Identifying potential gaps in pesticide risk assessment: Terrestrial life stages of freshwater insects

TY - JOUR

T1 - Identifying potential gaps in pesticide risk assessment

T2 - Terrestrial life stages of freshwater insects

AU - Rasmussen, Jes

AU - Wiberg-Larsen, Peter

AU - Baattrup-Pedersen, Annette

AU - Bruus, Marianne

AU - Strandberg, Beate

AU - Sørensen, Peter Borgen

AU - Strandberg, Morten Tune

PY - 2018/5

Y1 - 2018/5

N2 - Insecticides are important drivers of biodiversity loss and ecological impairment in freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater insects may be exposed to insecticides via water during larval/nymph stages and via air, habitats, and food during adult stages in the terrestrial environment. The aquatic risk assessment (RA) of pesticides does not consider terrestrial life stages, and a literature review revealed that pesticide ecotoxicity data for adult freshwater insects are very scarce and outdated. Consequently, it is not possible to assess how adult freshwater insects may be protected through RA programs for terrestrial non-target organisms. We give guidance to generating and using of such ecotoxicity data focusing on species selection, test design and type of ecotoxicity information. Policy implications. This commentary considers how terrestrial stages of aquatic insects are protected by pesticide risk assessment (RA) and highlights the necessity of performing holistic risk assessment, focusing on organisms and populations as supplement to current subdivisions in element-based compartments (e.g. aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems).

AB - Insecticides are important drivers of biodiversity loss and ecological impairment in freshwater ecosystems. Freshwater insects may be exposed to insecticides via water during larval/nymph stages and via air, habitats, and food during adult stages in the terrestrial environment. The aquatic risk assessment (RA) of pesticides does not consider terrestrial life stages, and a literature review revealed that pesticide ecotoxicity data for adult freshwater insects are very scarce and outdated. Consequently, it is not possible to assess how adult freshwater insects may be protected through RA programs for terrestrial non-target organisms. We give guidance to generating and using of such ecotoxicity data focusing on species selection, test design and type of ecotoxicity information. Policy implications. This commentary considers how terrestrial stages of aquatic insects are protected by pesticide risk assessment (RA) and highlights the necessity of performing holistic risk assessment, focusing on organisms and populations as supplement to current subdivisions in element-based compartments (e.g. aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems).

KW - aquatic ecosystems

KW - ecotoxicity

KW - freshwater insects

KW - insecticides

KW - pesticides

KW - riparian zone

KW - risk assessment

KW - terrestrial life stages

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85037345676&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/1365-2664.13048

DO - 10.1111/1365-2664.13048

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0021-8901

VL - 55

SP - 1510

EP - 1515

JO - Journal of Applied Ecology

JF - Journal of Applied Ecology

IS - 3

ER -