Ecotoxicology
The experience and expertise of our staff is both extensive and diverse, allowing the use of a wide range of effective strategies to pass ecotoxicological assessments. Many have considerable experience of working in a laboratory setting under GLP, in addition to developing bespoke tests to address specific questions of exposure and effects. Meanwhile, others have a strong ecological and modelling background to perform the standard risk assessments as well as refine the details when necessary to really put product usage into an ecological context.
We use this experience and our understanding of living systems to address the risk to non-target, beneficial organisms following the use of plant protection products in line with the requirements of EU Directive 1107/2009.
Our services include:
Standard assessments:
- Birds and mammals in line with EFSA (2009) guidance
- Aquatic organisms in line with EFSA (2013a) guidance
- Non-target arthropods (NTAs) in line with ESCORT II/III
- Non-target plants (NTPs) in line with SANCO/10329/2002
- Bees in line with SANCO/10329/2002 and EFSA (2013b) guidance
- Soil organisms in line with SANCO/10329/2002 and updated data requirements
- Study monitoring of standard ecotox testing
Higher-tier approaches and problem solving:
- Development of bespoke ecotox testing (e.g. pulsed exposure tests)
- Ecological modelling refinements (e.g. TK/TD, population modelling)
- Endpoint refinements (e.g. SSDs)
- Exposure refinements (e.g. residue data, diet/foraging proportions)
- Monitoring of higher-tier studies (e.g. field studies of NTAs)
Risk assessment and dossier preparation:
- Section 9 of the draft registration report (dRR)
- Assessments for biocidal registrations – links with EUSES modelling of exposure scenarios
- Advice on data requirements and testing strategies
- Reliability and relevance assessments of open literature
- Data gap analysis
