More realistic concentrations of agrochemicals for environmental risk assessments

Abstract

Given the strict protocols for the registration of agrochemicals in developed countries there is a need to re-consider whether the use of PECs for the assessment of risks and/or hazards in aquatic environments is a valid approach. As the exposure of aquatic organisms in natural systems is reduced by several processes, more realistic values of effective concentrations should be estimated. A correcting factor for such effective exposure is proposed here based on the partitioning and dissipation features of organic pesticides. The validation of this model is limited by the data available at the moment, but the evidence so far is quite promising.