Deutsch: Aktionsstufe / Español: Nivele de Acción / Português: Níveis de Ação / Français: Niveaux d'Action / Italiano: Livelli di Azione /

The term action level refers to a specific level of concentration of a toxic substance, contaminant or radiation that when met or exceeded, is considered dangerous enough for remedial or regulatory action by a governing body or other authority to be warranted.

To protect our environment, specific actions are needed. Action Levels have several meanings and can be:

1. Regulatory levels recommended by EPA for enforcement by FDA and USDA when Pesticide residues occur in food or feed commodities for reasons other than the direct application of the pesticide. As opposed to "tolerances" which are established for residues occurring as a direct result of proper usage, Action Levels are set for inadvertent residues resulting from previous legal use or accidental contamination.

2. In the Superfund program, the existence of a contaminant concentration in the environment high enough to warrant action or trigger a response under SARA and the National Oil and Hazardous Substances Contingency Plan. The term is also used in other regulatory programs. (See: tolerances, action level.)