Who Recommended Classification Of Pesticides By Hazard And Guidelines To Classification 2009

"The WHO Recommended Classification of Pesticides by Hazard was approved by the 28th World Health Assembly in 1975 and has since gained wide acceptance. When it was published in the WHO Chronicle, 29, 397-401 (1975), an annex, which was not part of the Classification, illustrated its use by listing examples of classification of some pesticidal active ingredients and their formulations. Later suggestions were made by Member States and pesticide registration authorities that further guidance should be given on the classification of individual pesticides. Guidelines were first issued in 1978, and have since been revised and reissued every few years. Up until the present revision the original guidelines approved by the World Health Assembly in 1975 have been followed without amendment. In December, 2002 the United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNCETDG/GHS) approved a document called 'The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals' with the intent to provide a globally-harmonized system1 (GHS) to address classification of chemicals, labels, and safety data sheets. The GHS (with subsequent revisions) is now being widely used for the classification and labeling of chemicals worldwide. For this revision of the Classification the WHO Hazard Classes have been aligned in an appropriate way with the GHS Acute Toxicity Hazard Categories for acute oral or dermal toxicity as the starting point for allocating pesticides to a WHO Hazard Class (with adjustments for individual pesticides where required). It is anticipated that few of the more toxic pesticides will change WHO Hazard Class as a result of this change. As has always been the case, the classification of some pesticides has been adjusted to take account of severe hazards to health other than acute toxicity (as described in Part II). The GHS Acute Toxicity Hazard Category for each pesticide is now presented alongside the existing information"--Page 1.

This classification distinguishes between the more and the less hazardous forms of each pesticide.

The objective of this guidance on fulfilling the reporting requirements of Article 12 of the Code of Conduct is to obtain a regular flow of information on its observance to strengthen implementation of the Code, to provide data for its future revisions and improvement, and, most importantly, to improve the protection of human health and the environment related to pesticide use and management in agriculture and public health. The guidance was prepared in compliance with the FAO/WHO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, which sets out a framework and voluntary standards of conduct for stakeholders in pesticide management, in particular governments and the pesticide industry. Endorsed by FAO, WHO, governments, pesticide producers, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders, the Code outlines their shared responsibility to promote best practice and risk reduction throughout the pesticide life cycle. The Code of Conduct thereby establishes the commitment and moral obligation of stakeholders to comply with the agreed standards of conduct and to assume their respective responsibilities. These include governments’ responsibility to promote pesticide risk reduction and the industry’s responsibility to produce products that are adapted to the context of their use and to provide stewardship of those products throughout their life cycle. This guidance was prepared with the support of the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) to provide further guidance on the provisions of the Code of Conduct related to its observance and implementation. It reflects the joint FAO/WHO approach to pesticide management, thus addressing the topic in both agricultural and public health settings.

Historically, regulations governing chemical use have often focused on widely used chemicals and acute human health effects of exposure to them, as well as their potential to cause cancer and other adverse health effects. As scientific knowledge has expanded there has been an increased awareness of the mechanisms through which chemicals may exert harmful effects on human health, as well as their effects on other species and ecosystems. Identification of high-priority chemicals and other chemicals of concern has prompted a growing number of state and local governments, as well as major companies, to take steps beyond existing hazardous chemical federal legislation. Interest in approaches and policies that ensure that any new substances substituted for chemicals of concern are assessed as carefully and thoroughly as possible has also burgeoned. The overarching goal of these approaches is to avoid regrettable substitutions, which occur when a toxic chemical is replaced by another chemical that later proved unsuitable because of persistence, bioaccumulation, toxicity, or other concerns. Chemical alternative assessments are tools designed to facilitate consideration of these factors to assist stakeholders in identifying chemicals that may have the greatest likelihood of harm to human and ecological health, and to provide guidance on how the industry may develop and adopt safer alternatives. A Framework to Guide Selection of Chemical Alternatives develops and demonstrates a decision framework for evaluating potentially safer substitute chemicals as primarily determined by human health and ecological risks. This new framework is informed by previous efforts by regulatory agencies, academic institutions, and others to develop alternative assessment frameworks that could be operationalized. In addition to hazard assessments, the framework incorporates steps for life-cycle thinking - which considers possible impacts of a chemical at all stages including production, use, and disposal - as well as steps for performance and economic assessments. The report also highlights how modern information sources such as computational modeling can supplement traditional toxicology data in the assessment process. This new framework allows the evaluation of the full range of benefits and shortcomings of substitutes, and examination of tradeoffs between these risks and factors such as product functionality, product efficacy, process safety, and resource use. Through case studies, this report demonstrates how different users in contrasting decision contexts with diverse priorities can apply the framework. This report will be an essential resource to the chemical industry, environmentalists, ecologists, and state and local governments.

Philippe Sands' text on international environmental law provides a clear, authoritative introduction to the subject. This edition has been updated to include relevant new topics, including the Kyoto Protocol, genetically modified organisms, and oil pollution.

These guidelines are intended to provide guidance on pesticide risk reduction through reduced exposure by effective personal protection with special attention to the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). First, they provide technical information on personal protection and on the selection and use of PPE. Second, in line with the FAO/WHO International Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management, they address policy issues and recommend measures to improve personal protection and specifically the use and availability of adequate quality and affordable PPE. They are primarily aimed at government authorities in charge of pesticide management and risk reduction, but are also considered useful to public and private sectors such as pesticide industry, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and other relevant entities. More specifically, these guidelines are targeted at stakeholders in low and middle income countries (LMICs) where it is acknowledged that there is limited legislation, compliance and enforcement, and PPE availability. These Guidelines were developed by the FAO/WHO Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management (JMPM) to provide guidance on provisions in the Code of Conduct on Pesticide Management that are related to personal protection of pesticide users. They are meant to enhance current national legislation and regulations on personal protection and personal protective equipment (PPE) or where there is none, to provide guidance. They reflect the FAO/WHO joint approach on pesticide management, thus addressing personal protection of both agricultural and public health operators/applicators, the latter being engaged in using insecticides for vector control.

Certain types of pesticides are widely used in agriculture in all parts of the world due to their relatively low cost, broad spectrum of activity, and high efficiency. These pollutants contaminate not only the surrounding soils and water but, in many cases, also enter into the drinking water. The Handbook of Research on the Adverse Effects of Pesticide Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of the prevention of accumulation of toxic pollutants such as agrochemicals and organochlorine pesticides in aquatic ecosystems and applications within ecology and agriculture. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as pesticide monitoring, metabolites, and risk assessment, this book is ideally designed for scientists, researchers, engineers, policymakers, agricultural specialists, industrialists, academicians, and students seeking current research on the risks of water contaminants in small ecosystems.