The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) released its Annual Air Monitoring Report earlier this week. The report data was collected in 2023 at Oxnard, Santa Maria, Shafter and Watsonville air monitoring sites. Weekly air samples were taken for 40 different pesticides, and data concluded that 95 percent of all samples had no detectable pesticides. Of the 40 pesticides, 21 were not detectable, 11 were detected at very low trace rates with likely no harm to human health, and seven were found at quantifiable levels but still below health-protective screening rates and regulatory targets.
Chloropicrin was detected just seven percent below the health screening rate. Therefore, DPR is conducting a detailed evaluation of Chloropicrin use data and historical weather patterns, in addition to modeling and further monitoring to evaluate potential sources and exposures in the area. After further analysis, DPR plans to release any findings specific to Chloropicrin in 2025.
The other pesticides detected at quantifiable levels were 1,3-dichloropropene, captan, dichlorvos (DDVP), methyl isothiocyanate (MITC), malathion, methyl bromide and pendimethalin. However, DPR has not stated that these detections were close enough to the health-screening level to initiate further analysis at this time.
Read the full release from DPR here.
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