[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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