Introduction to Pesticide Incidents

EPA considers a pesticide incident as any exposure or effect from a pesticide’s use that is not expected or intended. Pesticide incidents may involve humans, wildlife, plants, domestic animals (e.g., pets) and bees. Pesticide spills can also be a type of incident.

Why Report Pesticide Incidents

When making a regulatory decision on a pesticide (such as during registration review or a petition for a new use), EPA must determine that the pesticide presents no unreasonable adverse effects to humans and the environment. Pesticide incident reports tell EPA if people, pets, domestic animals, wildlife, or the environment (air, soil, water) experience adverse effects from the use of a pesticide. Reporting a pesticide incident helps provide EPA information on the effects and consequences of exposures to pesticides affecting people and the environment.

How EPA Uses Incident Reports

EPA considers incident information when evaluating the risks from exposure to a pesticide. Incident reports help EPA determine whether a pesticide’s use requires additional measures to reduce risk, clearer application instructions, or additional personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for those applying the pesticide. If unreasonable adverse effects associated with exposures to a pesticide cannot be reduced, EPA can initiate cancellation proceedings.

Sources of Pesticide Incident Information

EPA uses information related to pesticide incidents from a variety of sources, including:

• Manufacturers of pesticide products (also known as registrants). Pesticide manufacturers are required by law to submit to the EPA reports of unreasonable adverse effects from their products.
• State pesticide regulatory agencies. States generally have primary enforcement responsibility for pesticide misuse violations and for investigating possible instances of pesticide misuse.
• Incidents submitted directly to EPA via email. When reporting an incident directly to EPA, please include the product name and EPA Reg. No., along with the location, date, and description of the incident. EPA will store your information in its Incident Data System and it will be compiled with other incidents for EPA to analyze when taking a regulatory action.
• The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC). Anyone can contact NPIC for information on pesticides and to report possible pesticide incidents (e.g., general public, veterinarians, physicians, wildlife organizations). The NPIC program currently operates under a cooperative agreement between EPA and Oregon State University. NPIC provides summary reports to EPA on incidents; however, it does not collect information for enforcement, nor does it provide EPA with any personal identifying information.
• SENSOR-Pesticides. NIOSH’s Sentinel Event Notification System for Occupational Risk (SENSOR) is the only aggregated pesticide surveillance program in existence. Besides tabulating numbers of acute occupational pesticide-related cases, SENSOR-supported surveillance systems perform in-depth investigations for case confirmation and develop preventive interventions aimed at particular industries or pesticide hazards. The SENSOR-Pesticides program is useful for timely identification of outbreaks and emerging pesticide problems.
• American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC). AAPCC compiles information from state poison control centers.
• Voluntary reporting by the public through various methods.