Updated peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance terbuthylazine in light of confirmatory data submitted

Spatial variation of rodenticides and emerging contaminants in blood of raptor nestlings from Germany

Wildlife exposures to pest controlling substances have resulted in population declines of many predatory species during the past decades. Many pesticides were subsequently classified as persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) and banned on national or global scales. However, despite their risks for non-target vertebrate wildlife, PBT substances such as anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs) are still permitted for use in Europe and have shown to threaten raptors. Whereas risks of ARs are known, much less information is available on emerging agrochemicals such as currently used PPPs and medicinal products (MPs) in higher trophic level species. We expect that currently used PPPs are relatively mobile (vs. lipophilic) as a consequence of the PBT criteria and thus more likely to be present in aqueous matrices. We therefore analyzed blood of 204 raptor nestlings of three terrestrial (red kite, common buzzard, Montagu's harrier) and two aquatic species (white-tailed sea eagle, osprey) from Germany. In total, we detected ARs in 22.6% of the red kites and 8.6% of the buzzards, whereas no Montagu's harriers or aquatic species were exposed prior to sampling. ΣAR concentration tended to be higher in North Rhine-Westphalia (vs. North-Eastern Germany) where population density is higher and intense livestock farming more frequent. Among the 90 targeted and currently used PPPs, we detected six substances from which bromoxynil (14.2%) was most frequent. Especially Montagu's harrier (31%) and red kites (22.6%) were exposed and concentrations were higher in North Rhine-Westphalia as well. Among seven MPs, we detected ciprofloxacin (3.4%), which indicates that risk mitigation measures may be needed as resistance genes were already detected in wildlife from Germany. Taken together, our study demonstrates that raptors are exposed to various chemicals during an early life stage depending on their sampling location and underpins that red kites are at particular risk for multiple pesticide exposures in Germany.

Review of the existing maximum residue levels for cyflumetofen according to Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005

According to Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, EFSA has reviewed the maximum residue levels (MRLs) currently established at European level for the pesticide active substance cyflumetofen. To assess the occurrence of cyflumetofen residues in plants, processed commodities, rotational crops and livestock, EFSA considered the conclusions derived in the framework of Commission Regulation (EU) No 188/2011 and the MRLs established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission as well as European authorisations reported by Member States and the UK. Based on the assessment of the available data, MRL proposals were derived and a consumer risk assessment was carried out. Although no apparent risk to consumers was identified, some information required by the regulatory framework was missing. Hence, the consumer risk assessment is considered indicative only and some MRL proposals derived by EFSA still require further consideration by risk managers.

Scientific support for preparing an EU position for the 52nd Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR)

In accordance with Article 43 of Regulation (EC) 396/2005, EFSA received a request from the European Commission to provide support for the preparation of the EU position for 52nd session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR). In 2019, JMPR evaluated 20 active substances regarding the setting of toxicological reference values to be used in consumer risk assessment (acetochlor, boscalid, chlorothalonil, cyprodinil, dicamba, mesotrione, metaflumizone, thiabendazole, afidopyropen, buprofezin, clethodim, dimethoate, metconazole, omethoate, pyflubumide, pyridate, pyrifluquinazon, tolclofos-methyl, triflumuron, valifenalate) and 47 active substance regarding the setting of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) (acetochlor, azoxystrobin, boscalid, chlorantraniliprole, chlorothalonil, cyantraniliprole, cyprodinil, dicamba, fenazaquin, flonicamid, flupyradifurone, fosetyl-Al, glyphosate, mesotrione, metaflumizone, S-methoprene, pendimethalin, spirotetramat, tebuconazole, thiabendazole, acetamiprid, afidopyropen, benzovindiflupyr, bifenthrin, buprofezin, carbendazim, clethodim, cyclaniliprole, cypermethrins, dimethoate, fluazifop-p-butyl, fluensulfone, kresoxim-methyl, mandestrobin, metconazole, omethoate, penthiopyrad, picoxystrobin, pydiflumetofen, pyflubumide, pyrifluquinazon, pyriofenone, pyriproxyfen, tolclofos-methyl, tolfenpyrad, triflumuron, valifenalate). EFSA prepared comments on the Codex MRL proposals and the proposed toxicological reference values. In addition, EFSA provided the views on follow-up assessments of JMPR on pesticides where specific concerns were raised in the previous CCPR meetings. The current report should serve as the basis for deriving the EU position for the CCPR meeting.

Sorption Properties of Specific Polymeric Microspheres towards Desethyl-Terbuthylazine and 2-Hydroxy-Terbuthylazine: Batch and Column Studies

This work investigates the sorption properties of poly(divinylbenzene) modified in the Diels-Alder reaction towards persistent and mobile metabolites of terbuthylazine. The batch experiments were carried out to examine the efficiency of desethyl-terbuthylazine and 2-hydroxy-terbuthylazine adsorption on the specific adsorbent and the impact of different factors on the adsorption process. Results fit well to a pseudo-second order kinetic model. It was confirmed that hydrogen bonds play an important role in the studied systems. Five times greater sorption of 2-hydroxy-terbuthylazine than desethyl-terbuthylazine was observed. The molecular structures of both metabolites exhibit complementarity to the arrangement of functional groups in the polymer but the differences in the physicochemical properties of the desethyl derivative make it a highly mobile compound with higher affinity to the aqueous phase. The equilibrium data in the batch study fit the Freundlich isotherm for 2-hydroxy-terbuthylazine, and for desethyl-terbuthylazine the Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich models were better. The adsorption capacities obtained under dynamic conditions were comparable with batch results. For column adsorption modeling the Bohart-Adams, Wolborska, Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models were used. The proposed microspheres can be reused easily with no significant decrease in adsorption capacity by using ethanol as eluent in the desorption.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance spiroxamine in light of confirmatory data submitted

The conclusions of the EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessment carried out by the competent authority of the rapporteur Member State, Germany, for the pesticide active substance spiroxamine are reported. The context of the peer review was that requested by the European Commission following the submission and evaluation of confirmatory ecotoxicology data. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of spiroxamine as a fungicide on grapes, wheat, triticale, rye, barley and oats. The reliable end points concluded as being appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment, derived from the available studies and literature in the dossier peer reviewed, are presented.

Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment for the active substance sulfoxaflor in light of confirmatory data submitted

The conclusions of EFSA following the peer review of the initial risk assessment carried out by the competent authority of the co-rapporteur Member State, the Czech Republic, for the pesticide active substance sulfoxaflor are reported. The context of the peer review was that requested by the European Commission following the submission and evaluation of confirmatory ecotoxicology data. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of sulfoxaflor as an insecticide on fruiting vegetables (field and greenhouse application), cucurbits (field and greenhouse application), spring and winter cereals (field application) and cotton (field application). The reliable endpoints concluded as being appropriate for use in regulatory risk assessment, derived from the available studies and literature in the dossier peer reviewed, are presented. For the field and non-permanent structure greenhouses, a high risk to honeybees and bumble bees was identified related to some pertinent scenarios (treated crop scenario except after flowering period, weed scenario, field margin scenario). A low risk was concluded for honeybees, bumble bees and solitary bees in case of permanent structure greenhouse provided the low exposure in such scenarios. The European Commission mandated EFSA to complete the assessment of the spray drift reducing measures necessary to protect bumblebees and solitary bees in field margins from exposure to sulfoxaflor and to complete the assessment of the risk to bees from puddle water.