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The 8
th
IEEE International Conference on E-Health and Bioengineering - EHB 2020
Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Web Conference, Romania, October 29-30, 2020
IEEE 978-1-7281-8803-4/20/$31.00 ©2020 IEEE
Pesticides in the Environment and Harmonized Risk
Indicators
Ionela-Cătălina Vasilachi
1
, Larsia Tapciuc
1
, Gina-Mihaela Finaru Chelaru
1
, Dana-Mihaela Asiminicesei
1
,
Mihaela Roșca
1
, Petronela Cozma
1
, Elena-Diana Comăniță-Ungureanu
1
, Camelia Smaranda
1
, Raluca-Maria Hlihor
1,2
,
Daniela-Ionela Ferțu
1,3
, Maria Gavrilescu
1,4
1
Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, “Cristofor Simionescu” Faculty of Chemical Engineering and
Environmental Protection, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi, 73 Prof. D. Mangeron Blvd., 700050, Iasi, Romania
2
”Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Iasi, Romania
3
”Dunărea de Jos” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Galați, Romania
4
Academy of Romanian Scientists, 3 Ilfov Street, Bucharest, Romania,
mgav@tuiasi.ro
Abstract—This work provides a survey on pesticides
importance for crop protection and also the impacts and risk
they can generate in the environmental and for human health as
a result of unsustainable production and use. In this context the
European and national regulation derived from the Directive
2009/128/EC ask for reducing the risks and impacts of pesticide
use on human health and the environment and promoting the
application of integrated pest management (IPM) and alternative
approaches or techniques. These actions can be helped by the
calculation of Harmonized Risks indicators, I and II. These
indicators were calculated in the case of pesticide use for cereals
protection, based on data provided by Ministry of Agriculture
and Rural Development – National Phytosanitary Authority. The
two calculated indicators show that the cereal samples contain
quite large amounts of pesticide residues that need to be reduced,
recommending the replacement of current protection products
with non-polluting ones that contain less toxins and prevent risks
for plants, animals and humans.
Keywords—crops; health; integrated pest management;
pesticide reduction; risk indicator
I.
I
NTRODUCTION
Protecting and ensuring an adequate quality of the
environment is a necessity for the progress of mankind and for
social evolution, possible by adopting solutions to reduce
pollution and increase the use of resources. In the last 50-60
years, the human population has doubled and world
agricultural production has grown similarly. The population
growth forecast of almost 10 billion in 2050 has led to the
mobilization of agriculture, animal husbandry and
manufacturing industries to ensure further changes in large-
scale production, since it is necessary to double agricultural
production to meet the needs of society in which we live [1].
However, the productive arable area increased by only 10%.
Therefore, the growth in agricultural production was the
consequence of an intensive use of pesticides and growth
stimulators so as to meet the human population requirements
for welfare, quality food [2]. Unfortunately, the impact of this
alternative to agricultural system has become a global issue
[3]. Although the action of pesticides on the target species is
often known, the impact of unwanted side effects on wildlife
has not yet been widely understood, especially at higher levels
of biological organization: populations, communities and
ecosystems.
Pesticide hazard control is important because it is
suspected that pesticides are associated with a wide range of
adverse health effects [4,5]. The monitoring of pesticides
would ensure food safety so as to guarantee the compliance
with the maximum permitted residue levels (MRLs) of food
pesticides [6,7]. However, a wide range of pesticides can be
present in crops and there are usually not enough resources to
manage all pesticides at a time. Therefore, a monitoring
program should allow the efficient resources allocation based
on a risk-based approach, addressing the specifically target
pesticides that pose the greatest risk to human health [8]. For
example, pesticide residues have been detected at levels above
the limit of quantification and even exceeding maximum
residue levels (MRLs) in many agricultural products. As a
result, with the widespread use of pesticides, concerns about
their impact and risk on environmental systems and human
health are growing.
The implementation of the Directive 2009/128/EC requires
Member States to elaborate and adopt action plans so as to
mitigate the impacts and risks generated by pesticides [9]. The
public and political debates in Europe is focused on the
sustainable use of pesticides and mitigation the footprint of
agriculture by maintaining or increasing yields. It is mentioned
that, depending on the chemical properties of the pesticides, as
well as the environmental factors, the decrease in the
quantities of pesticides applied to the crops will not
spontaneously reduce the risks [10].
The estimation and management of the risk induced by the
use of pesticides in Europe and the protection objectives of
related ecosystems have long been debated by stakeholder
groups within the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Some specific objectives of this discussion are generally
defined considering a combination of (1) the ecological entity
necessary to be protected (e.g. individual, population, different
groups), (2) the significant features of that entity (e.g. conduct,
wealth, function), 3) effect size for attribute (e.g. small,
medium, and large), (4) time scale (e.g., days, weeks, and
months), and (5) spatial scale of the effect (e.g., field, field
edge, and landscape) [11,12].
Under the conditions described above, the purpose of the
paper is to analyze and highlight the role that pesticides play
in anthropogenic activities and the effects they generate on the
environment and human health when applied as plant
protection products. The analysis is based on the data released
by the National Phytosanitary Authority of Romania, which
performs annual monitoring on pesticides sold and authorized
in Romania and applied for plant protection, according to the
National Action Plan to reduce the risks associated with the
use of plant protection products.
II. P
ESTICIDES USE
Pesticides are substances used to protect plants against
pests. The average use of pesticides in Europe has not
decreased in recent years, despite a great debate on the
sustainability of agriculture and despite the placing on the
market of pesticides that can be used in low doses. In 2018,
almost 400,000 tons of pesticides were sold in Europe, the
vast majority being used in the agricultural sector [13,14].
In Romania, the consumption of pesticides is 6850 t/year
which represents 0.8 kg per hectare of crop. Worldwide
pesticide consumption varies from country to country, with the
highest consumption of pesticides in China and the highest
consumption of pesticides per hectare of crop in China,
Ecuador, Japan [14,15].
III.
F
ATE OF PESTICIDES IN THE ENVIRONMENT
Pesticides used in agriculture play an important role in
global agricultural production by maintaining plant health and
preventing their destruction due to disease and infestation.
Even if they are beneficial, pesticides administered to crops
can reach the soil and surface waters, from where they can
also enter groundwater by dissolution and runoff, creating the
risk of adversely affecting non-target species, both in
terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems [10,16]. Therefore, there is a
likelihood of disturbance of habitat functions and loss of
biodiversity. They also affect the formation and composition
of the soil and the supply of drinking water [3,16]. Pollution
generated by the unsustainable production and uncontrolled
use of pesticides has become one of the most alarming
challenges in terms of sustainable development.
Accidental release of pesticides due to broken pipes, leaks,
landfills, underground storage tanks can lead to their long
presence in the environment due to their persistence (their
long half-life). For the correct management of pesticides, it is
necessary to accurately assess the state of soil, water and air
contamination [10,17,18]. Pesticides can move off-site to
contaminate surface water and groundwater. Damage to non-
target organisms and soil and air pollution are well studied by
many researchers [18,19].
IV.
FRAMEWOR K FOR INTEGRATED PEST M ANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Directive 2009/128/EC at European Commission level
proposes “the sustainable use of pesticides in the EU by
reducing the risks and impacts of pesticide use on human
health and the environment and promoting the application of
integrated pest management (IPM) and alternative approaches
or techniques, such as non-chemical alternatives to pesticides”
[9,20]. EU countries have developed national action plans to
implement the range of actions provided for in the Directive.
National action plans to reduce the risks associated with
the use of plant protection products, developed in the context
of Directive 2009/128/EC, are intended to set quantitative
targets, measures, indicators and timetables to reduce the risks
and impacts of pesticide use on environment and human health
and encourage the development and introduction of an
integrated pest management system. Alternative approaches or
techniques to reduce dependence on pesticide use are also
being considered [9,20,21]. In Romania, the National Action
Plan on reducing the risks associated with the use of plant
protection products was elaborated under the Government
Emergency Ordinance no. 34/2012 ”for establishing the
institutional framework for action for the sustainable use of
pesticides in Romania, approved by Law no. 63/2013 ". By
Emergency Ordinance no. 65/2019 it was amended and
supplemented the Government Emergency Ordinance no.
34/2012 [20,21,22,23].
In order to reduce the risk to the consumer associated with
the consumption of products with high pesticide residues, the
National Action Plan proposes a number of measures. A
significant aspect related to the way of achieving and
measuring the general and specific objectives of the Action
Plan is represented by the definition and calculation of
harmonized risk indicators, together with social,
environmental and economic indicators. This allows for
regular monitoring of progress in implementing the National
Action Plan.
V.
H
ARMONIZED RISK INDICATORS
A. Short Description
Harmonized risk indicators for pesticides (HRI) are used
by the European Commission to monitor trends to reduce the
risks of pesticide use in the European Union. They can also be
used by Member States to monitor risk reduction trends
following the use of pesticides at country level [24]. Article 15
(4) of Directive 2009/128/EC requires the European
Commission to “calculate risk indicators at Union level, using
statistical data collected in accordance with Union legislation
on plant protection product statistics and other relevant data, in
order to estimate risk trends in pesticide consumption”.
Member States are also required to calculate harmonized risk
indicators (Article 15 (2) of the Directive) [9].
The Harmonized Risk Indicator 1 is calculated by
“combining the statistics on the quantities of pesticide active
substances placed on the market in accordance with
Regulation (EC) No 1185/2009(2) and the information on
active substances in accordance with Regulation (EC) No
1107/2009(3), including if they are low risk active substances,
candidates for substitution, or other active substances” [24].
For the calculation of HRI, all active substances are
classified into a group and a category (Table 1 in [24]). There
are three groups for approved active substances, groups 1-3
and six categories, categories A - F. All unauthorized active
substances are placed in group 4, category G. The weights
are defined for groups in accordance with Directive
2009/128/EC (Annex I) [9,20,23]. The Harmonized Risk
Indicator 2 is calculated based on “the number of
authorizations granted under Article 8(4) of Directive
91/414/EEC(4) and Article 53 of Regulation (EC) No
1107/2009, and the categorization of active substances in
accordance with Regulation (EC) No1107/2009, including
if they are low risk active substances, candidates for
substitution, or other active substances” [24]. According to
Eurostat [24] “if an active substance changes category, it shall
be placed in its new group/category for the entire calculation
period of the harmonized risk indicators”. This means that the
time series of HRI1 and HRI2, including the development of
groups and categories, should be recalculated every year.
B. Harmonized Risk Indicator 1 (HRI 1)
HRI1 calculation based on sales of active substances
As sales of active substances are strongly linked to
climatic conditions and possibly also to price developments,
the benchmark is set as the average of the first three years of
data, in order to eliminate fluctuations. The baseline for HRI1
is set at 100 and is equal to the calculation average for the
period 2011-2013. For each category/group and HRI1, the
total volume placed on the market is expressed as an index in
relation to 100 [22,24]. The final formula for calculus of HRI
1 is given by Eq. (1), for the reference year n. The details are
given in the methodology provided by Eurostat [24] according
to the Directive 2009/128/EC [9].
where: f
i
is the weighting for Group
i–iv
(the Groups 1–4), f
1
= 1 (f
1
is defined as
the weighting for Group1), f
2
= 8 (f
2
is defined as the weighting for Group2), f
3
= 16 (f
3
is defined as the weighting for Group3), f
4
= 64 (f
4
is defined as the
weighting for Group4), t refers to 2011, 2012 and 2013 (Table 1 in [24]).
HR2 calculus based on emergency authorizations
As emergency authorizations of plant protection products
may also depend on climatic conditions and possibly other
developments, the baseline is set as the average of the first
three years of data. This smooths out fluctuations. According
to Eurostat (2019), “the base years are the index 100, and for
HRI2, the total number of authorizations per year will be
expressed as an index against 100”. The baseline for HRI2 is
set at 100 and is equal to the average calculation for the period
2011-2013 [23,24]. HRI2 is calculated with Eq. (2) for
reference year n.
C. Calculation of Harmonized Risk Indicators for pesticides
applied on cereals in Romania Based on Reports of the
National Phytosanitary Authority
To calculate HRI 1 and HRI 2, the data included in
the reports prepared by the National Phytosanitary Authority
(ANF) on the national plan for monitoring pesticide residues
in fruits, vegetables and cereals, from domestic production, for
the years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016 were analyzed,
which are public (in accordance with Regulation (EC) No
396/2005) [25]. The pesticides applied on cereal crops were
taken into acoont only.
Calculation of HRI 1
According to ANF data [25], pesticide sales were
quantified and are those presented in Table 1, and HRI I
results are illustrated in Fig. 1.
T
ABLE
1.
A
MOUNTS OF PESTICIDES SOLD
,
CALCULATED
FOR
THE YEARS
TAKEN IN THE ANALYSIS
Amounts of pesticides sold (kg)
Group fi 2011 2012 2013 2014
1 1
10 50 20 30
2 8
20 5 10 2
3 16
2 3 1 3
4 64
1 2 2 4
Total (1) 266 266 196 350
Basis for HRI 1 (2) 242.7
Fig. 1. Variation of harmonized risk indicator 1 (HRI 1), 2011-2014
Calculation of HRI 2
From the ANF data, the number of authorizations granted
for plant protection products was calculated [23-25]. The data
are presented in Table 2. Then, it was calculated the average
of authorization for the five years (Table 3). HRI 2 was
calculated by reporting each category, from each year, to the
average of the authorized persons from the 5 years (Table 4).
T
ABLE
2.
A
UTHORIZATIONS GRANTED FOR PLANT PROTECTION PRODUCTS
Category 2011 2012 2013 2015 2016
Insecticides 8 11 4 21 10
Herbicides 0 0 0 0 1
Fungicides 0 1 0 1 1
Total 8 12 4 22 12
T
ABLE
3.
A
VERAGE OF AUTHORIZATIONS OBTAINED IN
5
YEARS FOR THE
CATEGORIES OF APPLIED INSECTICIDES
Category Average 2011-2016
Insecticides 10.8
Herbicides 0.2
Fungicides 0.6
Total 11.6
T
ABLE
4.
H
ARMONIZED RISK INDICATORS
2
(HRI
2)
Category 2011-
2014 2011 2012 2013 2015 2016
Insecticides 100 90.75 101.85 37.04 194.44 92.59
Herbicides 100 0 0 0 0 500
Fungicides 100 102.67 166.67 0 166.67 166.67
(1)
(2)
The data processed by the calculation of harmonized risk
indicators, HRI1, HRI 2 show that the samples contain quite
large amounts of pesticide residues that need to be removed,
recommending the replacement of current protection products
with non-polluting ones that contain less toxins and prevent
disease and even death of plants, animals and humans.
VI.
C
ONCLUSIONS
Integrated pest management requires a careful analysis of
all available pest control techniques and the subsequent
integration of appropriate measures that discourage the
development of pest populations and maintain pesticides and
other interventions at economically justified levels and reduce
or minimize risks to human health, fauna and environment.
Harmonized risk indicators for pesticides (HRI) are used
by the European Commission to monitor risk reduction trends
in the use of pesticides in the European Union. They can also
be used by Member States to monitor risk reduction trends
following the use of pesticides at country level.
The analysis of the data on residues of various pesticides in
cereals, provided by units of the National Phytosanitary
Authority and included in the reports on compliance with the
provisions of the National Action Plan, facilitated the
calculation of harmonized risk indicators, HRI 1 and HRI 2,
which can be used as a measure of the pesticide effects on the
environment, depending on the quantities applied and the
category of pesticides used. The analysis highlighted the need
for continued sustained measures to reduce the risks induced
in the environment by pesticides.
A
CKNOWLEDGMENT
This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian National Authority
for Scientific Research, CNCS –UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P4-ID-
PCE-2016-0683, Contract no. 65/2017, and a grant of the Romanian Ministry
of Education and Research, CCCDI - UEFISCDI, project number PN-III-P2-
2.1-PED-2019-5239, Contract no. 269PED/2020, within PNCDI III.
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