Environmental justice activists donning backpack air monitors have for years garnered scorn from farmers, who claim they trespassed after pesticide applications. Now those advocates have teamed up with UC Davis public health researchers to analyze the samples.
In a new paper published in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, the researchers and advocates detail their findings. The Berkeley-based environmental group Californians for Pesticide Reform recruited 31 adults and 11 children to carry the monitors around communities. Nearly a quarter of them detected elevated levels of 1,3-D, chlorpyrifos and other pesticides.
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According to the paper, the study shows a continuing risk of exposure in the San Joaquin Valley. The authors argue the results outline a need to expand the monitoring and for additional toxicity testing in the farming region. They salute the Newsom administration’s agenda to eliminate or reduce the use of conventional pesticides in favor of alternative management strategies.
Why it matters: EJ advocates lean heavily on peer-reviewed studies like this when arguing for bans on certain pesticides or for setting more stringent exposure standards at CalEPA.
Keep in mind: Next Tuesday the Air Resources Board is launching a $27 million air monitoring project to expand beyond backpack and stationary sampling devices. The goal is to fill data gaps and support additional regulatory actions to reduce exposure.
