[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 212 (Thursday, October 31, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56229-56230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-27956]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[FRL-5643-7]
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection;
Comment Request
Total Human Exposure in Arizona: A Comparison of the Border
Communities and the State; and Exposure of Children to Pesticide in
Yuma Co., Arizona. Supplemental Studies related to NHEXAS Arizona
Study.
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Action: Notice.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501
et seq.), this notice announces that EPA is planning to submit a
revision of the following Information Collection Request (ICR) to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB): Total Human Exposure in Arizona:
A Comparison of the Border Communities and the State (Total Human
Exposure); and Exposure of Children to Pesticide in Yuma Co. Arizona
(Exposure of Children), EPA ICR No. 1702.03, OMB Control No. 2080-0053,
expiring 7/31/98. Before submitting the ICR supplement to OMB for
review and approval, EPA is soliciting comments on specific aspects of
the proposed information collections as described below.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before December 30, 1996.
ADDRESSES: Interested persons may obtain a copy of the ICR without
charge by contacting: Gary Robertson (ASB), U.S. EPA, NERL, P.O. Box
93478, Las Vegas, NV 89193. Electronic copies are available by
contacting Mary Kay O'Rourke at [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary Robertson (ASB), U.S. EPA, NERL,
P.O.Box 93478, Las Vegas, NV 89193 (Border Community Exposure Study),
or Chris Saint, U.S. EPA, 401 M Street SW (8723), Washington, D.C.
20460 (Exposure of Children study).
PROJECT ABSTRACTS:
Border Community Exposure Study
There are concerns among border communities that their exposures
are high relative to other parts of the country. These communities
believe they encounter elevated exposures related to their proximity to
Mexico. Associated with increased exposure is a community-wide fear of
increased health effects. Currently, there are no data available to
validate this perception of elevated exposure among border communities.
A project called NHEXAS (National Human Exposure Assessment Survey) is
currently underway in the State of Arizona (NHEXAS AZ). In NHEXAS AZ,
multiple media (air, soil, house dust, skin, food and beverages, water,
blood and urine) will be evaluated to determine contributions to the
exposure through the various pathways (inhalation, absorption,
ingestion). The proposed Arizona Border Study will enable comparison of
Border exposures with those from adjacent non-border areas (NHEXAS AZ).
In the Arizona Mexico Border Study, exposure information will be
gathered directly from subjects, from environments frequented by
subjects (primarily home environments) and from public records.
Questionnaires will be employed to characterize the study population,
evaluate common practices believed to contribute to exposures and
evaluate potential bias in the study due to non-participation. Blood
and urine samples will be gathered directly from the subjects and
concentrations of target pollutants will be measured. Additional
concentrations of target pollutants will be measured from the air,
dust, soil, water and home environments. Duplicate diets (regardless of
food and beverage source) will be collected. Investigators will also
include data from
[[Page 56230]]
public records containing usable information on target pollutants (in
air, water, soil) which will be used where available. Exposure
assessment models will be generated using direct and surrogate measures
varying in the intensity of detail. Total exposure models to the
pollutants sampled during the study (VOCs, Metals, Pesticides and PAHs)
will be developed. These models will be associated with multi-media
contact. Probabilistic exposure models developed by NHEXAS AZ will be
applied to this proposed border population study. These models will be
fine tuned to reflect the differences between the two study populations
as needed. The precision and accuracy of the previously developed
models will be tested with the independent data obtained from the
border population. The objectives of these models are to estimate the
multi-media pollutant exposures to the subject and determine the
sources of inter-individual variability.
Exposure of Children Study
Yuma County is responsible for growing much of the nation's fresh
fruit and vegetable supply during the winter months. These crops are
tended by seasonal and migrant laborers who frequently live near the
edge of the fields with their families. Many of these pesticides are
pyrethroids, some are dinitroanilines. Further, diazinon and
Chlorpyrifos are used in many of these substandard dwellings to combat
termites and roaches. As a result, children living in these homes are
at great risk for routine exposure to pyrethroids and cholinesterase
inhibitors.
We propose a study of 300 children recruited from the Valley Health
Clinic, a primary care provider that serves primarily low income
Hispanic and Cocopah. A pesticide use questionnaire will be
administered in the clinic and 100 families will be selected for multi-
media sampling for pyrethroids and OPs in their homes. All 300 children
will be evaluated for cholinesterase inhibitors. We expect to sample
the households of the upper 50% for pesticides. We will sample air,
dust, surfaces and the children's hands. To model ``total'' exposure,
we will supplement these databases with regional information garnered
while sampling for the NHEXAS project. We expect to find that children
from low socioeconomic status households have greater exposure than
those of the rest of the state as determined by the NHEXAS evaluation.
Further, since more pesticides are used in the Yuma area, we expect to
find greater pesticide exposure in Yuma than elsewhere along the US-
Mexico Border.
Collection of this information is consistent with EPA's mandates in
that all participation will be completely voluntary and subject
identity will be held in the strictest confidence in accordance with
the Human Subjects Guidelines issued by the University of Arizona. The
University of Arizona has an approved assurance of compliance on file
with the Department of Health and Human Services which covers this
study (assurance # M-1233). Published reports will not identify any
individual but be presented as summary statistics, such as points on
distribution curves. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person
is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it
displays a currently valid OMB Control number. The OMB control numbers
for EPA's regulations are listed in 40 CFR Part 9 and 48 CFR Chapter
15.
The EPA would like to solicit comments to:
(i) Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency,
including whether the information will have practical utility;
(ii) Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden
of the proposed collection of information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(iii) Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information
to be collected; and
(iv) Minimize the burden of the collection of information on those
who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate automated
electronic, mechanical or other technological collection techniques or
other forms of information technology, e.g. permitting electronic
submission of responses.
BURDEN STATEMENT: The annual public reporting and record keeping burden
for this collection of information is estimated to average 3.75 (Border
Community Exposure) and 2 (Exposure of Children) hours per response.
Burden means the total time, effort, or financial resources expended by
persons to generate, maintain, retain, or disclose or provide
information to or for a Federal agency. This includes the time needed
to review instructions; develop, acquire, install, and utilize
technology and systems for the purposes of collecting, validating, and
verifying information, processing and maintaining information, and
disclosing and providing information; adjust the existing ways to
comply with any previously applicable instructions and requirements;
train personnel to be able to respond to a collection of information;
search data sources; complete and review the collection of information;
and transmit or otherwise disclose the information.
Border Community Exposure study:
Respondents/Affected Entities: 300 families.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 300 primary respondents plus
600 secondary respondents.
Frequency of Response: Once.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 1800 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $0.
Exposure of Children study:
Respondents/Affected Entities: 300.
Estimated Number of Respondents: 300.
Frequency of Response: Once for 200 and 3 times for up to 100.
Estimated Total Annual Hour Burden: 300 hours.
Estimated Total Annualized Cost Burden: $0.
Dated: October 24, 1996.
Wayne N. Marchant,
Director, CRD-LV, Office of Research and Development.
[FR Doc. 96-27956 Filed 10-30-96; 8:45 am]
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