Analysis of Variability Factors in Establishing Pesticide Residue Limits on Food Crops

In establishing legal limits of pesticide residues, various default values are employed to compensate for unavoidable variability in data. Because permissible errors in residue analysis reach RSD, maximum residue limits (MRLs) follow geometric progression. According to 5-yr period JMPR reports, variability factor (ratio of highest to median values) in field residue trials was 3.8-fold in 486 crop-pesticide combinations and round-up effort from highest residue to MRL was 1.5-fold, whereas regulatory margin (ratio of MRL to highest residue) used in Korea was 4.8-fold in 822 crop-pesticide combinations; Korean MRLs will be set at higher levels as compared with Codex limits if these margins are employed. Validation studies to compare and harmonize Korean and Codex MRLs of pesticide residues on food crops should be undertaken.