Factors Affecting Risk Assessment of Pesticides in Water Bodies: A Review

Abstract

Pesticides pose a significant threat to the environment in terms of toxic effects. However pesticides toxicity is shaped by exposure factors and ecosystem characteristics. Such factors determine whether and in what extent the pesticide’s toxic potential will be actually expressed. Evaluation of the impact of such factors upon the pesticides toxic potential in a given environment is the task of risk assessment. The present study reviews the factors affecting the source, application pattern, load and availability of pesticides to water bodies, determining in this way the exposure status. Further on new trends in toxicity testing e.g. tiered and tailor made methodologies as well as the enhancement of the predictive principle in pesticides risk assessment are highlighted. Finally deterministic and probabilistic approaches in pesticide risk characterization are discussed.