Which legislation introduced a health-based standard for the assessment of pesticide risks?

The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) introduced a significant advancement in the regulation of pesticides by implementing health-based standards for assessing pesticide risks. This legislation, enacted in 1996, aimed to provide a greater level of protection for vulnerable populations, particularly children, by establishing a rigorous safety standard that requires all pesticide residues in food to be assessed for their potential health effects.

Under FQPA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is tasked with ensuring that any pesticide intended for use in food production meets strict safety criteria. This includes evaluating the aggregate risks from pesticide exposure, considering contributions from food, water, and residential use. By shifting the focus toward a health-based approach, FQPA recognized the need for modernized risk assessment aligned with public health goals, ensuring that the regulatory framework better protects consumers and the environment.

The other options represent various aspects of pesticide regulation but do not specifically introduce a health-based standard for risk assessment as FQPA does. For instance, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) governs the registration and labeling of pesticides but does not focus specifically on health-based standards. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) deals with the safety