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Report of the sub-committee on the environment and health. 3. Definition of the workWith a view to evaluating the consequences of a total or partial phase-out of pesticides, the sub-committee first gathered together the existing information on the known environmental and health effects of the use of pesticides as a reference frame for analysing the various cultivation systems set up by the Sub-committee on Agriculture. Definition of pesticdes In its work, the sub-committee used the definition of pesticides proposed by the Sub-Committee on Legislation. That definition is reproduced below: "The expressions pesticides, plant protection products and active ingredients appear frequently in the following. For the sake of clarity, they and some other terms are therefore explained here. Pesticides is an inclusive term for plant protection products and biocides. Plant protection products (or spraying products) are the products used in the agricultural industries (farming, forestry, market gardening and fruit production) for prevention and control of weeds, pests and fungal diseases and for regulating growth (including straw shortening). Plant protection products can also – where permitted by law – be used in private gardens and similar, including uncultivated and public land. Biocides include wood protection products, rat poisons and slimicides for use in paper pulp etc. A pesticide consists of one or more active ingredients and some coformulants. The active ingredient is the substance that is specifically aimed at pests etc. The coformulants are substances that are added to enhance the intended effect." The sub-committee knew that the Committee on Drinking Water appointed by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency in March 1996 had presented its report on 17 December 1997. The report showed that the committee had examined the existing regulation of pesticides and the risk of contamination of drinking water with pesticides. Therefore, where relevant, the Sub-committee on Environment and Health used this report as background material. The sub-committee examined the existing body of knowledge to determine the general level of knowledge in this area and to ascertain how any lack of knowledge affected the possibility of evaluating the consequences of a total or partial phase-out of pesticides. At the request of the main committee, the sub-committee also assessed the possibility of identifying the most harmful of the pesticides authorised for use today. In that connection, the sub-committee considered how the precautionary principle could be operationalised in the case of pesticides and examined the pesticide problem in relation to other chemical compounds used in agriculture. The sub-committee did not carry out a systematic evaluation of the present authorisation scheme, partly because this lay outside its mandate and partly because an expert evaluation had already been carried out in the case of groundwater protection in the spring and summer of 1997. Readers are also referred to a brief review in Annex 1 of the data required for authorisation of pesticides and to Annex 2 concerning the general rules for risk assessment of environmental impacts and classification of health impacts. Consultants’ reports Pesticides detected in the groundwater: Walter Brüsch, Bo Lindhardt, Martin Hansen, GEUS Exposure and effect of pesticides on harmful insects in cultivated and terrestrial ecosystems: Lars Monrad Hansen, DIAS Effects on flora in cultivated and uncultivated ecosystems: Gösta Kjellsson, DMU, Kathrine Hauge Madsen, KVL Pesticides detected in precipitation, contribution of precipitation to soil and groundwater and international contribution to the pesticide load: Gitte Felding, DIAS Pesticides detected in drain water and soil water: Niels Henrik Spliid, DIAS Reduction potential at filling and washing yards: Niels Henrik Spliid, DIAS Exposure and effects of pesticide usage on useful fauna and other lower and higher fauna in arable land: Niels Elmegård, DMU Pesticides in soil: Inge S. Fomsgaard, DIAS Effects on flora and fauna in fresh water: Nikolaj Friberg, DMU Pesticides found in watercourses and lakes, together with surface run-off: Betty Bügel Mogensen, DMU Ingestion of pesticides through diet: Arne Büchert, VFA Effect of pesticides on public health: Lars Rauff Skadhauge, The National Board of Health Analysis/description of the consequences for health and safety of phasing out pesticides within the agricultural industries: Karen Gertrud Bjørn, Occupational Health Service (OHS) Greater Copenhagen, Leif Rothmann, OHS Funen Interaction between pesticides and production of toxins in food products: Susanne Elmholt, DIAS Input concerning: Nitrate leaching during different forms of soil treatment: Elly Møller Hansen, Jørgen Djurhuus, DIAS Change in consumption of fossil energy with restructuring for 0-pesticide agriculture: Tommy Dalgaard Synthesis of the known effects of pesticides on the agro-ecosystem’s organisms and modelling of effects on bird populations on arable land in connection with a total or partial phase-out of pesticides: Bo Svenning Petersen, Flemming Pagh Jensen, Ornis Consult Pesticide scenarios: Effects on lower fauna: Niels Elmegård, Jørgen A. Axelsen, DMU Analysis of the environmental impact of pesticide use in private forestry: Morten Strandberg, DMU Effect of pesticides on the aquatic environment with different treatment frequency indices: Flemming Møhlenberg, Kim Gustavson, DHI Water & Environment Technical background report on identification of the most harmful pesticides authorised for use today: Bo Lindhardt, GEUS, Peter B. Sørensen, DMU, Niels Elmegård, DMU, Inge S. Fomsgård, DIAS, Else Nielsen, VFA, Jim Hart, VFA, Lene Gravesen, Danish Environmental Protection Agency (DEPA), Lerke Ambo Nielsen, DEPA, Lene Lorenzen, DEPA, Kaj Juhl Madsen, DEPA. Comments received from individuals/institutions that were not members of the sub-committee Novartis, Ole Jensen: Midway Conference in the Bichel Committee Novartis/Mads Kristensen: Comments and questions to the Pesticide Committee Bayer, Frank Rothweiler: Follow-up on the Midway Conference in the Bichel Committee Cheminova, Lars-Erik K. Pedersen: Comments to the Committee following the Midway Conference in the Bichel Committee Hans Sanderson, Comments to the Sub-committee for Environment and Health Peter Højer: Questions to the Pesticide Committee Jens Husby: Questions to the Bichel Committee Institute for Product Development, Technical University of Denmark, Bente Mortensen Comments to Henrik Sandbech’s paper at the Midway Conference in the Bichel Committee Helga Moos, MP (Liberals): Comments to the Midway Conference Zeneca Agro, Freddy Kjøng Pedersen: The Midway Conference on 21 September 1998 Erik Faurholt: Questions to the Pesticide Committee. |