scholarly journals Extrapolating acute bee sensitivity to insecticides using a phylogenetically informed interspecies scaling framework

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Pamminger
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Body Weight ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Standard Test ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Interspecies Scaling ◽  
Test Species ◽  
Sensitivity Assessment

AbstractPlant protection products, including insecticides, are important for global food production. Historically, research of the adverse effects of insecticides on bees has focused on the honeybee (Apis mellifera), while non-Apis bee species remained understudied. Consequently, sensitivity assessment of insecticides for the majority of bees is lacking, which in turn hinders accurate risk characterization and consequently bee protection. Interspecies sensitivity extrapolation based on body weight offers a potential solution to this problem, but in the past such approaches have often ignored the phylogenetic background and consequently non independence of species used in such models. Using published data on the sensitivity of different bee species to commonly used insecticides, their body weight and phylogenetic background I build interspecies scaling models (ISMs) applying a phylogenetically informed framework. In addition, I compared, the relative sensitivity of the standard test species Apis mellifera to other bee species to evaluate their protectiveness when used as standards screening bee species in the risk assessment process. I found that overall 1) body weight is a predictor of bee sensitivity to insecticides for a range of insecticide classes and 2) A. mellifera is the most sensitive standard test species currently available and consequently a suitable surrogate species for ecotoxicological risk assessment.

scholarly journals Overview of the testing and assessment of effects of microbial pesticides on bees: strengths, challenges and perspectives

Apidologie ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shannon Borges ◽  
Abdulrahim T. Alkassab ◽  
Elizabeth Collison ◽  
Silvia Hinarejos ◽  
Ben Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Apis Mellifera ◽  
Honey Bees ◽  
Lower Risk ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Risk Profile ◽  
Testing Methods ◽  
Regulatory Requirements ◽  
Microbial Pesticides ◽  
Chemical Pesticides

AbstractCurrently, there is a growing interest in developing biopesticides and increasing their share in the plant protection market as sustainable tools in integrated pest management (IPM). Therefore, it is important that regulatory requirements are consistent and thorough in consideration of biopesticides’ unique properties. While microbial pesticides generally have a lower risk profile, they present special challenges in non-target organism testing and risk assessment since, in contrast to chemical pesticides, their modes of action include infectivity and pathogenicity rather than toxicity alone. For this reason, non-target organism testing guidelines designed for conventional chemical pesticides are not necessarily directly applicable to microbial pesticides. Many stakeholders have recognised the need for improvements in the guidance available for testing microbial pesticides with honey bees, particularly given the increasing interest in development and registration of microbial pesticides and concerns over risks to pollinators. This paper provides an overview of the challenges with testing and assessment of the effects of microbial pesticides on honey bees (Apis mellifera), which have served as a surrogate for both Apis and non-Apis bees, and provides a foundation toward developing improved testing methods.

scholarly journals How much pollen do solitary bee larvae consume? Or establishing realistic exposure estimates of solitary bee larvae via pollen for the use in risk assessment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Pamminger ◽  
Christof Schneider ◽  
Raffael Maas ◽  
Matthias Bergtold
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Plant Protection Products ◽  
Solitary Bees ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Solitary Bee ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Scaling Models ◽  
Adult Body Weight

Bees foraging in agricultural habitats can be exposed to plant protection products. In order to limit the risk of adverse events to occur a robust risk assessment is needed, which requires reliable estimates for the expected exposure. Especially the exposure pathways to developing solitary bees are not well described and in the currently proposed form rely on limited information. To address this topic, we used a published data set on the volume of pollen solitary bees provide for their larvae to build two scaling models predicting the amount of protein and pollen developing solitary bees need based on adult body weight. We test our models using both literature and experimental data, which both support the validity of the presented models. Using scaling models in the bee risk assessment could complement existing risk assessment approaches, facilitate the further development of accurate risk characterization for solitary bees and ultimately will help to protect them during their foraging activity in agricultural settings.

Foliar Interception and Retention Values after Pesticide Application. A Proposal for Standardized Values for Environmental Risk Assessment (Technical Report)

2000 ◽  
Vol 72 (11) ◽  
pp. 2199-2218 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Linders ◽  
H. Mensink ◽  
G. Stephenson ◽  
D. Wauchope ◽  
K. Racke
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Plant Protection Products ◽  
Physicochemical Characteristics ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Risk Assessments ◽  
Planting Density ◽  
Pesticide Application ◽  
Technical Report ◽  
The World

In performing risk assessments for plant protection products by applicants or regulators in relation to the registration of the products, an important aspect to take into account is the foliar interception and retention of the active substance of the product on the plant. An overview is given of the approaches to this item in several parts of the world. The relevant circumstances and influencing variables, such as growth phase, planting density, and some physicochemical characteristics (e.g., vapor pressure and Henry's coefficient) are dealt with. Finally, a proposal is presented for how to take into account the phenomenon of foliar interception and retention in the initial phase, first tier, of the risk assessment process.

scholarly journals Interspecific sensitivity of European amphibians towards two pesticides and comparison to standard test species

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Adams ◽  
Christoph Leeb ◽  
Alexis P. Roodt ◽  
Carsten A. Brühl
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Model Organism ◽  
Bufo Bufo ◽  
Standard Test ◽  
Lower Sensitivity ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Surrogate Species ◽  
Test Species ◽  
Uncertainty Factor ◽  
Hyla Arborea

Abstract Background Although debates about the assessment of potential effects of pesticides on amphibians are ongoing, amphibians are not yet considered in the current EU environmental risk assessment of pesticides. Instead, the risk assessment of potential effects on aquatic amphibian life stages relies on use of data of surrogate species like the standard temperate fish species rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This assumption is mainly based on the comparison to amphibian species not native to Europe such as the aquatic African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). It remains unclear whether these surrogate species cover semi-aquatic Central European amphibian sensitivities. Therefore, we assessed the acute sensitivity of aquatic stages of eight European amphibian species native in Germany (Bufo bufo, Bufotes viridis, Epidalea calamita, Hyla arborea, Pelobates fuscus, Pelophylax sp., Rana dalmatina, R. temporaria) towards commercial formulations of the fungicide folpet (Folpan® 500 SC, Adama) and the insecticide indoxacarb (Avaunt® EC, Cheminova). The determined acute sensitivities (median lethal concentration, LC50) were included in species sensitivity distributions and compared to experimentally determined LC50 values of X. laevis and literature values of O. mykiss. Results The results showed that native amphibian sensitivities differed between the tested pesticides with a factor of 5 and 11. Depending on the pesticide, X. laevis was five and nine times more tolerant than the most sensitive native amphibian species. Comparing literature values of O. mykiss to the experimentally determined sensitivities of the native amphibian species showed that the O. mykiss sensitivity was in the same range as for the tested amphibians for the formulation Folpan® 500 SC. The comparison of sensitivities towards the formulation Avaunt® EC showed an eight times lower sensitivity of O. mykiss than the most sensitive amphibian species. Conclusions A risk assessment using the 96-h LC50 values for fish covers the risk for the assessed aquatic stages of European amphibians after the application of the recommended uncertainty factor of 100 and thus may be adequate for lower tier risk assessment of the studied pesticides. If aquatic amphibian testing will be required for pesticide risk assessment nevertheless, acute tests with the model organism X. laevis and the application of an appropriate uncertainty factor might be a promising approach.

scholarly journals Bioaccumulation assessment of nanomaterials using freshwater invertebrate species

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Kuehr ◽  
Verena Kosfeld ◽  
Christian Schlechtriem
Keyword(s):  
Risk Assessment ◽  
Bioconcentration Factor ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Production Volume ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Test Species ◽  
Suitable Test ◽  
Invertebrate Species ◽  
Freshwater Invertebrate ◽  
Test Organisms

Abstract Background The high production volume of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) may lead to high pressure on the environment, and a scientific assessment of ENMs that bioaccumulate in organisms and biomagnify in the food web is necessary. Within the regulation of chemicals in several jurisdictions, such as the European regulation REACH, the bioconcentration factor is the standard endpoint. The bioconcentration factor is mostly determined by flow-through fish tests. However, nanomaterials tend to agglomerate, which may lead to sedimentation in aquatic environments. The bioavailability of the tested nanomaterials may be thus impaired for pelagic species, including fish, in comparison to benthic or filtrating species. Several risk assessment regulations allow the usage of data gained during tests using invertebrates and such data may allow a waiver of further tests using vertebrates. The aim of this study was to elucidate the potential of different freshwater invertebrate species to be used in laboratory bioaccumulation studies on ENMs and to give some guidance for the use of bioaccumulation endpoints derived from studies using aquatic invertebrate species in the risk assessment process for ENMs. Results The existing literature related to the testing of nanomaterial bioaccumulation with freshwater invertebrates was screened and reviewed to find suitable test species with regard to their ecology and physiology, as well as laboratory test systems allowing to investigate the bioavailability/bioaccumulation of nanomaterials with the respective species. Bivalvia, gastropoda, isopoda, amphipoda, and branchiopoda were reviewed and their suitability for bioaccumulation testing was assessed. Amphipods and bivalves represent worst-case scenarios and show clear advantages to be used as test organisms. However, only amphipods allow the examination of two clearly independent exposure pathways (water and diet). Conclusion Amphipods are suitable test organisms for bioaccumulation testing of ENMs. The results from amphipod bioconcentration and biomagnification tests can be included in a tiered assessment suggested at the end of this study allowing a clear grading of the tested nanomaterials as “bioaccumulative” or “non bioaccumulative.” Due to the worst-case scenario of the amphipod test, this approach may allow a waiver of further vertebrate tests.

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