 |
Dynamac currently supports EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) under five contracts. These contracts, which we have performed for over 20 years, all evaluate the hazards associated with the use of pesticides. The first of these, our Product and Residue Chemistry (P&RC) contract, centers on pesticides’ impacts on food chains and crops. We conduct comprehensive examinations of product and residue chemistry data supporting pesticide registration and reregistration, evaluating prior studies for scientific validity and regulatory compliance. We also characterize and assess exposure and risks to humans and animals, domestic and wild. Our staff working on this project has over 110 years combined experience in chemistry, agriculture, horticulture, entomology, physiology, biochemistry, and toxicology. Dynamac is also provideing Residue & Product Chemistry support to OPP's Antimicrobial Division as a subcontractor.
Under our Toxicology contract, Dynamac scientists assess pesticide toxicity. We evaluate data pertaining to acute, subchronic, and chronic toxicity; carcinogenicity; neurotoxicity; teratology; immunotoxicity; mutagenicity; and other factors related to human health. For each study, Dynamac prepares a report summarizing the study; detailing study design, methodology and dose rationale; and offering both an in-depth examination of the study’s results as well as an explanation of any differences between the results of the original study and Dynamac’s interpretations of the study. In this way, our staff is able to account for any study deficiencies and fill the gap, providing a more complete picture of the potentially toxic effects of the pesticide in question.
Of concern to EPA are not only the immediate effects of pesticides, but also the movement of chemicals through ecosystems. To that end, we provide technical support to EPA on the Fate and Transport contract. One of our major roles is reviewing and summarizing pesticide studies to determine their adherence to EPA-approved test guidelines. We have reviewed over 10,000 research reports pertaining to the fate and transport of pesticides in the environment. Our staff also writes scientific position papers, conducts literature searches, and analyzes the results of interpretive/predictive models.
Dynamac also supports the Ecotoxicology contract, evaluating the ecotoxicological effects of and risks posed by pesticides on terrestrial and aquatic plants and animals. To ensure that study data are reliable, we determine the appropriateness and integrity of experimental design and control, as well as the degree to which the experiment deviated from EPA test guidelines. We determine the no observed adverse effect concentration (NOAEC) and lowest observed adverse effect concentration (LOAEC) and categorize other toxicity values, such as the LC50. In addition, Dynamac prepares Hazard Assessments and Preliminary Ecological Exposure and Risk Assessments. |
