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How to evaluate the environmental safety of plant protection products of natural origin - Proposals for decision trees for microbial, semio-chemical, and plant-derived biopesticides: version 1.0
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Series / Report no.
Open Access
Type
Report
Language
en
Date
2004-12-10
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Title
How to evaluate the environmental safety of plant
protection products of natural origin - Proposals for decision trees for
microbial, semio-chemical, and plant-derived biopesticides: version
1.0
Translated Title
Hoe zijn de milieurisico's vast te stellen van
gewasbeschermings-middelen van natuurlijke oorsprong - Voorstellen voor
beslisbomen voor producten met micro-organismen, signaalstoffen en
plantaardige stoffen, versie 1.0
Published in
Abstract
De milieuveiligheid van diverse
gewasbeschermingsmiddelen van natuurlijke oorsprong zal de komende jaren
door de EU opnieuw worden beoordeeld. Bovendien zullen nieuwe middelen op
de markt komen vanwege het toenemende belang van duurzame landbouw. Er zijn
echter nauwelijks richtlijnen om de milieuveiligheid van dergelijke middelen
te evalueren. Daarom worden in deze bureaustudie twee hulpmiddelen
aangereikt om de milieuveiligheid van natuurlijke gewasbeschermingsmiddelen
beter te kunnen beoordelen. Het eerste betreft beslisbomen om voor drie
groepen onacceptabele potentiele risico's te kunnen scheiden van
acceptabele. De groepen zijn microbiele gewasbeschermingsmiddelen,
signaalstoffen als feromonen en middelen van plantaardige oorsprong. Het
tweede hulpmiddel bestaat uit "samenvattings"-tabellen als format om de
uitkomsten van experimenten met microbiele gewasbeschermingsmiddelen en de
betrouwbaarheid en bruikbaarheid daarvan voor veiligheidsevaluaties vast te
leggen. Van nature voorkomende gewasbeschermingsmiddelen zijn doorgaans
minder persistent en toxisch dan synthetische gewasbeschermingsmiddelen.
Het is echter niet juist om middelen van natuurlijke oorsprong derhalve te
vrijwaren van milieuveiligheidsevaluaties. Ze kunnen infecties of
vergiftigingen veroorzaken afhankelijk van de microbiele of chemische
eigenschappen, de dosering, het type en de plaats van toepassing. Het is
van het eerste belang de identiteit van het micro-organisme, de stof of het
mengsel van stoffen, de microbiele of (bio)chemische eigenschappen, het
werkingsmechanisme, de oorsprong, de eventuele rol onder natuurlijke
omstandigheden en het gastheerbereik vast te stellen, indien van toepassing.
Vervolgens kan, mede op grond van relevante wetenschappelijke literatuur
en/of speciaal daartoe uitgevoerde experimenten, worden vastgesteld in
hoeverre het gebruik van deze middelen veilig voor het milieu
is.
The environmental safety of crop protection products of natural origin (biopesticides) is to be re-evaluated within a few years' time by the European Union. Also, new biopesticides will enter the EU market, due to the increasing importance of sustainable agriculture. There is, however, almost no guidance to evaluate the environmental safety of these products. Therefore, in this desk study risk decision trees have been developed for three groups of products, i.e. microbial organisms, signalling chemicals (including pheromones) and plant-derived substances. These trees help to discern acceptable from unacceptable potential risks. Also, summary tables have been developed to record and evaluate environmental tests with microbial pesticides. In this way the reliability and usefulness for the safety evaluation can be assessed per test. The decision trees and the summary tables are intended to improve the safety evaluation for regulatory purposes. Biopesticides are allegedly less toxic and persistent than synthetic chemicals. However, this should not exclude them from a proper environmental safety evaluation, since microbial and plant-derived biopesticidal ingredients can be infective, pathogenic or toxic. This depends on their microbiological or chemical properties, the dosage and the site and type of application. It is of primary importance to find out the identity of the micro-organism(s) or the active substance(s), the microbial or chemical characteristics, the mode of action, the origin, the role under natural conditions and the range of hosts or target organisms, if relevant. Subsequently, the scientific literature and/or the results of special environmental tests should be used to assess the safety of biopesticides to the environment.
The environmental safety of crop protection products of natural origin (biopesticides) is to be re-evaluated within a few years' time by the European Union. Also, new biopesticides will enter the EU market, due to the increasing importance of sustainable agriculture. There is, however, almost no guidance to evaluate the environmental safety of these products. Therefore, in this desk study risk decision trees have been developed for three groups of products, i.e. microbial organisms, signalling chemicals (including pheromones) and plant-derived substances. These trees help to discern acceptable from unacceptable potential risks. Also, summary tables have been developed to record and evaluate environmental tests with microbial pesticides. In this way the reliability and usefulness for the safety evaluation can be assessed per test. The decision trees and the summary tables are intended to improve the safety evaluation for regulatory purposes. Biopesticides are allegedly less toxic and persistent than synthetic chemicals. However, this should not exclude them from a proper environmental safety evaluation, since microbial and plant-derived biopesticidal ingredients can be infective, pathogenic or toxic. This depends on their microbiological or chemical properties, the dosage and the site and type of application. It is of primary importance to find out the identity of the micro-organism(s) or the active substance(s), the microbial or chemical characteristics, the mode of action, the origin, the role under natural conditions and the range of hosts or target organisms, if relevant. Subsequently, the scientific literature and/or the results of special environmental tests should be used to assess the safety of biopesticides to the environment.
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