Journal of environmental science and health. Part B, Pesticides, food contaminants, and agricultural wastes
Paginering:
Jaargang 31 (1996) nr. 3 pagina's 325-335
Jaar:
1996-05
Inhoud:
There have been considerable developments in our understanding of the environmental fate of agrochemicals and this is reflected in regulatory schemes, notably the EU Registration Directive 91/414/EEC. Assessing the environmental fate of an agrochemical requires a sequential approach with simulation modelling playing an increasingly important part, at various stages of the assessment. The results of laboratory studies and model simulations then govern the nature and extent of field studies required. Finally, comparing the environmental exposure from environmental fate studies with the results from ecotoxicology testing allows risk assessments to be made. For environmental fate, the assessments required are (i) rate and route of degradation in soils (ii) mobility in soils (both leaching and run-off potential) (iii) fate in aquatic systems and (iv) fate in air. Of these, degradation in soils is relatively well understood and our understanding of mobility in soils under natural field conditions has improved considerably as the result of multi-disciplinary approaches involving pesticide chemistry, soil science and hydrogeology. The fate of agrochemicals in natural aquatic systems has received considerable attention in recent years, mainly as a direct result of regulatory needs. Perhaps the least developed area has been fate of agrochemicals in air. This paper concentrates on fate in soil and water and summarises approaches developed within industry, within the regulatory framework and within the IUPAC Agrochemicals Commission and make recommendations based on current regulatory requirements.
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