintain transparency in risk assessment, all those who develop and apply PRIs or make decisions based on their output, should clearly disclose and discuss the limitations of the method.

By statute or regulation in the United States and elsewhere, pesticide ingredients are divided into two categories: active and inert (sometimes referred to as other ingredients, adjuvants, or coformulants). Despite their name, inert ingredients may be ...