Glossary


	Questions & Answers Glossary

A – I, J – S, T – Z

Acute Toxicity	Adverse effects from a single exposure or effect over a short period of time (usually 96 hours or less).
ADI	Acceptable Daily Intake; a measure of the quantity of a chemical that may be found in food which, it is believed, can be consumed on a daily basis over a lifetime without harm. Data for the calculation of an ADI may be derived from a variety of sources including laboratory and direct observations.
a.i.	Active ingredient; same as a.s. or active substance.
Chronic Toxicity	An adverse effect where symptoms develop slowly over a long period of time.
Codex Alimentarius Commission	An international body whose express purpose is to resolve differences between national food standards such as Maximum Residue Levels and permit the free flow of commodities across borders.
Cumulative Risk	The risk of a common toxic effect associated with exposure by all relevant routes of exposure to a group of chemicals that share a common mechanism of toxicity.
EBDC	Ethylenebisdithiocarbamates. A group of fungicides used to control a broad spectrum of fungal diseases such as rots, molds, or scab, in fruit, vegetable, field and ornamental crops
ETU	Ethylenethiourea. A common metabolite, minor impurity, and degradate of all EBDCs.
EC50	Exposure concentration of a material which has a defined effect upon 50 percent of the test population.
EPA	Environmental Protection Agency
ESA	Endangered Species Act; legislation enacted in the United States to conserve and recover listed species which are endangered with extinction and protect the ecosystems upon which these species depend. Passed in 1973, it is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Services.
FAO	Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations; founded in 1945 with a mandate to raise levels of nutrition and standards of living, to improve agricultural productivity, and to better the condition of rural populations.
FDA	United States Food and Drug Administration which, among other responsibilities, enforces pesticide tolerances on food and feed products.
FIFRA	Federal Insecticide Fungicide Rodenticide Act; enacted in 1947 giving the US EPA the ability to regulate pesticides in the United States.
FQPA	Food Quality Protection Act. Enacted in the United States in1996 as an amendment to the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).
Fungicide	agent that destroys or prevents the growth of fungi
GAP	Good Agricultural Practices; guidelines established to ensure a clean and safe working environment. GAP is a practice that minimizes the risk of causing pollution while protecting natural resources and allowing economic agriculture to continue.
GLP	Good Laboratory Practice; a compliance-monitoring program, through laboratory inspections and data audits, which assures the quality and integrity of test data.
Genotoxic	Causing harm to an organism by damaging the organism’s DNA.
IPM	Integrated Pest Management; an approach to pest control that uses multiple techniques (i.e. cultural, biological, chemical, regulatory) to bring pests below economic levels.
IRED	Interim Reregistration Eligibility Decision. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) issues an IRED for a pesticide that is undergoing reregistration. The IRED, issued after the US EPA completes the individual pesticide's aggregate risk assessment, may include taking risk reduction measures to gain the benefits of these changes before the final Registration Eligibility Decision (RED) can be issued following the US EPA's consideration of cumulative risks. See RED.
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K_d	soil-water partition coefficient
K_oc	Soil sorption coefficient, measured as the ratio of the amount of chemical adsorbed (per unit weight of organic carbon) to the concentration of the chemical in solution.
Kow	n-octanol/water partition coefficient. Kow is correlated to water solubility, soil/sediment sorption coefficient, and bioconcentration.
LC₅₀	LC₅₀ Lethal Concentration of a toxicant that will kill 50 percent of the test population. A common measure of acute toxicity.
LD₅₀	Lethal Dose of a toxicant that will kill 50 percent of the test population. The lower the LD₅₀, the more toxic the chemical.
MRL	Maximum Residue Levels; the maximum level of a chemical that is permitted to be present in a food, usually expressed in milligrams of the chemical per kilogram of the food (mg/kg).
NOAEL	No Observable Adverse Effect Level; a level of exposure that causes no observable harm. Same as NOEL.
MOE	Margin of Exposure; use of the MOE calculation allows for comparison of exposure routes, differences among chemicals, and identification of significant areas for exposure mitigation.
NGO	Non-Governmental Organization; a group that through grass roots activism, legal challenges, or political power can influence regulatory decisions.
NOEL	No Observable Effect Level; a level of exposure that causes no observable effect. Same as NOAEL.
PPB	Parts per billion. One ppb is equivalent to one second in 32 years.
PPE	Personal Protective Equipment; equipment that is used to protect the worker from exposure. PPE includes items such as face shields, gloves, and water-resistant aprons.
PPM	Parts per million. One ppm is equivalent to one minute in two years.
RED	Registration Eligibility Decision; When the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) completed the review and risk management decision for a pesticide that is subject to reregistration (that is, one initially registered before November 1984), the Agency generally issues a Reregistration Eligibility Decision or RED document. The RED summarizes the risk assessment conclusions and outlines any risk reduction measures necessary for the pesticide to continue to be registered in the United States.
RfD	Reference Dose; a reference standard related to observable effect. It can also be referred to as the ADI or Acceptable Daily Intake.
Special Review	An open, administrative process where the U.S. EPA reviews the risks and the benefits of a pesticide.
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Teratogen	any agent that interferes with normal embryonic development
Tolerance	The permissible residue on a crop as established by a regulatory body. Tolerance is primarily a United States term and is analogous to the MRL established by many other countries.
USDA	United States Department of Agriculture
WHO	World Health Organization; the United Nations specialized agency for health that was established on 7 April 1948. Its mission is the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of health.

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