On request of the Dutch government a committee of the Health Council of the
Netherlands has reviewed the role that results of field research in its br
oadest sense (i.e., including multi-species toxicity tests in the laborator
y, research on model ecosystems et cetera) can play in ecotoxicological ris
k assessment for the authorisation of pesticides. The Committee believes th
at field research can provide valuable additional data about the exposure o
f non-target organisms and the resultant effects at population, community a
nd ecosystem level. However, it frequently is unclear how these data might
be used in reaching a decision about authorisation. To solve this problem,
it is necessary to specify what is understood by "unacceptable damage". Bot
h more clearly formulated protection goals of the government and a better u
nderstanding of the ecological significance of effects are needed to clarif
y this. Furthermore, the Committee points out that the statistical power of
field trials must be sufficient to allow for the detection of changes that
might be regarded as ecologically relevant. Finally, it recommends keeping
a finger on the pulse in relation to authorised pesticides by monitoring t
heir presence in environmental compartments and by investigating their role
in suddenly occurring mortality among conspicuous animal species, such as
birds, fish and honeybees. This kind of research forms a safety net for sub
stances that have been wrongly authorised.