From: -Lois Levitan
Date: 5th July 1999
Organisation: Cornell University
Subject: Pesticide Risk Indicator Systems

Request

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The reason for this request is that I am writing an updated and revised review of pesticide impact assessment (a.k.a. risk indicator) systems. My 1997 paper on this topic An Overview of Pesticide Impact Assessment Systems a.k.a. Pesticide Risk Indicators is posted on the web at www.cfe.cornell.edu/risk/, an earlier version was published in 1998 in the Encyclopedia of Environmental Analysis and Remediation, "Pesticide Ranking by Environmental Impact."

The type of information I am looking for includes:

• Purpose of the system: What / whose perceived need led to development of the system?

• Who are intended to use and make decisions based on the system: e.g., pesticide applicators, farm advisors, land use planners, regulators, policy analysts, the press, environmental and other public interest groups...

• What is the scale of analysis: e.g., a farm field, a farm, a bioregion, a political jurisdiction (e.g.: a county, state, country), the planet?

• What is the time frame of the analysis: An individual pest control application, the production season, a multi-year time horizon?

• What is the unit of analysis: e.g., a class of pesticides, a pest control product, a pest control method, a pest control as applied to a specific target pest, a farm system, a production scenario, a product?

• Which environmental effects/variables are taken into account: Inherent properties of pest control products and methods, or site and situation-specific parameters as well? Impacts on human health, non-human biota, ecosystem level effects?

• What is the source of input data?

• Does the system assess impacts or behaviors: Does it measure/estimate potential hazards from pest control practices or does it measure and mark the adoption of certain practices, such as organic farming or IPM?

• What are the principles behind the calculation(s), classifications and decision rules? Give details.

• What is the format of the output: Can the results be viewed and used separately from the process of the analysis (as is the case with a ranked or scored listing of of pesticides), or does each user go through the assessment process to produce customized results (i.e.: does a farmer use a workbook or computerized expert system to determine which is the least risk option under situation-specific farm conditions)? Are results displayed on a computer screen as part of an interactive expert system? in a spreadsheet or on a list that is printed on a piece of paper? in a document?...

• Stage of development of the system: Is it still evolving? Is it published? What would be involved in adapting the system for other user groups?

Thanks very much

Dr. Lois Levitan

Respond to this Query / Request

1st response

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The Pesticide Trust
Eurolink Centre
49 Effra Road Road
London SW2 1BZ
Tel no (0171) 274 8895
[Fax 0171 274 9084]
pesttrust@gn.apc.org
www.gn.apc.org/pesticidestrust

cheers

Micky

2nd response

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1. EPA Information The Office Of Pesticide Programs - Biopesticides and Pollution Prevention Division which is responsible for the regulation of all biopesticides in the United States of America.

   The website covers amongst other things :-

   • active ingredients
   • definition of biopesticides
   • fact sheets
   • press releases,
   • publications
   • regulatory activity
   • related Internet resources
   • tolerance applications, and experimental use
   • US Federal Register notices

2. US Government Information - The Pesticide National Synthesis Project which is part of the USGS National Water Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA).

   The objective of the project is the long-term assessment of the status of and trends in the quality of water resources in the USA.

   The website covers amongst other things :-

   • project overview
   • national summaries
   • data on pesticides in water
   • contaminants in fish hormones
   • maps of pesticide use
   • online publications
   • pesticide-related links

3. Academic Information - Virginia Tech Pesticide Programs Pesticide Site Locator, and Pesticides and other toxic chemicals clearinghouse.

   The website consists of a fully searchable database of pesticide-related Internet resources, which include amongst other things :-

   • Government Information Sources
   • Organizations and Educational Institutions
   • Pesticide News and Newsletters
   • Pest Control Product Manufacturers
   • technical information on pesticides
   • pesticide education and training programs
   • pesticide safety teaching resources

4. Canadian Government Information - The Pest Management Regulatory Agency, which protects human health and environment by minimizing risks associated with pest control products while enabling access to pest management tools.

   The website, which is in English and French, includes amongst other things :-

   • contact information for pesticide programs
   • regulatory information
   • international activities information
   • sustainable pest management data
   • online publications
   • related links
   • headlines section

5. Business / Corporate / Non-profit Information - Greenbook.net, run by the Chemical and Pharmaceutical (C+P) Press. The site offers free and subscription-based reference services to their online Crop Protection Reference manual.
   • The free service provides the most current versions of product labels and Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Documents can be located by brand and company name.

   • The subscription (available for a one-month free trial) gives access to a single source of product summaries (including all sites and pests on which the product is registered, EPA registration information, restricted use information, common name, etc.), worker protection information, DOT shipping information, and SARA Title III reporting information.

cheers

Micky