Recovery in environmental risk assessments at EFSA

Abstract

EFSA performs environmental risk assessments (ERAs) for single potential stressors such as plant protection products, genetically modified organisms and feed additives and for invasive alien species that are harmful for plant health. In this risk assessment domain, the EFSA Scientific Committee recognises the importance of more integrated ERAs considering both the local and landscape scales, as well as the possible co‐occurrence of multiple potential stressors that fall under the remit of EFSA, which are important when addressing ecological recovery. In this scientific opinion, the Scientific Committee gathered scientific knowledge on the potential for the recovery of non‐target organisms for the further development of ERA. Current EFSA guidance documents and opinions were reviewed on how ecological recovery is addressed in ERA schemes. In addition, this scientific opinion is based on expert knowledge and data retrieved from the literature. Finally, the information presented in this opinion was reviewed by experts from the relevant EFSA Panels, European risk assessment bodies and through an open consultation requesting input from stakeholders. A conceptual framework was developed to address ecological recovery for any assessed products, and invasive alien species that are harmful for plant health. This framework proposes an integrative approach based on well‐defined specific protection goals, scientific knowledge derived by means of experimentation, modelling and monitoring, and the selection of focal taxa, communities, processes and landscapes to develop environmental scenarios to allow the assessment of recovery of organisms and ecological processes at relevant spatial and temporal scales.

Technical report of the public consultation on the draft ‘Guidance on harmonised risk assessment methodologies for human health, animal health and ecological risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals’

“…Human and ecological risk assessment of combined exposure to multiple chemicals (also referred to as 'chemical mixtures') poses a number of challenges to researchers, risk assessors and risk managers, particularly because of the complexity of the problem formulation, the large numbers of anthropogenic and natural chemicals involved, and the amount of data needed to describe the toxicological profiles and exposure patterns of these chemicals in humans, companion and farm animals and species present in the environment. The development of harmonised methodologies for combined exposure to multiple chemicals in all areas of EFSA's remit has been identified by EFSA's Scientific Committee as a key priority area (EFSA Scientific Committee, 2016). Some EFSA panels and units have initiated activities to assess combined exposures, expanding on the approaches for single chemical risk assessments and to support harmonisation of risk assessment methods for the human health, animal health and the ecological areas.…”

Coverage of endangered species in environmental risk assessments at EFSA

“…Based on the available information and on the questions that were raised during this investigation, a number of recommendations have been formulated in this Section. These recommendations are also applicable for the parallel opinion on ecological recovery (EFSA Scientific Committee, 2016). Given that the herein recommended approaches to assess vulnerability of endangered species are not operational yet and would require considerable developing effort, the following priorities should be given: 1) Establishment of whether and to what extent the protection of endangered species should be addressed in the prospective ERA schemes falling under EFSA's remit.…”

Testing effects of pesticides on macroinvertebrate communities in outdoor stream mesocosms using carbaryl as example test item

“…With respect to ERO, studies must allow the assessment of effects on and recovery of vulnerable taxa, i.e. sensitive and potentially exposed taxa with a low potential of recovery [4]. Aquatic arthropods with long generation times and of low dispersal ability such as Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) taxa and gammarids (Amphipoda) are considered to be highly vulnerable to some chemical stressors, especially insecticides [4][5][6][7].…”

“…sensitive and potentially exposed taxa with a low potential of recovery [4]. Aquatic arthropods with long generation times and of low dispersal ability such as Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) taxa and gammarids (Amphipoda) are considered to be highly vulnerable to some chemical stressors, especially insecticides [4][5][6][7]. However, those taxa are more common in lotic than in lentic surface waters [8,9], while the majority of mesocosm studies have been conducted in lentic systems with species more representative of pond or ditch communities [3].…”