• First, for each individual pesticide, all potential sources of exposure must be assessed together. This is known as the aggregate exposure assessment and includes potential sources of exposure from residues in food and water and non-occupational (residential) uses of a pesticide.
• Second, if a pesticide belongs to a class of products with a common mechanism of action, such as the EBDCs, then potential exposure from all these products must be assessed together. This is known as the cumulative exposure assessment.
• Third, both the aggregate and cumulative assessments are conducted on a risk only basis, without respect to the benefits of the use of the pesticide.

In keeping with registration requirements, the registrants of EBDC products have been gathering pertinent data on all sources of exposure, including food, water and non-occupational (residential) uses.

Numerous market basket analyses and water sampling surveys have also been conducted for residues of EBDCs. Based on these data, the Mancozeb Task Force fully expects to be able to maintain all current food crop uses with the exception of foliar cotton application and the pineapple propagation treatment and, in fact, is guardedly optimistic that new crops may be added to the label.