General Colorado Commercial Pesticide Application Practice Exam

What kind of assurance must the EPA have to establish tolerances?

1. Avoidance of all risks

2. Reasonable certainty of no harm

3. Periodic review of tolerances

4. Bulk testing of crops

The correct answer is: Reasonable certainty of no harm

The establishment of tolerances by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires a standard of "reasonable certainty of no harm." This principle hinges on ensuring that any pesticide use poses an acceptable level of risk to human health and the environment. The EPA evaluates available scientific data to determine if a pesticide can be safely used at certain residue levels on food and feed crops. The phrase "reasonable certainty" denotes a high level of confidence, rather than an absolute guarantee. It reflects an understanding that while it is impossible to avoid all risks associated with pesticide use, it is crucial to minimize them to protect human health and ecological systems. This standard ensures that consumer safety is prioritized, and the agency employs rigorous risk assessments based on various studies and exposure scenarios before it will set tolerances. In contrast, other choices involve concepts that do not align with EPA's regulatory framework. Avoidance of all risks is not feasible since all chemicals, including pesticides, can pose some level of harm; periodic reviews are part of the regulatory process but not a requirement for establishing initial tolerances; and bulk testing of crops is not the primary method for determining safety but may be part of ongoing monitoring practices.