Ecological Risk Assessment

John B. Unsworth; Elizabeth Carazo

doi:10.1515/ci-2017-0423

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Ecological Risk Assessment

John B. Unsworth and Elizabeth Carazo

Published/Copyright: November 7, 2017

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From the journal Chemistry International Volume 39 Issue 4

As part of the ongoing IUPAC project “A Global Framework for Implementing Consistent Ecological Risk Assessment for Pesticides for Sustainable Agriculture” (project 2016-025-1-600) a sixth Workshop was held in San José, Costa Rica on 13-14 May 2017, in conjunction with the 6th Latin American Pesticide Residue Workshop. Previous Ecological Risk Assessment Workshops were held in Beijing, China; Bogota, Colombia; Santiago, Chile; Nairobi, Kenya; and New Delhi, India. Pesticides are a necessary tool in increasing global food production in order to feed the growing population, however, with their use comes the need to ensure that their ecological impact is kept to a minimum. Many countries include an ecological risk assessment in their registration requirements but as risk assessment is an evolving science it is important, particularly in scientifically emerging regions, that the best practices are understood and implemented properly. The current interest in ecological risk assessment is witnessed by the several different countries where Workshops have been held. As for previous Workshops the aim was, therefore, to present the current thinking on ecological risk assessment and to underline the pros and cons of various approaches. Presentations were made by 9 lecturers coming from industry, academia and government which covered:

Principles of good regulation and regulatory risk assessment
Protection goals and their implementation
Principles of ecotoxicity testing and international test requirements
Exposure assessments
Risk characterization and uncertainties in risk estimation
Risk perception, communication, and management
Implementation and enforcement of risk mitigation measures
Principles for developing regional exposure scenarios and integration of local conditions in risk assessment

At the end of the Workshop, a practical session allowed the participants to use for themselves a model entitled Tier 1 Tools for Ecological and Drinking Water Risk Assessment of Pesticides developed by CropLife International, the trade association for pesticide manufacturers. Simultaneous translation was provided by the University of Costa Rica and the Organizing Committee of the LAPRW 2017. The presentations were well-received by the 40 participants coming from 13 different countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Mexico, Peru, Switzerland, and the United States. After each presentation and during breaks in the programme, participants were able to discuss all aspects of ecological risk assessment, including good modelling practices, scenario development, and local requirements. In addition, they were able to network with the experts present, and each participant received copies of the presentations. As with the previous workshops, the participants agreed that much useful information was given which enabled them to understand better the complexities of ecological risk assessment. Thanks are due to IUPAC, ACS-AGRO and CropLife International for supporting the Workshop.

Professor Solomon from Canada giving the presentation on “Ecological Test Requirements”

For further information contact Task Group Chair J.B. Unsworth, <unsworjo@aol.com. > www.iupac.org/project/2016-025-1-600

Published Online: 2017-11-7

Published in Print: 2017-10-1

Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ci-2017-0423