On the 20th and 21st of May, Kerona Scientific attended the Chemicals Regulation Division (CRD) of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) training in York which focused on the technical fate and behaviour assessment of plant protection products (PPPs). During the sessions, the CRD provided detailed updates on exposure assessments across various environmental compartments.
The CRD presented an overview of the UK pesticide regulatory framework. For Great Britain (GB) assessments, endpoints from EFSA Conclusions are only accepted when published prior to January 1st, 2021, while after this date the endpoints must be approved by GB authorities. In contrast, assessments for Northern Ireland (NI) continue to follow EU regulations post-Brexit, using updated EU endpoints. The HSE performs these evaluations on behalf of NI, using core assessments provided by a zonal Rapporteur Member State (zRMS), and incorporates UK specific approaches as needed.
During the training, technical updates were also presented and discussed. These included enhancements to the PECsoil calculator spreadsheet. The tool now features separate input sections for application details and pesticide characteristics, including both the parent compound and the metabolites on the same spreadsheet. A significant new feature of this tool is the inclusion of biphasic kinetics for the DT50 values.
The HSE has also introduced a consolidated PECsw/sed calculator spreadsheet designed to evaluate surface water exposure assessments. The new calculator tool automatically generates results for standard spray drift, drift-reduction technology (DRT), and drainflow assessments. Additionally, it can also take into account the regulatory acceptable concentration (RAC), presenting an overall conclusion of the risk assessment. For drainflow assessments, the HSE has also updated the UK specific MACRO Model with a processing tool in the higher tier drainflow (HTDF). This tool evaluates both Approach 1 and Approach 2 – replacing the previously limited SEISIMIC Replacement Tool (SRT). Both approaches must now pass for the surface water risk assessment to be considered acceptable.
Looking ahead, the HSE is expected to issue its own regulatory guidance, taking into account the existing EU Guidance, particularly in areas such as aged sorption, the effects of water treatment processes, and the evaluation of pesticide residues in rotational crops.
If you need assistance with the regulation of PPPs in the EU and UK, please do not hesitate to contact the experts at Kerona info@kerona.ie