EPA Provides Annual Notification of Updates to the Environmental Chemistry Methods Index for Monitoring Pesticide Residues

Released on October 27, 2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing an annual summary of additions to the Environmental Chemistry Methods (ECM) Index made during FY 2022. The ECM Index is a list which currently includes 889 analytical methods for monitoring pesticide residues, primarily in soil or water. In the past year, 24 new analytical methods have been added to the ECM Index, including three methods for a newly registered pesticide. The ECM reports listed in the ECM Index were submitted to EPA by pesticide registrants to support submitted field and monitoring studies, and potential monitoring by states, tribes and other entities.

ECMs may be used in conjunction with Aquatic Life Benchmarks and Ecological Risk Assessments for Registered Pesticides, which are estimated concentrations below which pesticides are not expected to present a risk of concern for freshwater organisms. Comparing concentrations of a pesticide in water using ECMs to Aquatic Life Benchmarks can be helpful in interpreting monitoring data and in identifying and prioritizing monitoring sites for further investigation. State, tribal and local governments as well as international regulatory authorities and researchers may use these ECMs in their work.

EPA updates the ECM Index quarterly and as new chemicals are registered.