Environmental Risk Assessment

Unexpected air pollutants with potential human health hazards: Nitrification inhibitors, biocides, and persistent organic substances

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Abstract To better understand the influence of land use and meteorological parameters on air pollutants, we deployed passive air samplers in 15 regions with different land use in eastern Austria. The samplers consisted of polyurethane PUF and polyester PEF filter matrices, which were analyzed for 566 substances by gas-chromatography/mass-spectrometry. In a previous article, we highlighted … Read more

Toxicological Comparison of Pesticide Active Substances Approved for Conventional vs. Organic Agriculture in Europe

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By Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, Thomas Durstberger, Johann G. Zaller Published in Toxics 2022, 10(12), 753; https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10120753 Published: 2 December 2022 (This article belongs to the Section Agrochemicals and Food Toxicology) Abstract There is much debate about whether the (mostly synthetic) pesticide active substances (AS) in conventional agriculture have different non-target effects than the natural AS in … Read more

Spatio‐temporal controllability and environmental risk assessment of genetically engineered gene drive organisms from the perspective of EU GMO Regulation

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The article by Dr Christoph Then, Dr Katharina Kawall, and Dr Nina Valenzuelawas published on 6 April 2020 in the  journal Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management of the Society of Environmental Assessment and Management. Please find the abstract here: https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ieam.4278 Please find the article here: https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ieam.4278    

Laboratory tests with Lepidoptera to assess non-target effects of Bt maize pollen: analysis of current studies and recommendations for a standardised design

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By Andreas Lang, Marina Lee, Matthias Dolek, Julitta Berchtold and Mathias Otto   Abstract: Background and approach: Common standards for laboratory studies of non-target organisms are recognised as prerequisite to assist the risk assessments regarding the evaluation of environmental effects of transgenic crops. Here, we provide specific recommendations significant for experimental procedures of laboratory studies … Read more

EFSA Consultative Workshop on Draft Guidance on Selection of Comparators for the Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Plants

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31 Mar 2011 – The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) held a consultative workshop in Brussels on 31 March 2011 to discuss the views of stakeholders on its draft guidance for the selection of Genetically Modified (GM) plant comparators. The workshop brought together various interested parties, including representatives from academia, industry, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the … Read more

ENSSER comments on EFSA Draft guidance document for the environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants

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 29 Apr 2010 – The European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility (ENSSER) was founded with the aim to advance science and research for the protection of the environment, biological diversity and human health against negative impacts of new technologies and their products. Consequently, ENSSER promotes the critical European and international discourse on … Read more

ENSSER Comments on the EFSA Guidance on the Environmental Risk Assessment of Genetically Modified Plants

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22 Mar 2010 – The Guidance introduces new principles and concepts for environmental risk assessment of genetically modified plants (GMP ERA), in the first place the principle of the “comparative safety assessment” as a reformulation of the “concept of substantial equivalence”. Further, the Guidance foresees to use the “concept of familiarity” as upstream decision-making instrument … Read more