In recent decades, with EU and national subsidies for farming in Germany, the conventional cultivation of crops has established itself as the basis of an increasingly intensified agriculture and food production. For many crops, a key requirement for this form of production is the intensive application of chemical plant protection products, on which the system is now practically dependent. This is reflected in the assumption that the amount of chemical plant production products currently used and the frequency of their application represents a “necessary minimum” (in German language: “notwendiges Maß”). However, products that protect crops and benefit farmers may have undesirable impacts on nature and the environment. Even for present-day insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, the general principle remains: No effects (i.e. plant protection) without side-effects (i.e. impacts on nature and the environment). In view of the considerable potential environmental threats they pose and because they are applied in large quantities over ample areas of land, plant protection products may only be used if they have successfully undergone strict testing and approval procedures. In Germany, the German Environment Agency ( UBA ) is responsible for assessing the environmental risks. Veröffentlicht in Position | 01/2016.
Before a plant protection product is approved for placement on the market, an assessment of the overall acceptability of negative effects on non-target species in arable land and adjacent areas has to be performed according to European guidelines. The guideline for the risk assessment of non-target terrestrial plants (NTTP) is currently revised by the European Food Safety authority (EFSA) to integrate the current state of scientific knowledge and the new requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 to protect biodiversity. In the view of this revision, this report has been conducted to evaluate the actual scientific state of knowledge on effect- and risk assessment for non-target terrestrial plants and to recommend amendments of the current practice in testing and subsequent risk assessment of NTTP. The authors conclude that fundamental issues like the representativeness of the species tested (mostly crop species) and the ecotoxicological endpoints currently used (growth effects in juveniles) are associated with a high degree of uncertainty. These uncertainties must be taken into account in the risk assessment to ensure an adequate level of protection. Also, the analysis of data available would indicate, among other things, that the current risk assessment, limited to growth effects, might not be sufficient to ensure protection of non-target terrestrial plants. Therefore, as a simple risk management measure for PPP causing negative effects on NTTP communities, the authors propose to implement an obligatory in-field no-spray buffer zone, notably without herbicide application. Furthermore, the authors stress the importance of wild arable plants as natural life-support system for many other arable species. They highlight the key position of NTTP in the food chain with birds and mammals on the top. Based on their own research, the authors show indirect effects that PPP, such as herbicides, can have on food availability in agricultural landscapes. In the author’s opinion further applied research is needed to implement all this present information into a scheme for risk assessment and risk management which adequately protects biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, as well as ecosystem services based thereupon. Veröffentlicht in Texte | 20/2015.
In recent decades, with EU and national subsidies for farming in Germany, the conventional cultivation of crops has established itself as the basis of an increasingly intensified agriculture and food production. For many crops, a key requirement for this form of production is the intensive application of chemical plant protection products, on which the system is now practically dependent. This is reflected in the assumption that the amount of chemical plant production products currently used and the frequency of their application represents a “necessary minimum” (in German language: “notwendiges Maß”).However, products that protect crops and benefit farmers may have undesirable impacts on nature and the environment. Even for present-day insecticides, herbicides and fungicides, the general principle remains: No effects (i.e. plant protection) without side-effects (i.e. impacts on nature and the environment). In view of the considerable potential environmental threats they pose and because they are applied in large quantities over ample areas of land, plant protection products may only be used if they have successfully undergone strict testing and approval procedures. In Germany, the German Environment Agency (UBA) is responsible for assessing the environmental risks.
Before a plant protection product is approved for placement on the market, an assessment of the overall acceptability of negative effects on non-target species in arable land and adjacent areas has to be performed according to European guidelines. The guideline for the risk assessment of non-target terrestrial plants (NTTP) is currently revised by the European Food Safety authority (EFSA) to integrate the current state of scientific knowledge and the new requirements of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 to protect biodiversity. In the view of this revision, this report has been conducted to evaluate the actual scientific state of knowledge on effect- and risk assessment for non-target terrestrial plants and to recommend amendments of the current practice in testing and subsequent risk assessment of NTTP. The authors conclude that fundamental issues like the representativeness of the species tested (mostly crop species) and the ecotoxicological endpoints currently used (growth effects in juveniles) are associated with a high degree of uncertainty. These uncertainties must be taken into account in the risk assessment to ensure an adequate level of protection. Also, the analysis of data available would indicate, among other things, that the current risk assessment, limited to growth effects, might not be sufficient to ensure protection of non-target terrestrial plants. Therefore, as a simple risk management measure for PPP causing negative effects on NTTP communities, the authors propose to implement an obligatory in-field no-spray buffer zone, notably without herbicide application. Furthermore, the authors stress the importance of wild arable plants as natural life-support system for many other arable species. They highlight the key position of NTTP in the food chain with birds and mammals on the top. Based on their own research, the authors show indirect effects that PPP, such as herbicides, can have on food availability in agricultural landscapes. In the authors opinion further applied research is needed to implement all this present information into a scheme for risk assessment and risk management which adequately protects biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, as well as ecosystem services based thereupon.<BR>Quelle: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/
Die Verbandsgemeinde Bitburger Land plant die Umverlegung des Langebachs in der Gemarkung Pickließem. Die Anlage fällt in den Anwendungsbereich des UVPG, sodass gemäß § 5 UVPG i. V. m. Ziffer 13.18.1 der Anlage 1 zum UVPG eine allgemeine Vorprüfung des Einzelfalls durchgeführt wurde. Diese hat mit Beteiligung der Fachbehörden ergeben, dass durch die Verwirklichung des Vorhabens keine erheblichen nachteiligen Umweltauswirkungen zu erwarten sind.
Die Verbandsgemeinde Bitburger Land plant die Renaturierung des Ehlenzbaches in den Gemarkungen Ließem und Rittersdorf. Die Ziele der Renaturierungsmaßnahme sind die naturnahe Gestaltung des Gewässers, die Wiederherstellung der biologischen Durchgängigkeit und die Verbesserung der Gewässermorphologie.
Environmental effects of veterinary medicines are assessed according to the guidelines of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the VICH GL 38 (ECOTOXICITY PHASE II). According to the guideline a terrestrial plant test in phase II is required because residues of pharmaceuticals release with dung and manure from treated animals on agriculture land. The terrestrial plant test is conducted using thestandardisedtest protocol OECD 208 (Seedling Emergence and Seedling Growth Test).<BR>The current regulations take into account only the parent compound and not transformation products and NER (Non Extractable Residues). That might result in incorrect estimation of risk in case of substances applied on agricultural soils with manure. For these substances the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) has thus initiated a research project to develop a special terrestrial plant test with a more realistic exposure scenario. In order to evaluate the potential phytotoxicity of transformation products and NER the test substance is applied in manure and stored over a defined period prior to testing. After storing this mixture is tested in a standard terrestrial plant test according to OECD 208. The approach is currently developed with different plant species, different manures and storing periods by two research partners:Fraunhofer IME Schmallenberg and ECT Oekotoxikologie GmbH Flörsheim. The poster presents the regulatory background of this special plant testing approach and first results of the research project.<BR>Quelle: ©Ute Kühnen
Based on the increased utilization of nanosilver (silver nanomaterials=AgNM) as antibacterial agent, there is the strong need to assess the potential environmental implication associated with its new application areas. In this study an exemplary environmental risk assessment (ERA) of AgNM applied in textiles was performed. Environmental exposure scenarios (via municipal sewage treatment plant (STP)) with wastewater supply from domestic homes) were developed for three different types of textiles equipped with AgNM. Based on these scenarios predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) were deduced for STPs and for the environmental compartments surface water, sediment as well as soil. These PECs were related to PNECs (predicted no effect concentrations). PNECs were deduced from results of ecotoxicity tests of a selected AgNM (NM-300K). Data on ecotoxicology were derived from various tests with activated sludge, cyanobacteria, algae, daphnids, fish, duckweed, macrophytes, chironomids, earthworms, terrestrial plants as well as soil microorganisms. Emission data for the AgNM NM-300K from textiles were derived from washing experiments. The performed ERA was based on the specifications defined in the ECHA Guidances on information requirements and chemical safety assessment. Based on the chosen scenarios and preconditions, no environmental risk of the AgNM NM-300K released from textiles was detected. Under conservative assumptions a risk quotient for surface water close to 1 indicated that the aquatic compartment may be affected by an increased emission of AgNM to the environment due to the high sensitivity of aquatic organisms to silver. Based on the successful retention of AgNM in the sewage sludge and the still ongoing continual application of sewage sludge on farmland it is recommended to introduce a threshold for total silver content in sewage sludge into the respective regulations. Regarding potential risk mitigation measures, it is emphasized to preferably directly introduce AgNM into the textile fiber since this will strongly minimize the release of AgNM during washing. If this is not possible due to technical limitations or other reasons, the introduction of a threshold level controlling the release of AgNM from textiles is suggested. It has to be noted that this study is a case study which is only valid for the investigated NM-300K and its potential application in textiles.Quelle: http://www.sciencedirect.com
Rappolder, Marianne; Schröter-Kermani, Christa; Waller, Ulrich; Koerner, Wolfgang Organohalogen Compounds 66 (2004), 1842 - 1847 Several recent studies confirm that persistent organic pollutants from ambient air accumulate in plants. Thus, plants play an important role in the entry of such compounds into the terrestrial food chain. Time series from the beginning of the 1990s show a declining trend for PCDD/Fs in ambient air and deposition samples in Germany, particularly in wintertime, but this decrease has leveled off since approximately 1994. However there is a lack of consistent and comparable data for time series and spatial distribution in plants. Especially conifers serve as a biomonitoring system to determine ambient air concentrations and the accumulation in plants during the time of exposure. Also, only little is known about the concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs and the relationship between them and PCDD/Fs and indicator PCBs. Therefore archived samples of the German environmental specimen bank (ESB) were used for retrospective monitoring in plants. The German ESB was established in 1985 as a permanent institution for the systematic collection, processing, characterization and storage of environmental samples from marine, fresh water and terrestrial ecosystems as well as human samples. The aim of the present study was to determine the level and the time trend of PCDDs, PCDFs, dioxin-like PCBs and indicator PCBs in conifer shoots from 1985 to 2003 and to compare the findings with results of the German Dioxin Database. Zur Veröffentlichung Retrospective Monitoring of PCDDs, PCDFs, and PCBs in Pine- and Spruce-Shoots - Results from the German Environmental Specimen Bank (Volltext, PDF, 39 KB)
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