Although pesticides play a significant role in increasing production of  tobacco, food, and other crops by reducing the number of crop-destroying  pests, exposure to pesticides can harm humans. Most of these pesticides were also widely used on food crops. Failure to comply with the conditions set by EPA  could result in a range of harmful effects. The  assessments also identify risks to the general population that may also  require special limitations on how or where the pesticides may be used. EPA has generally concluded that the low levels of residues measured in  tobacco smoke do not pose health concerns that require mitigation. In addition, EPA has chosen  not to assess the risk of either intermediate- or long-term exposure to  pesticide residues in smoke because of the severity and quantity of health  effects associated with the use of tobacco products themselves. EPA Concludes That Risks Associated with Pesticide Use Can Be Significant, but Those Associated with Pesticide Residues on Tobacco Appear to Be Minimal

EPA’s health risk assessments have identified a number of potential  adverse health effects associated with the pesticides used on tobacco and  other crops that, in some cases, have led the agency to impose special  limitations on the uses of these pesticides. Federal Regulation of Pesticide Residues on Tobacco Is Limited

While EPA is required to regulate residues of pesticides approved for use  on human food and animal feed crops, no such requirement applies to  pesticides approved for use on tobacco. USDA has not reevaluated the  pesticides it regulates since 1989, although changes in the pesticides used  on tobacco have occurred since then. USDA Tests Imported and Domestic Tobacco for Regulated Pesticides

Also as required by the Dairy and Tobacco Adjustment Act, USDA tests  certain imported and domestic tobacco to ensure that residues do not  exceed the maximum allowable concentrations the agency established. Recommendation for Executive Action

To better protect the public from exposures to residues of pesticides not  approved for use on tobacco in the United States and ensure that domestic  tobacco producers are not placed at an unfair disadvantage relative to  producers in other countries, we recommend that the Secretary of the  Department of Agriculture direct the Administrators of the Agricultural  Marketing Service and the Farm Service Agency to periodically review and  update the pesticides for which they set residue limits and test imported  and domestic tobacco. Key contributors to this report are listed in appendix V.

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

This report provides information on (1) the pesticides commonly used on  tobacco and the potential health risks associated with them; (2) how the  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assesses and mitigates health  risks associated with pesticides used on tobacco; and (3) how, and the  extent to which, EPA, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other  federal agencies regulate and monitor pesticide residues on tobacco. None of these countries have adopted limits for 7 of the pesticides  commonly used on U.S. tobacco during the 1990s.
Why GAO Did This Study

Pesticides play a significant role in increasing production of tobacco, food, and other crops by reducing the number of crop-destroying pests. However, if used improperly, pesticides can have significant adverse health effects. GAO was asked to (1) identify the pesticides commonly used on tobacco crops and the potential health risks associated with them, (2) determine how the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assesses and mitigates health risks associated with pesticides used on tobacco, and (3) assess the extent to which federal agencies regulate and test for pesticide residues on tobacco.

What GAO Found

In the 1990s, domestic growers commonly used 37 pesticides approved for use on tobacco by EPA. Most of these pesticides were also used on food crops. When used in ways that deviate from conditions set by EPA, many of these pesticides can cause moderate to severe respiratory and neurological damage--and may result in death. Moreover, animal studies suggest that some of these pesticides may cause birth defects or cancer. Under its pesticide registration program, EPA evaluates toxicity and other data to assess health risks to workers and the public from exposure to pesticides--and risks to smokers from exposure to residues in smoke. These assessments have identified a range of risks that required such mitigation as limiting where and how the pesticide may be used, prohibiting use in certain states, and requiring workers to wear respirators and chemical-resistant clothing. On the other hand, EPA has concluded that low levels of residues in tobacco smoke do not pose short-term health concerns requiring mitigation. EPA does not assess intermediate or long-term risks to smokers because of the severity of health effects linked to use of tobacco products themselves. While EPA regulates the specific pesticides that may be used on tobacco and other crops and specifies how the pesticides may be used, it does not otherwise regulate residues of pesticides approved for use on tobacco. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), however, is required by the Dairy and Tobacco Adjustment Act to test imported and domestic tobacco for residues of pesticides not approved by EPA for use on tobacco that federal officials believe are used in other countries. By helping ensure that other countries do not use highly toxic pesticides that U.S. tobacco growers may not use, federal regulation of pesticide residues on tobacco addresses trade equity as well as health and environmental issues. However, USDA has not reevaluated the list of pesticides for which it tests since 1989, even though EPA has cancelled tobacco use for over 30 pesticides since then.