Final Report Summary - HAIR (HArmonised environmental Indicators for pesticide Risk)
The HAIR project supported European policies for sustainable agriculture through the provision of a harmonised approach for indicators of the overall risk of pesticides.
The limitations of existing approaches were firstly identified through integration of scientific expertise on the use, emissions, environmental fate and impacts of pesticides on agro-ecosystems and human health. A set of improved environmental and human health indicators was therefore developed and evaluated using existing data. The indicators were subsequently implemented in a software tool, which predicted environmental fate, exposure and associated risks for organisms, groundwater, public health and applicators of the substances.
The indicators could be used on regional, catchment or international levels. Databases were developed for soil, climate, land use, agricultural practices, pesticide use and ecotoxicological data. Both chronic and acute risks were included in the analysis. Programming outcomes were flexible and could be presented as tables, cumulative distributions, maps or as trends in time.
A workshop was organised at the project beginning to present HAIR to the interested stakeholders, identify available data, define the existing European indicators and the gaps that had to be filled and coordinate research efforts. In addition, a seminar was organised during HAIR elaboration to provide information to policy makers. Dissemination activities also included participation in numerous events and preparation of papers and other documentation. The software and produced material were accessible by the general public via the project website. Finally, an attempt to establish links with other European projects was undertaken.
The limitations of existing approaches were firstly identified through integration of scientific expertise on the use, emissions, environmental fate and impacts of pesticides on agro-ecosystems and human health. A set of improved environmental and human health indicators was therefore developed and evaluated using existing data. The indicators were subsequently implemented in a software tool, which predicted environmental fate, exposure and associated risks for organisms, groundwater, public health and applicators of the substances.
The indicators could be used on regional, catchment or international levels. Databases were developed for soil, climate, land use, agricultural practices, pesticide use and ecotoxicological data. Both chronic and acute risks were included in the analysis. Programming outcomes were flexible and could be presented as tables, cumulative distributions, maps or as trends in time.
A workshop was organised at the project beginning to present HAIR to the interested stakeholders, identify available data, define the existing European indicators and the gaps that had to be filled and coordinate research efforts. In addition, a seminar was organised during HAIR elaboration to provide information to policy makers. Dissemination activities also included participation in numerous events and preparation of papers and other documentation. The software and produced material were accessible by the general public via the project website. Finally, an attempt to establish links with other European projects was undertaken.
