Lab Matters Summer 2017 | Page 23

environmental health / food safety
Barinelli / Chabot : As part of our use / misuse and complaint-related analyses , we ensure that licensed applicators are applying pesticides and herbicides at the appropriate rates and locations , thus assuring that the public is not presented with undue risk . Our label claim verifications ensure only registered pesticides and herbicides are sold at their specified levels . Our water quality testing ensures herbicide concentrations ( e . g ., 2,4-D , Tricolpyr and Diquat ) do not exceed swimming or drinking water standards .
What challenges does your laboratory experience as it relates to pesticide testing ?
Wegner : Adequate funding and staffing continue to be the biggest challenge . We have excellent equipment and instrumentation and just need additional staff with pesticide testing proficiency to operate it . Pesticide residue analysis trainings do not occur frequently enough to easily balance work load and training opportunities for all staff .
Horvath : FIFRA testing is unique because highly-skilled and experienced analysts are required to quickly develop methodologies to test unknown analytes on varied matrices . However , current state funding levels make it difficult to retain these marketable employees . Combined with the seasonality of pesticide testing , it is challenging to have sufficient staffing .
Barnelli / Chabot : In addition to travel funding , training opportunities and strict state travel restrictions , test methods can be challenging to obtain and implement . It can be difficult to predict which analyses may be requested from year to year .
How do state laboratories interface with the US EPA Analytical Chemistry Branch ( ACB ) and / or other federal agencies ?
Wegner : The CO laboratory relies heavily on the US EPA National Pesticides Standard Repository ( NPSR ) to obtain the majority of pesticide standards needed for analyses . The laboratory has federal cooperative agreements with USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Food Emergency Response Network ( FERN ), FDA Animal Feed Regulatory Program
The US EPA Analytical Chemistry Branch ( ACB ) at the Environmental Science Center in Fort Meade , MD , supports the US EPA Office of Pesticide Programs by providing expert technical advice and by performing special chemical studies that fill critical data needs . The ACB develops and validates multi-residue analytical methods for specific pesticide classes and their metabolites in foods and feeds . The new methods are designed to gather more pesticide residue data at lower levels in support of regulatory actions protecting human health and the environment .
The ACB Laboratory also operates the US EPA NPSR . The NPSR maintains an inventory of all US-registered pesticides as well as technical grade and pure pesticide analytical reference standards and their regulated metabolites . It supplies pesticide standards to federal , state and tribal enforcement laboratories for test result validation , instrument calibration and for pesticide residue and active ingredient identification and quantification .
Standards and an interagency agreement with FDA ’ s Denver District Laboratory to serotype our isolates when we detect a pathogen in our microbiological work .
Horvath : Here in Minnesota we frequently interact with the US EPA ACB . The US EPA NPSR is often the only source beside the registrant for pesticide metabolite standards . They generally provide standards and registration methods requests quickly . We also maintain a FDA FERN cooperative agreement . Many of the pesticide analysts perform work under this program .
Barinelli / Chabot : We obtain most of our pesticide standards from the US EPA NPSR and reach out to the US EPA ACB for test methods . Without this resource we would be hard pressed to acquire the certified reference materials necessary to perform our analyses .
What recommendations would you have for state agricultural / public health laboratories to strengthen their pesticide programs ?
Wegner : I would recommend that more states participate in the US EPA ’ s Pesticide Regulatory Education Program ( PREP ), which is an excellent forum .
Horvath : Aside from the necessary equipment and training investments , it is important to maintain an analyst network for sharing technical knowledge and procedures .
Barinelli / Chabot : We are fortunate NH is a small state and we have a very close relationship with our pesticide program . We communicate with the inspectors and director very frequently . If you haven ’ t already joined , the FoodSHIELD-hosted AgLabs Listserv is
a great online community resource .
How can the US EPA Analytical Chemistry Branch and state agricultural / public health laboratories collaborate together more in the future ?
Wegner : The major hurdle for us with US EPA collaboration is Colorado ’ s legalization of cannabis .
Horvath : Speaking for state FIFRA labs , continued support to host national training workshops is essential for building and maintaining analyst networks . Lobbying for funds to maintain state support by the US EPA ’ s Fort Meade laboratory is essential to state laboratory success .
Barinelli / Chabot : Communication is key . Opening lines of communication between these groups would be helpful , including sharing training opportunities , test methods and expertise . ■
Elizabeth Niederluecke , a Minnesota Department of Agriculture Laboratory Services Division intern , prepares surface water extracts to help the laboratory search for 150 pesticides using one of five chromatography methods . Photo courtesy of Gary Horvath
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Summer 2017 LAB MATTERS 21