Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IMEWe test and assess the environmental compatibility of plant protection products in accordance with national and international plant protection legislation (in particular EC 1107/2009). To this end, we develop and implement tailored studies for higher tier risk assessment (HTRA), e.g. life cycle tests with fish, species sensitivity distributions (SSDs) and mesocosm studies including chemical analyses. The experimental work is complemented by statistics, exposure and effect modelling. As a consequence of our experience with in house studies for pesticide manufacturers and our work for and in co-operation with authorities, we can often mediate between notifiers and authorities when it comes to the evaluation of studies or the determination of an optimal test strategy.
© Fraunhofer IME
Environmental Risk Assessment of Agrochemicals
Research, development and services
Standard-Risk-Assessment
- GLP studies and calculations according to international guidelines (OECD, OPPTS and JMAFF) relating to physicochemical properties, fate (e.g. kinetic analyses and exposure modeling according to FOCUS, degradation and transformation in soil and water/ sediment, photolysis, hydrolysis and bioaccumulation)
- Effects on water/sediment/soil organisms
Higher Tier Risk Assessment (HTRA)
- Development, implementation and performance of experimental studies and models, e.g. lysimeter studies, fate-o-cosms
- Outdoor soil degradation, substance-specific modification of standard studies
- Exposure modeling (inverse modeling, GIS analysis, substance-specific scenarios)
- Ecotoxicological tests with non-standard species (for SSD approach) or with modified exposure (e.g. pulsed exposure), fish full life cycle tests, microcosm and mesocosm studies
- Effect modeling (organisms-level: toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics), populations and food webs)
All studies, including higher tier simulation studies, can be carried out
using 14C radiolabeled test substances.
Evaluations and expert reports on HTRA studies carried out by other institutions
Research and development projects and expert reports on general and specific issues relating to the environmental risk assessment of plant protection products