Effects of Agricultural Management Policies on the Exposure of Black-Winged Stilts (Himantopus himantopus) Chicks to Cholinesterase-Inhibiting Pesticides in Rice Fields

Quantitative selection of focal birds and mammals in higher-tier risk assessment: An application to rice cultivations

European Pesticide Registration requires a risk assessment (RA) for nontarget organisms according to EU Regulation. European Authorities have developed Guidance Documents (GDs) for RA considering exposure scenarios for the required organisms typical for terrestrial crops. The "Birds and Mammals EFSA GD" allows using multiple sources of information to extract information on species frequency needed in identifying focal species for higher-tier RA. We developed an analytical framework to calculate species frequency according to availability of species and habitat quantitative data. Since the exposure scenarios reported in the EFSA GD are inconsistent for rice, we tested the method on birds and mammals in a portion of the largest rice-cultivated area of Europe, the Italian Po floodplain. We derived three lists of focal species: (a) an expert-based list based on land-use data only, which can be useful for a preliminary exploration of potential candidate species; (b) a list derived from the interpolation of species data only, which reflects actual species frequency in rice fields; and (c) a list obtained by a species distribution model based on species monitoring and land-use data, which account for species selectivity for rice crops and are transferable to other contexts. Focal species were identified for crop-specific diet-foraging guilds, to build specific exposure scenarios to assess the risk from pesticides application in rice fields. The partial differences between our lists and those previously proposed highlight the need for identifying national lists, which can vary according to study area, biogeographic region and exposure scenarios. The application of the proposed method in European rice-producing countries should lead to crop-specific lists, which could then be integrated to obtain a flexible European list applicable to higher-tier RA. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2022;18:1020-1034. © 2021 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Serum cholinesterase biomarker study in farmers - Souss Massa region-, Morocco: case-control study

Background: Farmers and their workers are exposed to a wide variety of pesticides. The use of pesticides has been documented to lead to several adverse health effects. Inhibition of cholinesterase, primarily butyrylcholinesterase is a good indicator of occupational exposure to organophosphates and carbamates.Objective: This case-control study aims to study the risks associated with pesticide exposure among farmers and agricultural workers in the Souss Massa region by analyzing variations in the response of a pesticides exposure biomarker: Serum Cholinesterase Activity (butyrylcholinesterase (BChE)).Materials and methods: This was a prospective study conducted on 133 participants (71 farmers and 62 non-farmers). A structured questionnaire was applied collecting socio-demographic information and determining knowledge and work practices in relation to pesticide use. The activity of Serum cholinesterase was measured by the butyrulthiocholine method a spectrophotometric assay.Results: The mean age of the participants was 42.5 ± 10.66 years. The study demonstrated significantly lower BChE activity, respectively, in the plasma of farmers exposed to pesticides, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The measured mean level of BChE activity was (7304.80 ± 1939.99 U/L) and (9746.42 ± 1699.85 U/L) in the farmers and the control group (non-farmers), respectively. In addition, a high proportion of farmers reported that empty containers are burned in the open (74.6%) for waste disposal. A proportion (11.3%) of farmers also reported that empty container waste is spilled on the farm.Conclusions: The decrease in BChE indicates a serious public health problem among farmers who use organophosphate pesticides. This study suggests that regular monitoring for blood cholinesterase and effective interventions to reduce pesticide exposure to prevent health effects should be provided to farmers.