Cumulative dietary risk characterisation of pesticides that have acute effects on the nervous system

Abstract

A retrospective acute cumulative risk assessment of dietary exposure to pesticide residues, supported by an uncertainty analysis based on expert knowledge elicitation, was conducted for two effects on the nervous system: brain and/or erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase inhibition, and functional alterations of the motor division. The pesticides considered in this assessment were identified and characterised in the scientific report on the establishment of cumulative assessment groups of pesticides for their effects on the nervous system. Cumulative exposure assessments were conducted through probabilistic modelling by EFSA and the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) using two different software tools and reported separately. These exposure assessments used monitoring data collected by Member States under their official pesticide monitoring programmes in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and individual consumption data from 10 populations of consumers from different countries and different age groups. This report completes the characterisation of cumulative risk, taking account of the available data and the uncertainties involved. For each of the 10 populations, it is concluded with varying degrees of certainty that cumulative exposure to pesticides that have the acute effects on the nervous system mentioned above does not exceed the threshold for regulatory consideration established by risk managers.

Guidance Document on Scientific criteria for grouping chemicals into assessment groups for human risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals

“…The assessment starts with 100 pesticides for which concentrations and occurrence patterns were available (Van Klaveren et al, 2019 ). For exposure to single pesticides, the concentration in drinking water was set at 0.1 µg (for further details, see Van Klaveren et al, 2019 ; EFSA, 2020a ; Te Biesebeek et al, 2021 ). For 96 of the 100 pesticides, acute reference doses (ARfDs) were extracted from the OpenFoodTox database (Dorne et al, 2017 ) and EU‐Pesticides Database.…”

“…The WoE assessment results in grouping chemicals into assessment groups and can be expressed as a simple qualitative description or as a probability based on quantitative assessment. Recent examples include establishment of cumulative assessment groups of pesticides for specific effects on the nervous system or the thyroid using quantitative weights to assemble and integrate the lines of evidence combined with expert knowledge elicitation and uncertainty analysis (EFSA, 2020a , b ). This approach led to a probability distribution for the total number of substances in the assessment group that actually cause the specific effect on the nervous system or on the thyroid.…”

“…A number of relevant EFSA Panel activities in this field include: PPR Panel and Pesticide Units: grouping of pesticide active substances into “Cumulative Assessment Groups” (CAGs) based on specific toxicological effects and consideration of mode of action (MoA) as far as possible (EFSA PPR Panel, 2013a , b ). In September 2019, the Pesticides Unit published Scientific Reports, which were subject to public consultation, on the establishment of CAGs of pesticides for their effects on the nervous system and the thyroid (EFSA, 2020a , b ). Panel on Contaminants in the Food Chain (CONTAM): publication of a number of opinions involving case‐by‐case approaches to risk assessment of multiple contaminants.…”

“…PPR Panel and Pesticide Units: grouping of pesticide active substances into “Cumulative Assessment Groups” (CAGs) based on specific toxicological effects and consideration of mode of action (MoA) as far as possible (EFSA PPR Panel, 2013a , b ). In September 2019, the Pesticides Unit published Scientific Reports, which were subject to public consultation, on the establishment of CAGs of pesticides for their effects on the nervous system and the thyroid (EFSA, 2020a , b ).…”

Systemically Achievable Doses of Beer Flavonoids Induce Estrogenicity in Human Endometrial Cells and Cause Synergistic Effects With Selected Pesticides

“…Concerning pesticides, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is working on a cumulative risk assessment program ( 6 ), from which two pilot studies are published, focusing on pesticides affecting the thyroid ( 7 ) and the nervous system ( 8 ). However, important this initiative is for consumer safety, it primarily focuses on cumulative effects rather than synergisms, and moreover, does not consider combinatory effects with potentially co-occurring bioactives from other sources than plant protection agents.…”