Close Menu
  • Last News
    • Cities
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Impact
    • Markets
    • Opinions
    • Policy
    • Reports
    • Research
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Trending
Illustration of the sun’s south pole captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft. Image generated by AI.
Solar Pole Shock: This European Probe Just Captured the First Images Ever of the Sun’s South Pole With Stunning Clarity
Illustration of a dairy farm using digesters to reduce methane emissions. Image generated by AI.
Dairy Methane Miracle: These Digesters Deliver 80% Emissions Drop and Turn Manure Into Massive Renewable Energy Wins
Illustration of a platinum-free hydrogen electrolysis system developed by South Korean scientists. Image generated by AI.
Platinum-Free Hydrogen Revolution: This Korean System Stuns Scientists With Its Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Industrial Disruption Potential
Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
Sustainability Times
Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
Subscribe
  • Featured
  • Cities
    Illustration of Downtown Residences skyscraper in Dubai's Business Bay area. Image generated by AI.

    “Tallest Home in the Sky”: Dubai’s 1,500-Foot Residential Tower Set to Shatter Records and Completely Transform the Urban Skyline

    June 14, 2025 at 4:11 PM
    Illustration of Egypt's ambitious Jirian urban development project featuring an artificial Nile canal. Image generated by AI.

    “Egypt’s Visionary Project Unveiled”: Skyscrapers Rising Amidst the Desert and Beside the Pyramids as Revolutionary New City Takes Shape

    June 11, 2025 at 10:00 AM
    Illustration of Saudi Arabia's futuristic Line project stretching across the desert. Image generated by AI.

    “Saudi Mega-Skyscraper Turns Deadly”: This 105-Mile Structure Threatens to Annihilate Migratory Birds on a Catastrophic Scale

    June 10, 2025 at 10:10 AM
    Illustration of Archer Aviation's Midnight eVTOL air taxi flying over Los Angeles during the 2028 Olympics. Image generated by AI.

    Flying Over LA Gridlock: These American Air Taxis Promise a Spectacular Debut During the 2028 Olympic Games

    May 20, 2025 at 4:07 PM
    Illustration of the sinking urban landscape affecting major U.S. cities due to groundwater depletion (AI-generated, unrealistic). Credit: Ideogram.

    “America’s Cities Are Sinking Fast”: 28 Urban Giants Like New York and Houston Are Quietly Crumbling Beneath Our Feet

    May 13, 2025 at 7:00 AM
  • Climate
    Illustration of a revolutionary plastic dissolving in ocean water. Image generated by AI.

    “This Plastic Melts in the Ocean”: Japanese Scientists Reveal a Radical Material That Could Finally End the Global Pollution Crisis

    June 15, 2025 at 6:08 PM
    Illustration of the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems. Image generated by AI.

    “Ocean Acidification Is a Time Bomb”: This Silent Threat Is Accelerating Extinction and Pushing Earth Toward an Irreversible Collapse

    June 15, 2025 at 6:45 AM
    Illustration of rising global CO2 emissions and their impact on climate change. Image generated by AI.

    “Global CO₂ Emissions Surge Out of Control”: This Alarming Spike Signals a Dangerous New Phase in the Climate Crisis

    June 12, 2025 at 10:11 AM
    Illustration of the colossal landslide in Greenland's Dickson Fjord triggering a mega-tsunami. Image generated by AI.

    “Unprecedented Natural Disaster Strikes”: A 650-Foot Mega-Tsunami Sends Seismic Waves Circling the Globe

    June 11, 2025 at 6:07 PM
    Illustration of the destabilizing effects of climate change on glaciers. Image generated by AI.

    “40% of Glaciers Vanishing Anyway”: This Chilling Climate Shock Exposes the Irreversible Collapse Already Underway

    June 9, 2025 at 6:49 AM
  • Energy
    Illustration of a dairy farm using digesters to reduce methane emissions. Image generated by AI.

    Dairy Methane Miracle: These Digesters Deliver 80% Emissions Drop and Turn Manure Into Massive Renewable Energy Wins

    June 18, 2025 at 6:45 AM
    Illustration of a platinum-free hydrogen electrolysis system developed by South Korean scientists. Image generated by AI.

    Platinum-Free Hydrogen Revolution: This Korean System Stuns Scientists With Its Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Industrial Disruption Potential

    June 18, 2025 at 5:56 AM
    Illustration of 12-year-old Jackson Oswalt achieving nuclear fusion in his bedroom. Image generated by AI.

    FBI Raids Family Home After 12-Year-Old Conducts Dangerous Scientific Experiment That Triggers Federal-Level Alarm

    June 17, 2025 at 6:10 PM
    Illustration of researchers at the University of Kentucky developing materials for nuclear fusion reactors. Image generated by AI.

    “Indestructible Reactors Are Now Possible”: This Shocking University Discovery Could Redefine the Future of Nuclear Safety

    June 17, 2025 at 4:52 PM
    Illustration of hydrogen fuel cells powering a construction site. Image generated by AI.

    Europe Stuns the World as $134 Billion Hydrogen Project Turns Into Earth’s Largest Construction Site, Surprising the U.S.

    June 17, 2025 at 3:45 PM
  • Impact
    Illustration of Creme Puff, the world's oldest cat, enjoying a unique lifestyle. Image generated by AI.

    “World’s Oldest Cat Drank Red Wine”: This Bizarre Feline Habit Stuns Vets and Redefines Everything We Thought About Animal Longevity

    June 15, 2025 at 6:11 AM
    Illustration of Builder.ai revealing its reliance on manual labor behind a facade of AI innovation. Image generated by AI.

    Shocking Revelation in Tech Industry: A 1.5 Billion Dollar ‘Fake AI’ Exposed With 700 Real-Time Coders Operating From India

    June 11, 2025 at 3:45 PM
    Illustration of the shift from GPS to atomic clocks in aviation safety. Image generated by AI.

    End of GPS Era: The Secret Rise of Atomic Clocks Signals a Military-Grade Revolution in Global Positioning and National Security

    June 10, 2025 at 7:47 AM
    Illustration of Jeff Bezos' megayacht Koru anchored offshore due to docking restrictions in Monaco. Image generated by AI.

    “Bezos Denied at Monaco”: The $500 Million Megayacht Forced Offshore as Billionaire Arrives by Dinghy in Stunning Humiliation

    June 7, 2025 at 6:46 AM
    Illustration of U.S. soldiers using augmented reality gear in a battlefield scenario. Image generated by AI.

    “Meta Is Redefining Warfare”: U.S. Army Adopts AR-AI Headset That Turns Soldiers Into Real-Time Combat Intelligence Hubs

    June 6, 2025 at 4:59 PM
  • Markets
    Illustration of a colossal 55 billion-ton iron ore deposit discovery in Western Australia. Image generated by AI.

    Worldwide Panic as Monumental Geological Find Disrupts Global Trade and Triggers Market Turmoil on Every Continent

    June 4, 2025 at 4:53 PM

    Most sources of protein in the US contain vast quantities of microplastics

    January 11, 2024 at 5:47 AM

    Banking on change: How your accounts have climate impact

    December 26, 2023 at 7:13 PM

    Sparxell’s glitter is golden with nature-based color, design

    December 19, 2023 at 9:29 PM

    Lab-grown coffee tastes pretty darn good, scientists say

    December 12, 2023 at 10:42 PM
  • Opinions

    Smoke, Mirrors, and Smears: Inside the Campaign Against Gaurav Srivastava (Review)

    May 14, 2025 at 10:45 AM

    Nathan Law and the High Cost of Dissent: A Review of Targeted, Episode 3

    May 13, 2025 at 9:46 AM

    From charts to conversations: a real review of Hint App, The Pattern, and TimePassages

    May 13, 2025 at 5:12 AM

    Where Time Touches Light: Yefan Liu and the Future of Cultural Design

    April 18, 2025 at 3:39 AM
    “Ancient Predator Resurfaces: The Terrifying Epicyon, Massive Canid Beast With Bone-Crushing Jaws, Shakes Experts to Their Core”

    “He’s Back From Extinction”: The Gigantic Epicyon Returns With Bone-Crushing Jaws That Terrified Prehistoric America

    April 16, 2025 at 7:53 AM
  • Policy
    Illustration of China's newly unveiled underground military command center near Beijing. Image generated by AI.

    “We Cannot Ignore This Threat”: China’s 1,000-Acre Military Megabase Revealed by Satellite Triggers US Intelligence Emergency

    June 8, 2025 at 5:53 PM
    Illustration of a Russian satellite maneuvering near a U.S. government satellite in space. Image generated by AI.

    “Russia’s Orbital Weapon Moves In”: US Military Reacts Urgently as Armed Satellite Approaches Critical American Asset in Alarming Encounter

    June 8, 2025 at 7:14 AM
    Illustration of China's expanding aircraft carrier fleet reshaping global naval dynamics. Image generated by AI.

    “U.S. Navy on High Alert”: China’s Fleet of 6 Supercarriers Triggers Global Tensions and Redefines Sea Power Balance

    June 4, 2025 at 5:45 PM
    Illustration of SpinLaunch's centrifugal launch system deploying microsatellites into low-Earth orbit. Image generated by AI.

    “Hypersonic Madness in Orbit”: US Company Launches Pancake Probes at Relentless Speed, Triggering Chinese Military Alarm

    June 3, 2025 at 3:49 PM
    Illustration of the AURA-E drone revolutionizing rural logistics in Australia. Image generated by AI.

    Unprecedented Aerial Gamble: This New Australian Drone Can Travel 310 Miles Carrying 110 Pounds Across Remote Outback

    June 2, 2025 at 7:53 AM
  • Reports
    Illustration of the SABRE South Collaboration’s experimental setup for detecting dark matter in the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “Scientists Stunned by Mysterious Light”: Bold Experiment Uses 4-Inch Glowing Crystal Core to Unveil Secrets of Elusive Dark Matter

    May 5, 2025 at 6:05 AM
    Illustration of a precision laser being fired from Earth to a satellite orbiting the Moon during daylight (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    China Hits the Moon With a Laser: First Daylight Lunar Reflection in History Stuns Scientists and Ignites Global Space Race

    May 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
    Illustration of the SR-72 hypersonic jet soaring through the sky (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “China Stunned by US Jet”: SR-72 Hypersonic Aircraft to Fly at Over Mach 5 in 2025, Triggering Shock and Panic in Beijing

    May 4, 2025 at 6:03 AM
    Illustration of China's expansive underground military command center near Beijing (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    China Unveils Its Military Mega-Project: Satellite Images Reveal Construction of the Largest Military Hub on Earth Spanning Over 1,000 Acres

    May 3, 2025 at 6:54 AM
    Illustration of China's new amphibious anti-tank missile system on the ZTD-05 vehicle (AI-generated, non-realistic illustration). Credit: Ideogram.

    “China Unleashes Amphibious Beast”: This Armored Truck-Turned-Tank Can Now Hunt Enemy Targets Across Rivers and Swamps

    May 2, 2025 at 5:52 AM
  • Research
    Illustration of the sun’s south pole captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft. Image generated by AI.

    Solar Pole Shock: This European Probe Just Captured the First Images Ever of the Sun’s South Pole With Stunning Clarity

    June 18, 2025 at 8:08 AM
    Illustration of a vast reservoir of water hidden beneath the Earth's mantle. Image generated by AI.

    “An Entire Ocean Lies Beneath Us”: Scientists Reveal Massive Hidden Sea Deep Below Earth’s Crust That Changes Everything

    June 17, 2025 at 10:03 AM
    Illustration of the South Atlantic Anomaly impacting space technology. Image generated by AI.

    “Earth’s Core Is Acting Up”: NASA Links Planet-Wide Disturbance to Mysterious Energy Surge Emerging From Deep Within the Mantle

    June 16, 2025 at 6:01 AM
    Illustration of humpback whales creating bubble rings as a form of communication. Image generated by AI.

    “Whales Are Talking to Us”: These Majestic Giants Are Creating New Communication Methods That Could Transform Human-Animal Interaction

    June 15, 2025 at 5:13 PM
    Illustration of a newly discovered super-Earth, Kepler-725c, within its star's habitable zone. Image generated by AI.

    “Super-Earth Could Host Life”: Stunning New Planet Found in Habitable Zone Ignites Hopes of a Second Earth Beyond Our Solar System

    June 15, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Sustainability Times

Pesticides remain hazards in the EU because of weak safety regulations

Eirwen WilliamsEirwen WilliamsDecember 18, 2018 at 9:12 PM0
Share Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Follow Us
Google News
(photo: Flickr)
Share
Twitter Facebook LinkedIn WhatsApp Email Copy Link

A lack of proper safety measures across the European Union means that dangerous substances in pesticides may continue to have an adverse impact on the environment and human health, stresses a group of 24 experts from a variety of scientific fields in a newly released White Paper.

The document identifies several shortfalls in the safety assessment of pesticides in Europe, which may lead to dangerous substances being used in open spaces. “The current model of pesticide risk assessment that determines the approval of pesticide substances in the European Union is problematic, as it fails to prevent the use of harmful chemicals in the production of our food,” the document stresses.

Largely to blame, the authors stress, is the pesticide industry. “Industry is dominating the assessment process at all levels, testing, methodology, lobby, communication and court cases, it is more than time to reform the entire process and put industry at a good distance,” says Hans Muilerman, chemical officer at the advocacy group Pesticide Action Network Europe, or PAN Europe.

The document lists 18 areas where pesticide safety assessments within the EU fall short. The science used in in pesticide risk assessment procedures is often misapplied  or outdated because it is based on old methodologies, the authors stress. It fails to take into account evidence from recent scientific findings, which means that hazardous chemical products often continue to be allowed to be used.

“Regulatory authorities repeatedly claim to have used a scientific approach,”  says Peter Clausing, a taxocologist who was a co-author of the document. “The White Paper reveals significant gaps and weaknesses concerning the science the authorities use for their risk assessment and it makes proposals for substantial improvements.”

The experts are calling for a new science-based approach in pesticide risk assessment. “Over the last decade there have been a number of major advances in our understanding of how best to review scientific evidence of health risks posed by exposure to chemical substances,” says researcher Paul Whaley from the Lancaster Environment Centre. “These advances must be reflected in pesticide risk assessment if we are to have fair, transparent and effective regulation which protects health and minimises the environmental impact of agriculture,” he adds.

Another group of researchers recently found that pesticides have been accumulating in European soil, posing a constant risk to land-based and aquatic ecosystems alike.

“If the EU wants its policies on pesticides to have scientific credibility and democratic legitimacy it must widen the scope of its risk assessments to ensure that it properly assesses the risks of commercial products as sold, rather than just the main active ingredient,” stresses Prof. Erik Millstone from University of Sussex, who was a co-author of the White Paper.

“It must also ensure that uncertainties are comprehensively acknowledged, and that the precautionary principle is applied consistently, not opportunistically,” he adds.

Did you like it? 4.7/5 (27)

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Agriculture
Follow on Google News Follow on X (Twitter)
Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram WhatsApp Email Copy Link
Previous ArticleWe’re killing turtles on the Great Barrier Reef with our toxins
Next Article How the ‘solar suitcase’ is saving women’s lives
Eirwen Williams
  • X (Twitter)

Eirwen Williams is a New York-based journalist at Sustainability Times, covering science, climate policy, sustainable innovation, and environmental justice. A graduate of NYU’s Journalism Institute, he explores how cities adapt to a warming world. With a focus on people-powered change, his stories spotlight the intersection of activism, policy, and green technology. Contact : [email protected]

Keep Reading
Illustration of a dairy farm using digesters to reduce methane emissions. Image generated by AI.

Dairy Methane Miracle: These Digesters Deliver 80% Emissions Drop and Turn Manure Into Massive Renewable Energy Wins

Illustration of a revolutionary plastic dissolving in ocean water. Image generated by AI.

“This Plastic Melts in the Ocean”: Japanese Scientists Reveal a Radical Material That Could Finally End the Global Pollution Crisis

Illustration of the effects of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems. Image generated by AI.

“Ocean Acidification Is a Time Bomb”: This Silent Threat Is Accelerating Extinction and Pushing Earth Toward an Irreversible Collapse

Add A Comment

Comments are closed.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Trending
Illustration of the sun’s south pole captured by the Solar Orbiter spacecraft. Image generated by AI.
Solar Pole Shock: This European Probe Just Captured the First Images Ever of the Sun’s South Pole With Stunning Clarity
Illustration of a dairy farm using digesters to reduce methane emissions. Image generated by AI.
Dairy Methane Miracle: These Digesters Deliver 80% Emissions Drop and Turn Manure Into Massive Renewable Energy Wins
Illustration of a platinum-free hydrogen electrolysis system developed by South Korean scientists. Image generated by AI.
Platinum-Free Hydrogen Revolution: This Korean System Stuns Scientists With Its Efficiency, Cost Savings, and Industrial Disruption Potential
News by category
  • Featured
  • Cities
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Impact
  • Markets
  • Opinions
  • Policy
  • Reports
  • Research
Information
  • About Us
  • Meet the Team
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Legal Mentions
  • Privacy Policy

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

News, investigations, and analysis — our top stories every morning to start your day right.

Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
© Sustainability-Times.com. All rights reserved.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.