Severity Categories Used for Pesticide Incident Reporting
When pesticide incidents are reported to EPA, they are assigned an incident “severity category.” EPA uses the severity category to indicate how much an incident may have impacted the health of humans or the environment.
It is possible for an incident to fall into several severity categories. For example, an incident that allegedly caused serious but non-fatal effects to human and domestic animals should fall into two categories, one to characterize the impact to humans and another for domestic animals.
EPA organizes incident severity categories by the organism or substance being impacted (human, domestic animal, fish and wildlife, plants, other non-target organisms, water contamination, or property damage) and the impact the pesticide had on the organism or substance.
Human
| Severity Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| H-A | Human Fatality |
| H-B | If the person alleged or exhibited symptoms that may have been life-threatening or resulted in adverse reproductive effects or in residual disability. |
| H-C | If the person alleged or exhibited symptoms more pronounced, more prolonged, or of a more systemic nature than minor symptoms. Usually, some form of treatment of the person would have been indicated. Symptoms were not life threatening and the person has returned to his/her pre-exposure state of health with no additional residual disability. |
| H-D | If the person alleged or exhibited some symptoms, but they were minimally traumatic. The symptoms resolved rapidly and usually involve skin, eye, or respiratory irritation. |
| H-E | If symptoms are unknown, unspecified, or are alleged to be of a delayed or chronic nature that may appear in the future. |
Domestic Animal
| Severity Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| D-A | If the domestic animal died or was euthanized. |
| D-B | If the domestic animal exhibited or was alleged to have exhibited symptoms that may have been life-threatening or resulted in residual disability. |
| D-C | If the domestic animal exhibited or was alleged to have exhibited symptoms that are more pronounced, more prolonged, or of a more systemic nature than minor symptoms. Usually, some form of treatment would have been indicated to treat the animal. Symptoms were not life threatening and the animal has returned to its pre-exposure state of health with no additional residual disability. |
| D-D | If the domestic animal was alleged to have exhibited symptoms, but they were minimally bothersome. The symptoms resolved rapidly and usually involve skin, eye, or respirator irritation. |
| D-E | If symptoms are unknown or not specified. |
Fish or Wildlife
| Severity Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| W-A | Fish: Affected 1,000 or more individuals of a schooling species or 50 or more individuals of a non-schooling species. |
| W-A | Birds: Affected 200 or more individuals of a flocking species, or 50 or more individuals of a songbird species, or 5 or more individuals of a predatory species. |
| W-A | Mammals, reptiles, amphibians: Affected 50 or more individuals of a relatively common or herding species or 5 or more individuals of a rare or solitary species. |
| W-A | Involves effects to, or illegal pesticide treatment (misuse) of, a substantial tract of habitat (greater than or equal to 10 acres, terrestrial or aquatic). |
| W-A | Involves a major spill or discharge (greater than or equal to 5,000 gallons) of a pesticide. |
| W-A | Involves adverse effects caused by a pesticide, to federally listed endangered or threatened species. |
| W-A | Involves any incident caused by a pesticide currently in Formal Review for ecological concerns (Formal Review means Special Review, Rebuttable Presumption Against Registration, FIFRA section 6(c) suspension proceeding, or FIFRA section 6(b) cancellation proceeding) |
| W-B | If none of the criteria in the rows above is met. |
Plants
| Severity Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| P-A | The effect is alleged to have occurred on more than 45 percent of the acreage exposed to the pesticide. |
| P-B | If the criteria in the row above is not met. |
Other Non-target Organisms
| Severity Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| ONT | If an alleged effect involves damage to non-target organisms other than fish, wildlife, or plants (for example, beneficial insects). |
Water Contamination
These categories apply to incidents involving groundwater, surface water or finished drinking water contamination.
| Severity Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| G-A | If the pesticide was detected at levels greater than the maximum contaminant level (MCL) or health advisory level (HAL) or an applicable criterion for ambient water quality. |
| G-B | If the pesticide was detected at levels greater than 10 percent of the MCL, HAL, or a criterion for ambient water quality but does not exceed the MCL or other applicable level. |
| G-C | If the pesticide was detected at levels less than 10 percent of the MCL, HAL, or other applicable level, or there is no established level of concern. |
Property Damage
| Severity Category | Definition |
|---|---|
| PD-A | The product is alleged to have caused damage in a manner that could have caused direct human injury, such as fire or explosion. |
| PD-B | The product is alleged to have caused damage in excess of $5,000. |
| PD-C | Any allegation of property damage that does not meet the criteria of paragraphs (c)(5)(vii)(A) or (B) of this section, including cases in which the level of damages is not specified. |