The global challenge to increase agricultural production goes along with the need of decreasing pesticide risks. The European Union (EU) therefore evaluates and controls the risks posed by pesticides ...by regulating their authorisation through the science-based Risk Assessment process. Member States can however act in derogation to this process and grant the Emergency Authorisation (EA) of pesticides that are currently non-authorised. To protect the health of humans and the environment, Emergency Authorisations are only permitted in exceptional circumstances of agricultural emergency: their use should be limited (i.e., cannot exceed 120 days and one growing season) and concurrent research on alternative strategies must be enforced. Here, we assessed the impact of the Emergency Authorisations process to human and environmental health. Bees, bioindicators of environmental health, were used as model species. Our research demonstrates that i) Emergency Authorisations are widely used throughout EU Member States (annually granted Emergency Authorisationsmin-max, 2017–2021 = 460–529); ii) 12 % of Emergency Authorisations granted the use of pesticides for longer than prescribed by EU regulations; iii) 37 % of Emergency Authorisations were repeatedly granted over time by the same Member State for the same agricultural purpose (i.e., to control the same pest on the same crop); iv) 21 % of Emergency Authorisations granted the use of Active Substances non-approved by the Risk assessment (EA-ASs Type3) which consequently contaminate the environment (44 % of environmental biomonitoring studies found EA-AS Type3) while being significantly more toxic to pollinators than regularly approved ASs. To facilitate the implementation of sustainable control strategies towards a safer environment for humans and other animals, we identified the most frequent agricultural emergencies and the key research needs. This first quantitative assessment of the Emergency Authorisation process unveils an enduring state of agricultural emergency that acts in derogation of the EU Regulation, leading to broad human, animal, and environmental implications.
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•EU Member States (MSs) frequently grant pesticide Emergency Authorisations (EAs).•12 % of EAs (n = 3173) were granted for longer periods than prescribed by EU regulations.•EAs were commonly renewed (37 %) over the years to control the same emergency.•EAs allow highly toxic Active Substances to frequently contaminate the environment.•We describe the most relevant agricultural emergencies and EA process challenges.
Anti-vitamin K (AVK) compounds are highly potent anticoagulants which are particularly effective for controlling rodent species populations. AVKs have been the most widely used chemical rodenticide ...option employed since the 1950s for the control of rodents infesting stored commodities and storage facilities, and also in a wide range of other scenarios. However, reports of AVK resistance in wild rodent populations are becoming increasingly common. This could potentially lead to a substantial reduction in AVK efficacy resulting in an impaired ability to manage rodent infestations in the future. The current state of knowledge regarding AVK resistance mechanisms in common pest species is still incomplete. This review draws together reported incidences of AVK resistance in the literature and the underlying mechanisms suspected of conferring resistance for the three main pest rodent species Rattus norvegicus, Rattus rattus and Mus musculus. The purpose of this review is to compare and contrast the underlying resistance mechanisms in these species and demonstrate how this should influence programs for monitoring and avoiding the development of AVK resistance in target rodent species.
•Review of AVK rodenticide development and modes and mechanism of action in target species.•Detailed description of the known resistance mechanisms and their presence in M. musculus, R. rattus and R. norvegicus.•Recommendations for national assessments monitoring AVK resistance levels in wild rodent populations.
Agricultural practice often involves an intensive and incorrect use of pesticides and fertilizers. These chemicals can leach through the soil profile and contaminate groundwater, including drinking ...water. For this reason, an effective groundwater monitoring is strongly advisable.
The aim of this study was to investigate the groundwater contamination by plant protection products (PPPs) on a hilly area situated in the Tidone Valley, North-West of Italy, a region characterized by an intensive viticulture production. This area is not included in the national groundwater monitoring plan and therefore scarce information is available regarding the quality of groundwater, even though the local Environmental Agency previously revealed the occurrence of PPPs at values higher than the Environmental Quality Standard downstream this area. Hence, a monitoring wells network was developed following an upstream-downstream criterion, a list of pesticides to be monitored, based on a multi-actor approach, and an analytical method for PPPs detection and quantification. The analytical approach involved solid phase extraction followed by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.
The results of three monitoring campaigns revealed the occurrence of seven PPPs at a level higher than EQS for groundwater (0.1 μg/L) in 30% of the wells. The main pesticides detected were Chlorantraniliprole, Dimethomorph, Fluopicolide, Metalaxyl-M, Penconazole, and Tetraconazole, all commonly used in viticulture, together with S-metolachlor, authorized for cereal cropping. Statistical analysis revealed a significant influence of the sampling time, slope of the soil surrounding the wells, wells depth and wells location on the concentration of five PPPs. Therefore, the results obtained show that the improper use of PPPs for grapevine cultivation may cause groundwater contamination and suggest the need for a deeper analysis of territorial reality, including hydrology studies and farmer behavior and for an urgent introduction of best management practices and mitigation measures to promote a sustainable use of PPPs in viticulture.
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•Occurrence of PPPs in vineyards groundwater of Tidone Valley was carried out for the first time.•Stakeholders' engagement was essential for study development and results interpretation.•Monitoring results revealed the presence of seven PPPs above the EQSgw.•Sampling time, territorial and wells characteristics significantly influenced PPPs concentration.•Implementation of BMPs is mandatory to guarantee good groundwater quality in Tidone Valley.
Fertilizer is commonly applied to plants alongside pesticides, which can significantly affect pesticide dissipation behavior in plants. Taking into account the fertilizer effect when modeling ...pesticide dissipation from plants is crucial for accurately predicting pesticide residue levels in crops, which is essential for ensuring agricultural food safety, conducting consumer exposure assessments, and protecting environmental health. However, mechanistic modeling approaches for estimating dissipation half-lives in plants while taking fertilizer application into account are currently lacking. To address this research gap, we simulate pesticide dissipation half-lives using mechanistic models, and the method can be tabulated in spreadsheets to help users perform modeling exercises by modifying fertilizer application conditions. In addition, a spreadsheet simulation tool with a step-by-step procedure is provided, allowing users to easily estimate pesticide dissipation half-lives in plants. The simulation results for the cucumber plant demonstrated that plant growth dynamics played a significant role in the overall elimination kinetics for the majority of pesticides, indicating that fertilizer application could significantly affect pesticide dissipation half-lives in plants. On the other hand, some moderately or highly lipophilic pesticides may reach their peak concentrations in plant tissues over a longer period of time following pesticide application, depending on their uptake kinetics and dissipation rates on plant surfaces or soil. Therefore, the first-order dissipation kinetic model, which generated pesticide dissipation half-lives in plant tissues, must be fine-tuned with respect to its initial concentrations. With chemical-, plant-, and growth-specific model inputs, the proposed spreadsheet-based operational tool can assist users in estimating pesticide dissipation half-lives in plants with fertilizer application effects. To enhance the effectiveness of our modeling approach, it is recommended that future research investigate rate constants for other types of plant growth dynamics, chemical degradation, horticultural methods, and environmental conditions (such as temperature). These processes can be characterized using first-order kinetic rate constants as model inputs in the operational tool, which can significantly improve the simulation results.
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•Mechanistic modeling approach simulates pesticide half-lives in plants.•Adaptable simulation tool models fertilizer effects on plant growth•Plant growth rate is critical in pesticide dissipation kinetics.
Research into nanotechnology applications for use in agriculture has become increasingly popular over the past decade, with a particular interest in developing novel nanoagrochemicals in the form of ...so-called "nanopesticides" and "nanofertilizers." In view of the extensive body of scientific literature available on the topic, many authors have foreseen a revolution in current agricultural practices. This perspective integrates scientific, regulatory, public and commercial viewpoints, and aims at critically evaluating progress made over the last decade. A number of key (and sometimes controversial) questions are addressed with the aim of identifying the products that will soon emerge on the market and analyzing how they can fit into current regulatory and commercial frameworks. Issues related to the differences in definitions and perceptions within different sectors are discussed, as well as our current ability to assess new risks and benefits relative to conventional products. Many nanoagrochemicals resemble products used currently, which raises the question whether the effect of formulation has been sufficiently taken into account when evaluating agrochemicals. This analysis identifies directions for future research and regulatory needs in order to encourage intelligent design and promote the development of more sustainable agrochemicals.
This Guidance describes how to perform hazard identification for endocrine‐disrupting properties by following the scientific criteria which are outlined in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) ...2017/2100 and Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/605 for biocidal products and plant protection products, respectively.
This publication is linked to the following EFSA Supporting Publications article: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/sp.efsa.2018.EN-1447/full
Pesticides, i.e. plant protection products (PPP), biocides and their metabolites, pose a serious threat to groundwater quality and groundwater dependent ecosystems. Across large parts of Europe these ...compounds are monitored in groundwater to ensure compliance with the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), the Groundwater Directive (GWD) and Drinking water Directive (DWD). European regulation concerning the placing of PPP on the market includes groundwater monitoring as a higher tier of the regulatory procedure. Nevertheless, the lists of compounds to be monitored vary from one directive to another and between countries. The implementation of monitoring strategies for these directives and other national drivers, differs across Europe. This is illustrated using case studies from France, Denmark (EU member states), England (part of the EU up to January 2020) and Switzerland (associated country). The collection of data (e.g. monitoring design and analytical approaches) and dissemination at national and European level and the scale of data reporting to EU is country-specific. Data generated by the implementation of WFD and DWD can be used for retrospective purposes in the context of PPP registration whereas the post-registration monitoring data generated by the product applicants are generally only directly available to the regulators. This lack of consistency and strategic coordination between thematic regulations is partly compensated by national regulations. This paper illustrates the benefits of a common framework for regulation in Europe but shows that divergent national approaches to monitoring and reporting on pesticides in groundwater makes the task of assessment across Europe challenging.
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•Improved pesticide monitoring driven by a strong regulatory context.•Biocides and metabolites are less documented than plant protection products.•Approaches to implementation of EC directives have been country-specific.•The issue of reliable and robust analysis is addressed in divergent ways.•Strategies for sample collection, analysis & data dissemination are country-specific.
Pesticides are widely used in agriculture and can pose risks to soil health and environmental quality. This study assessed the occurrence, distribution, ecological risk, and environmental carrying ...capacity of 56 currently used pesticides and three metabolites in agricultural soils of Horqin Left Middle Banner, a typical Northeast China agricultural area. 29 pesticides were detected, with atrazine, clothianidin, and propiconazole the most common. Clothianidin and difenoconazole were high-risk to non-target organisms according to risk-toxicity exposure ratio and risk quotient approaches. This study provides a comprehensive and improvement framework for pesticide soil environmental carrying capacity (SECC) assessment and soil quality protection early warning. The SECC model showed no pesticides surpassed the soil carrying capacity threshold under the current application pattern. Five pesticides (clothianidin, difenoconazole, propiconazole, atrazine, and imidacloprid) may reach the threshold within 10 years, requiring pesticide reduction and soil quality monitoring. An early warning system based on SECC values and cumulative amounts of pesticides predicted that clothianidin may exceed the threshold within 0.1 years. These pesticides should be prioritized for management and regulation to prevent soil environmental degradation. The findings can help inform policymakers and stakeholders on pesticide management and sustainable agricultural development in Horqin Left Middle Banner and similar regions.
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•A comprehensive framework is proposed for pesticide soil management.•The framework contributes to soil health monitoring in Northeast China.•Clothianidin and difenoconazole exhibited high risk to non-target organisms.•Multiple pesticides reach the soil carrying capacity threshold within 10 years.
Pollinating bees are stressed by highly variable environmental conditions, malnutrition, parasites and pathogens, but may also by getting in contact with microorganisms or entomopathogenic nematodes ...that are used to control plant pests and diseases. While foraging for water, food, or nest material social as well as solitary bees have direct contact or even consume the plant protection product with its active substance (e.g., viruses, bacteria, fungi, etc.). Here, we summarize the results of cage, microcolony, observation hive assays, semi-field and field studies using full-size queen-right colonies. By now, some species and subspecies of the Western and Eastern honey bee (Apis mellifera, A. cerana), few species of bumble bees, very few stingless bee species and only a single species of leafcutter bees have been studied as non-target host organisms. Survival and reproduction are the major criteria that have been evaluated. Especially sublethal effects on the bees' physiology, immune response and metabolisms will be targets of future investigations. By studying infectivity and pathogenic mechanisms, individual strains of the microorganism and impact on different bee species are future challenges, especially under field conditions. Overall, it became evident that honey bees, bumble bees and few stingless bee species may not be suitable surrogate species to make general conclusions for biological mechanisms of bee-microorganism interactions of other social bee species. Solitary bees have been studied on leafcutter bees (Megachile rotundata) only, which shows that this huge group of bees (∼20,000 species worldwide) is right at the beginning to get an insight into the interaction of wild pollinators and microbial plant protection organisms.
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•Host range and pathogenicity depend on specificity of the microorganism.•Experimental conditions strongly affect the outcome of infection studies.•Several sublethal parameters and their suitability are discussed.•Open questions and parameters as future research are summarized.•Solitary bees are represented by leafcutter bees (Megachile rotundata) only.
Pesticide residues can be taken up by plants after pesticide application, potentially resulting in soil pollution following the disposal of plant wastes at harvest. Currently, there is a lack of ...simple and efficient methods that can conduct high-throughput simulations to explore this problem across various chemicals and plant species. We present a modeling approach to simulating pesticide residue concentrations in soil as a result of plant waste disposal to assess the impact of plant wastes on agricultural soil pollution with respect to pesticide residues. This modeling approach employs well-established plant uptake models, providing versatility in evaluating different chemicals and plant species. The simulation process was tabulated in the spreadsheet interface, providing users with the flexibility to adjust input values for specific chemicals, plant species, and regions. The simulation results revealed that pesticides with relatively low lipophilicity (i.e., log KOW < 2) had low simulated residue concentrations in the soil as a result of plant waste disposal at harvest, whereas soil concentrations for lipophilic pesticides dramatically rose. This indicated that disposal of plant waste in agricultural soils will not pose significant ecological concerns to pesticides with low lipophilicity. The variability analysis showed that for certain pesticides, environmental factors (such as temperature and humidity) had a significant impact on the simulated residue concentrations in the soil as a result of plant waste disposal, which aided in the assessment of regional ecological risk as well as plant disposal management. Although some modeling aspects such as plant decomposition process, advanced plant uptake models, heterological distribution of residue concentrations in the soil, and plant waste stacking patterns require further research, the proposed approach can be used to assist in managing soil pesticides from plant waste disposal in preliminary stages.
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