RE: https://eupolicy.social/@Akshay/116192439506710815

"To determine global pesticide risk, the study researchers looked at data on pesticide use from 2013 to 2019 in 65 nations that collectively represent nearly 80% of global crop acreage. They then combined these statistics with data on the toxicity of 625 pesticides for eight different species groups, including aquatic invertebrates and plants, fish, pollinating insects, soil organisms, and terrestrial arthropods, plants and vertebrates."

This TAT [total applied toxicity] is a very good approach to measure ecotoxicity. This is very important since the often used "tons of pesticides applied" is quite useless when we are talking about substances with highly varying toxicity. 👌

Of many pesticides, we do not really know the toxicity, or there is a lack of scientific consensus because the agrochemical corporations play dirty and have an army of paid pseudo-scientists. Additionally, toxicological studies focus mainly on acute toxicity on humans and not on long-term adverse health effects or the effects of combinations of different pollutants. And the toxicity for ecosystem functions is seldom even considered.
May this TAT help us to not underestimate toxicity so much.

@mongabay 🌱
@Akshay  
#Toxicology #Ecotoxicology #Microbiology #Agriculture #AgriBusiness #Bayer #Monsanto #Pioneer #Syngenta #Pesticides #SoilBiology #Glyphosate