Protecting reproductive health through comprehensive pesticide review: Science guiding public policy

Problem Statement: Engagement in the public policy arena can have significant and positive impacts on the health of women, children, and families. Through an innovative fellowship, Reach the Decision Makers trained a cohort of midwives, scientists, community leaders, and public health professionals to gain a better understanding of the underlying science linking environmental contaminants to reproductive harm, develop an awareness of the regulatory and environmental health policy process, and build skills to help shape environmental health policy at the national level. Through this fellowship our interdisciplinary team developed a scientific review and formulated policy recommendations on a common pesticide, chlorpyrifos, that has been linked to significant reproductive, neurological, and other health problems. In 2011, EPA sought public comments on chlorpyrifos for its Preliminary Human Health Risk Assessment (PHHRA) and our team prepared a detailed comment letter supporting the position that USEPA needed to take a more comprehensive approach to their pesticide review process in order to ensure that registered pesticides, such as chlorpyrifos, would not cause unreasonable adverse health effects. To this end, we assembled our recommendations based on the latest data findings, with a particular focus on the special vulnerabilities of members of American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes, long range transport and bioaccumulation in the Arctic, rural childhood exposures, and endocrine disruption. Results: Our team submitted comments on the PHHRA. We met with key USEPA administrators and helped to facilitate interdepartmental communication about the PHHRA for chlorpyrifos and the significant impact that exposures have on environmental justice communities and American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes. We have also continued our dialogue with these departments within USEPA and through our discussions have found opportunities to support comprehensive pesticide review as well as opportunities to work with USEPA on further activities, such as a reproductive health symposium.