Ecological risk assessment of pesticides in the Mediterranean region. The need for crop-specific scenarios

The risk assessment procedures of pesticides in the European Union are most ly based on worst-case scenarios developed for central and northern Europea n conditions. From the point of view of Mediterranean conditions, these ass essment procedures are not always appropriate, and therefore the developmen t of specific scenarios is required. There are differences not only in mete orological data (temperature, solar irradiation, or rainfall volume and ann ual distribution) between these countries, but also in farm distribution, c rop characteristics, soil or sediment properties and surface or groundwater characteristics. These differences are more evident for the typical crops of the southern countries, such as olive groves, vineyards, citrus or rice fields, and in these cases more realistic estimates of exposure are require d. Our proposal includes the development of new criteria to improve the eco logical risk assessment process for the conditions of the Mediterranean reg ion, and the justification of this need. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.