Worrisome Level of Pesticide Found in Environment

WASHINGTON — A pesticide used on everything from lawns to pet collars is so pervasive that a majority of Americans, including children, face potential health risks, a preliminary federal risk assessment suggested Thursday.

An environmental group pressed for the chemical’s removal from the market. But its producer argued that the finding by the Environmental Protection Agency contained “numerous errors and omissions” that exaggerated the risk.

By next summer, EPA officials will decide whether to take additional steps to protect the public or whether to ban the insecticide chlorpyrifos.

The assessment “indicated that risks from the use of chlorpyrifos in residential settings, as well as its risk to applicators, are of concern,” an agency statement said.

Chlorpyrifos is one of 40 organophosphate pesticides under scrutiny as the EPA seeks to determine the health risks they pose, especially to children. The assessment stopped short of saying there was a clear public danger, although it said there was some evidence the chemical could affect the nervous system in humans.

The chemical, produced by Dow Chemical Co., is sold under the trade names Dursban and Lorsban, which are marketed for use in more than 800 products, from pet collars to insecticides applied to food crops, lawns and gardens, the EPA review said. The chemical also is used indoors as a bug killer in hospitals, homes and day-care centers.

The EPA estimated that from 20 million to 24 million pounds of the chemical are applied annually.

A study of 993 adults found 8 in 10 had “measurable concentrations” of the chemical in their urine. A study of 89 children found 9 in 10 with measurable concentrations, the review said.

A statement by Dow AgroScience, the Dow Chemical subsidiary that has manufactured the insecticide since 1965, said chlorpyrifos products “have wide margins of safety” if used according to label instructions.