Practical Tools and Methods for Evaluating Ecological Impacts of Pesticides: Harmonizing Ecological Exposure/Risk Assessment

摘要

Pesticides are used throughout the world to protect agricultural crops and safeguard public health, but few national authorities have the capacity to routinely evaluate the potential ecological risk of using a new pesticidal product. All countries benefit from having the capability to quickly perform a scientifically-based pesticide risk assessment, and formulate appropriate risk management measures prior to approving use. Harmonization of assessment methods and tools permits sharing of assessment costs among countries, and expands the range of expertise which can be devoted to this important work. Harmonized processes facilitate training and capacity-building activities. This paper briefly describes opportunities to coordinate the ecological exposure/risk assessment process using accepted methods and tools and points out areas in which the work may be shared. It focuses specifically on readily-available, easy-to-use assessment simulation tools for carrying out aquatic and terrestrial pesticide ecological exposure/risk assessments. The following user-friendly, computer-based, tools are briefly described: 1. The Surface Water Simulation Model (SWSIM) is a simple, screening-level estimator of pesticide concentrations in surface water 2. EXPRESS (EXAMS-PRZM Exposure Simulation Shell) is a user-friendly, input/output shell to estimate pesticide exposure to aquatic wildlife using much more complex and sophisticated models 3. Terrestrial Risk Simulation Model (TERSIM) is a simple estimator of terrestrial ecological risk based on potential pesticide residues on avian and mammalian food items using the Fletcher-Kanaga (UTAB) data base 4. T-REX (Terrestrial Residue Exposure) model is a more complex, spreadsheet-based estimator of terrestrial ecological risk also based on potential pesticide residues on avian and mammalian food items using the Fletcher-Kanaga (UTAB) data base, and 5. Rice WQ is a pesticide environmental fate and transport, water quality model that estimates pesticide concentrations within and down-steam from single or multiple rice paddies.