Approval for Pesticide Toxicity Testing in Humans Draws Criticism

• Published in: JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association Vol. 295; no. 11; pp. 1237 - 1238
• Main Author: Mitka, Mike
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Medical Association 15.03.2006
• Subjects: Children & youth; Food supply; Human subjects; Humans; Litigation; Nontherapeutic Human Experimentation - legislation & jurisprudence; Pesticides; Pesticides - toxicity; Public health; Safety standards; Testing; Tests; Toxicity; Toxicity Tests - ethics; United States; United States Environmental Protection Agency; United States; Legal Approach; Biomedical and Behavioral Research
• ISSN: 0098-7484; 1538-3598; 1538-3598
• DOI: 10.1001/jama.295.11.1237

A RULE ALLOWING SOME TOXICity testing of pesticides on human subjects has gained support from the pesticide industry while drawing attack from some legislators and public health advocates. According to the agency, the rule, which pertains to all third-party (studies not conducted or supported by a federal agency) intentional dosing research on pesticides, prohibits new research intended for submission to the EPA that involves intentional exposure of pregnant women or children; extends ethical protections under the "Common Rule," which governs research with human subjects; requires submission to the EPA of protocols and related information to ensure that studies meet ethical safeguards; and establishes an independent Human Studies Review Board for peer review of proposed new research and completed third-party intentional dosing studies.