Environmental fate studies are essential for both the environmental
and human risk assessments of crop protection products. The data are used in
computer models to predict the concentrations (PECs) of the active substances
and their metabolites that may occur in the environment when the substance is
used.
For risk assessment purposes, the environment is divided into
compartments, the most important are soil, groundwater and surface water. Groundwater
concentrations are of importance in assessing human exposure via drinking water,
particularly in relation to the drinking water directive in the EU.
Environmental fate studies are conducted both in the laboratory,
in model systems usually with radiolabelling, and in the field.
- Aerobic and anaerobic soil route (metabolism) and rate of
degradation
- Aerobic and anaerobic aquatic metabolism (water / sediment
degradation)
- Photodegradation in soil
- Hydrolysis and photodegradation in water, including measurement
of quantum yield
- Field soil dissipation and accumulation (in the EU or USA)
- Soil adsorption / desorption and column leaching
- Field leaching and lysimeter
- Degradation in the saturated zone
- Identification of metabolites
- Environmental modelling
We can offer to synthesise radiolabelled test substances that
are usually needed for laboratory environmental fate studies.
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