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Postregistration monitoring of pesticides is urgently required to protect ecosystems
Author(s) -
Vijver Martina G.,
Hunting Ellard R.,
Nederstigt Tom A.P.,
Tamis Wil L.M.,
van den Brink Paul J.,
van Bodegom Peter M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
environmental toxicology and chemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1552-8618
pISSN - 0730-7268
DOI - 10.1002/etc.3721
Subject(s) - pesticide , environmental science , ecosystem , environmental chemistry , ecology , biology , chemistry
Abstract Current admission policies for pesticides follow a controlled experimental tiered risk assessment approach, giving results that are difficult to extrapolate to a real‐world situation. Later analyses of compounds such as DDT and neonicotinoid pesticides clearly show that the actual chemical impacts frequently affect many more components of an ecosystem than a priori suggested by risk assessment. Therefore, to manage the actual risks for ecosystems imposed by manufactured compounds, it is proposed that current admission policies for chemicals be enriched by using postregistration monitoring. Such monitoring is essential to identify unexpected direct and indirect impacts on organisms by accounting for multiple propagation routes and exposures. Implementation of postregistration monitoring could build on existing monitoring networks. This approach would tackle the current policy impasse of compartment‐based regulations versus exposure‐based regulations, and, more importantly, would provide a safety lock for risk assessment across compartments and more likely ensure the protection of our natural environment. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:860–865. © 2017 SETAC