Pesticide Risk Indicators: Unidentified Inert Ingredients Compromise Their Integrity and Utility

Pesticide Risk Indicators (PRIs) are widely used to evaluate and compare the potential health and environmental risks of pesticide use and to guide pest control policies and practices. They are applied to agricultural, landscape and structural pest management by governmental agencies, private institutions and individuals. PRIs typically assess only the potential risks associated with the active ingredients because, with few exceptions, pesticide manufacturers disclose only the identity of the active ingredients which generally comprise only a minor portion of pesticide products. We show that when inert ingredients are identified and assessed by the same process as the active ingredient, the product specific risk can be much greater than that calculated for the active ingredient alone. To maintain transparency in risk assessment, all those who develop and apply PRIs or make decisions based on their output, should clearly disclose and discuss the limitations of the method.     

Summary of well water sampling in California to detect pesticide residues resulting from nonpoint-source applications

This report summarizes well sampling protocols, data collection procedures, and analytical results for the presence of pesticides in ground water developed by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR). Specific well sampling protocols were developed to meet regulatory mandates of the Pesticide Contamination Prevention Act (PCPA) of 1986 and to provide further understanding of the agronomic, chemical, and geographic factors that contribute to movement of residues to ground water. The well sampling data have formed the basis for the DPR's regulatory decisions. For example, a sampling protocol, the Four-Section Survey, was developed to determine if reported detections were caused by nonpoint-source agricultural applications, a determination that can initiate formal review and subsequent regulation of a pesticide. Selection of sampling sites, which are primarily rural domestic wells, was initially based on pesticide use and cropping patterns. Recently, soil and depth-to-ground water data have been added to identify areas where a higher frequency of detection is expected. In accordance with the PCPA, the DPR maintains a database for all pesticide well sampling in California with submission required by all state agencies and with invitations for submission extended to all local and federal agencies or other entities. To date, residues for 16 active ingredients and breakdown products have been detected in California ground water as a result of legal agricultural use. Regulations have been adopted for all detected parent active ingredients, and they have been developed regardless of the level of detection.     

Development and Implementation of Strategic Frameworks for Air Quality Management in the UK and the European Community

The UK and the EC have recognized that the application of national and EC policies alone may not be cost effective in improving air quality in some areas, especially in traffic-congested urban centres and along major road transport corridors. Consequently both have introduced new strategic frameworksfor air quality management.This paper outlines and compares the UK National Air Quality Strategy (NAQS) and the EC approach, set out in the Air Quality Framework and Daughter Directives. Both frameworks shift responsibility for reviewing, assessing and managing air quality on to local authorities. The UK considers the NAQS will provide the principal means of carrying out its commitments under the new EC framework.Local authorities in the UK have begun the review and assessment phase of the NAQS. This paper examines the support that central government has had to provide to local authorities to ensure the NAQS will be effective. It offers insights into what other Member States are likely to face when implementing their interpretation of the EC air quality management framework. The paper highlights that many UK local authorities lacked even basic air quality management capabilities when the NAQS was being formulated. Consequently the UK Government has had to expand the national pollution monitoring networks (this was achieved primarily by affiliating the growing number of local authority funded sites), commission new detailed urban emissions inventories, and develop and validate a suite of air quality dispersion models. Training events in air quality assessment techniques have had to be offered and many detailed guidance notes issued to ensure an appropriate and consistent interpretation of the NAQS. Some government initiatives to support the implementation of the NAQS suffered delays which initially caused some unnecessary uncertainties and inconsistencies amongst local authorities conducting their review and assessment of air quality. This points to the importance of the Governmentensuring that the support for the management phase of the NAQS will be in place in time. This includes providing additional pollution-control powers and reformulating transport and planning policies in order to integrate air quality management more fully.     

New type of formulations and new application techniques; consequences for the authorisation of pesticides

The assessment of pesticides is based on the intrinsic properties of the formulation, the ingredients of the␣formulation and the way the pesticide is applied. The parameters used in the assessment of the efficacy and environmental risks (plants, humans and animals) may be changed by the properties of new pesticides and new application techniques. The type of information needed for new pesticides and application techniques to comply with regulations set up by authorisation bodies will be discussed.     

Determination of volatile organic compound emissions and ozone formation from spraying solvent-based pesticides

Large-scale agricultural activities have come under scrutiny for possible contributions to the emission of ozone precursors. The San Joaquin Valley (SJV) of California is an area with intense agricultural activity that exceeds the federal ozone standards for more than 30 to 40 d yr(-1) and the more stringent state standards for more than 100 d yr(-1). Pesticides are used widely in both agricultural and residential subregions of the SJV, but the largest use, by weight of "active ingredient," is in agriculture. The objective of the study was to determine the role of pesticide application on airborne volatile organic compounds (VOC) concentrations and ozone formation in the SJV. The ozone formation from the pesticide formulation sprayed on commercial orchards was studied using two transportable smog chambers at four application sites during the summers of 2007 and 2008. In addition to the direct measurements of ozone formation, airborne VOC concentrations were measured before and after pesticide spraying using canister and sorbent tube sampling techniques. Soil VOC concentrations were also measured to understand the distribution of VOCs between different environmental compartments. Numerous VOCs were detected in the air and soil samples throughout the experiment but higher molecular weight aromatic hydrocarbons were the primary compounds observed in elevated concentrations immediately after pesticide spraying. Measurements indicate that the ozone concentration formed by VOC downwind of the orchard may increase up to 15 ppb after pesticide application, with a return back to prespray levels after 1 to 2 d.     

Local self-determination,process-focus and subordination of environmental concerns

Globalization and region enlargement has increased the emphasis of local authorities on being competitive for inward investment and taxpayers. This can lead to a subordination of environmental concerns. In order to secure environmental and other national interests, planning and regulation at supra-local level is required, especially if the local authorities have different motivations and goals from the central government. The central government policy guidelines of the Norwegian planning system and the possibility for regional state authorities to make objections are an apparatus to protect national interests in planning. However, there has been a significant change in the central government’s practice when deciding on objections by regional state authorities against municipal plans since the new right-wing Norwegian government came into power. The losers from the changed practice are the environmental interests, widely defined. The new government’s prioritization of local self-determination and planning processes rather than contents resonates with key features of neoliberalism, but also with important elements of communicative planning theory.     

Stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and cleanup priorities: A methodology and application for Tunisia

Obsolete pesticides have accumulated in almost every developing country or economy in transition over the past several decades. Concerned about the risks these chemicals pose to nearby residents, public health and environmental authorities are eager to reduce health threats by removing and decontaminating stockpile sites. However, there are many sites, cleanup can be costly, and public resources are scarce, so decision makers need to set priorities. Under these conditions, it seems sensible to develop a methodology for prioritizing sites and treating them sequentially, as budgetary resources permit.This paper presents a new methodology that develops a cleanup priority index for 1915 metric tons of obsolete pesticide formulations at 197 stockpile sites in Tunisia. The approach integrates information on populations at risk, their proximity to stockpiles, and the relative toxic hazards of the stockpiles. What emerges from the Tunisia results is a strategy for sequentially addressing all 197 sites to rapidly reduce potential health damage in a cost-effective way.     

Pesticide risk reduction on crops in the Province of Ontario

We analyzed the changes in pesticide use and risk in the Province of Ontario, Canada, from 1973 to 1998 to monitor the success of Food Systems 2002, a program to reduce pesticide use by 50%. Pesticide risk was calculated by multiplying the amount of pesticide used (kilograms of active ingredient) by the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ), a score for the potential risk of pesticides to farmworkers, consumers, and the environment. Pesticide use increased by 46% from 1973 to 1983. From 1983, the baseline year for Food Systems 2002, to 1998, pesticide use decreased by 38.5% and risk declined 39.5%. The reductions in pesticide use and risk were primarily on corn (Zea mays L.) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), the crops with the highest pesticide use in 1983. Total pesticide use on soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] did not change, but the mean application rate (kg ha(-1)) decreased by 57%. Corn and soybean account for 65% of pesticide use, but have a relatively low pesticide use and risk per hectare and per tonne of production. Total pesticide use on tobacco, fruits, and vegetables was lower than on corn or soybean, but the pesticide use and risk per hectare were much higher. Small reductions in pesticide use on corn and soybean may allow a 50% reduction in pesticide use, but greater reductions in risk can be achieved by reducing the use of "high risk" pesticides on fruit and vegetables.     

Human urine as a source of alternative natural fertilizer in agriculture: A flight of fancy or an achievable reality

Organically agricultural products are gaining popularities through out the world as it gives the consumer satisfaction with a basket of safer and better trusted foods. It is also well established that intensive conventional agricultural practices can introduce contaminants into the food chain with adverse affect on environment. However, organic agricultural practices give an alternative environmental friendly sustainable agriculture among the farmers. Beside this fact, organic crops contain fewer nitrates, nitrites, pesticide residues and trace elements than conventional crops. Even though, in organic systems generally have 20% lower yields than conventionally produced crops. One of the major constrains of organic farming is decrease of raw organic matters to prepare compost. Therefore, scientists are looking forward for different organic sources which are plenty in nature and available at little-to-no cost. Human urine is one of them, and has been gaining popularities as a raw material for organic cultivation. However, several important merits and demerits of application of human urine are needed to be addressed in agriculture.     

现行农产品质量监管体系下农药残留控制路径探析--以浙江省某村为例

农药的施用关系到农产品质量安全问题。本文以浙江省某村农药管理与施用为例,通过对政府部门、镇农技站、农资销售点和农民等相关方的访谈,从农业发展战略高度系统思考农产品安全问题的成因与对策。指出农药施用过程监管的缺失和结果监管的缺位仅是表象,其根本原因在于农民的组织化程度低导致监管成本高、农技服务不到位。提出多功能农业发展定位的确立、制度创新基础上农业生产服务体系的优化以及村委会角色责任的调整是应对之策。     

Planning for Nature Conservation: The Role and Performance of English District Local Authorities in the 1990s

This paper investigates the performance of district local authorities in their delivery of nature conservation in the 1990s, both through the land use planning system and in their wider operational functions. Studies conducted in the 1980s revealed a large gap in performance between the best and the worst performers.The last decade, however, has witnessed far reaching changes within local government as well as external influences which are likely to have affected the ability of local authorities to promote the conservation of nature. The research shows that performance has significantly improved in a number of the roles which local authorities exercise in relation to conservation. There still remains, however, a marked variation between the best performers and the remainder.     

Systematizing the production of environmental plans: an Australian example

Environmental planning legislation in New South Wales now requires local government authorities to draw up statutory plans that take into account, among other concerns, both the biophysical and the social environmental issues within their jurisdictions. The SIRO-PLAN method of plan production provides a systematic mechanism for fulfilling this requirement. This article describes the application of the method by planning researchers over 18 months to the production of a Local Environmental Plan for a rural local government in New South Wales. The policy formulation, the purposive data collection, and the deliberate adjustment of plans in order to recognize interest group requirements were all found to be valuable features of the method, while the translation of the ultimately chosen land-use plan into the explicit regulatory controls available to the local government authority was found to require further refinement. The capacity of SIRO-PLAN to quantify the resolution of competing environmental concerns in the final plan, although of value to planning researchers, proved too arcane for traditionally trained planners.     

Tales of local sustainability

Local Agenda 21 (LA21) has emerged as the principal means of addressing sustainable development practice at the local government level. In the UK, progressive local authorities have emphasised the need for participatory processes and innovative policy options. This requires commitment and active involvement from a variety of individuals and organisations. Participants in LA21 have been interviewed to determine their motivations and perceptions, and their responses are represented in terms of the storylines of various constituencies of interest. The key themes seem to be those of actively promoting widespread participation, gaining competence in innovative techniques, taking a holistic approach to quality of life concerns, and claiming the legitimacy of local government as a key player in sustainable development.     

液质联用测定番茄中甲基硫菌灵残留量

为了评价70％甲基硫菌灵可湿性粉剂在番茄中的使用安全性,开展甲基硫菌灵在番茄中的残留量研究。本文建立了分散固相萃取前处理,高效液相色谱/质谱联用法测定甲基硫菌灵在番茄中残留量的方法。样品经乙腈提取,乙二胺-N-丙基甲硅烷（PSA）和无水硫酸镁混合振荡离心除去杂质和水分,上清液用配有电喷雾（ESI）源的高效液相色谱/质谱联用仪测定。田间试验结果建议在番茄上喷施70％甲基硫菌灵可湿性粉剂562.5 g ai·hm^-2,3次施药,推荐安全间隔期为3 d;市场抽检样品检测表明番茄中甲基硫菌灵的残留量均小于0.05 mg·kg^-1,低于最大残留限量3 mg·kg^-1。     

Tales of local sustainability

Abstract

Local Agenda 21 (LA21) has emerged as the principal means of addressing sustainable development practice at the local government level. In the UK, progressive local authorities have emphasised the need for participatory processes and innovative policy options. This requires commitment and active involvement from a variety of individuals and organisations. Participants in LA21 have been interviewed to determine their motivations and perceptions, and their responses are represented in terms of the storylines of various constituencies of interest. The key themes seem to be those of actively promoting widespread participation, gaining competence in innovative techniques, taking a holistic approach to quality of life concerns, and claiming the legitimacy of local government as a key player in sustainable development.     

Using coal for transportation in China: Life cycle GHG of coal-based fuel and electric vehicle,and policy implications

This paper compares the GHG emissions of coal-to-liquid (CTL) fuels to the GHG emissions of electric vehicles (EVs) powered with coal-to-electricity in China. A life cycle model is used to account for full fuel cycle and use-phase emissions, as well as vehicle cycle and battery manufacturing emissions. It is found that the reduction of life cycle GHG emissions of EVs charged by electricity generated from coal, without utilizing carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS) technology can be 3–36% when compared to petroleum-based gasoline car. The large range in emissions reduction potential is driven by the many different power generation technologies that are and could in the future be used to generate electricity in China. When CCS is employed in power plants, the GHG emission reductions increase to 60–70% compared to petroleum-based gasoline car. However, the use of coal to produce liquid transportation fuels (CTL fuels) will likely lead to significantly increased life cycle GHG emissions, potentially 30–140% higher than petroleum-based gasoline. When CCS is utilized in the CTL plant, the CTL fueled vehicles emit roughly equal GHG emissions to petroleum-based gasoline vehicles from the life cycle perspective. The authors conclude that policies are therefore needed in China in order to accelerate battery technology and infrastructural improvements for EV charging, increased energy efficiency management, and deployment of low-carbon technologies such as CCS.     

A Combined MOIP–MCDA Approach to Building and Screening Atmospheric Pollution Control Strategies in Urban Regions

This article presents a methodological approach for the formulation of control strategies capable of reducing atmospheric pollution at the standards set by European legislation. The approach was implemented in the greater area of Thessaloniki and was part of a project aiming at the compliance with air quality standards in five major cities in Greece. The methodological approach comprises two stages: in the first stage, the availability of several measures contributing to a certain extent to reducing atmospheric pollution indicates a combinatorial problem and favors the use of Integer Programming. More specifically, Multiple Objective Integer Programming is used in order to generate alternative efficient combinations of the available policy measures on the basis of two conflicting objectives: public expenditure minimization and social acceptance maximization. In the second stage, these combinations of control measures (i.e., the control strategies) are then comparatively evaluated with respect to a wider set of criteria, using tools from Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis, namely, the well-known PROMETHEE method. The whole procedure is based on the active involvement of local and central authorities in order to incorporate their concerns and preferences, as well as to secure the adoption and implementation of the resulting solution.     

Sustainability appraisal in local land‐use planning: patterns of current performance

The UK government has identified the land‐use planning system, and development plans in particular, as potentially powerful instruments for integrating national sustainability objectives into strategic decision making at local levels. One method for achieving this is through the use of so‐called ‘sustainability appraisals’, which are an extension of the established system of environmental appraisal used by planners since the early 1990s. A national framework is outlined in Planning Policy Guidance Note 12. Local authorities are now expected to conduct an environmental appraisal of their development plans which covers sustainable development issues. However, little research has been conducted on the effectiveness of current guidance in meeting this aim. By evaluating the implementation of sustainability appraisals nationally, this paper suggests that while government advice to appraise is generally being applied, the actual use of key sustainability principles in practice is rather variable. It then discusses these findings in relation to the changing context of appraisals in the UK and other national planning systems.     

Effect of formulation on the behavior of 1,3-dichloropropene in soil

The fumigant 1,3-dichloropropene (1,3-D) has been identified as a partial replacement for methyl bromide (CH3Br) in soil fumigation. 1,3-Dichloropropene is formulated for soil fumigation as Telone II (Dow AgroSciences, Indianapolis, IN) for shank application and as an emulsifiable concentrate (EC) (Telone EC or InLine; Dow AgroSciences) for drip application. This study investigated the effect of formulation on the phase partitioning, transformation rate, and volatilization of 1,3-D isomers. Air-water partitioning coefficients (K(H)) were slightly higher for Telone II than for Telone EC, presumably due to the higher apparent water solubility of the EC formulation. Sorption of 1,3-D isomers in two soils was not affected by formulation. Formulation had no significant effect on the rate of 1,3-D transformation in water or soil. In general, differences in the rate of 1,3-D transformation and phase partitioning due to formulation as Telone II or Telone EC were very small. Thus, the effect of formulation on 1,3-D fate may be ignored in transformation and phase partition of 1,3-D in water and soil. Packed soil columns without plastic tarp indicated that with relatively shallow subsurface (10 cm) drip application of Telone EC, emission of 1,3-D isomers was more rapid and produced greater maximum instantaneous flux than deeper (30 cm) shank injection of Telone II. Both application methods resulted in the same cumulative emissions for both isomers, 45% for (E)-1,3-D and approximately 50% for (Z)-1,3-D. These results suggest that for drip application of fumigants to be effective in reducing emissions, the fumigant must be applied at sufficient depths to prevent rapid volatilization from the soil surface if the water application rate does not sufficiently restrict vapor diffusion.     

Controlled-release system for the insect growth regulator cyromazine

An encapsulation system designed to give long-lasting effectiveness of the insect growth regulator (IGR) cyromazine (Neporex) against Culex pipiens (Culicidae) mosquito larvae was developed. The main thrust of the research was to develop a simple method for preparing controlled-release formulations by means of an extrusion technique in combination with a supplementary coating and to study the release characteristics and effectiveness of the formulations. A series of formulations were prepared with low-density polyethylene (LDPE 600) for the matrix and with polyurea or one of four types of polyurethane for the coating. The rate of release of the active material from the controlled-release formulations was determined in an in vitro dissolution system. The biological activity of the controlled-release formulations was tested in vivo against C. pipiens larvae.