Development of a web-based pesticide risk assessment module for below-ground invertebrates

The overall objective of this project (WEBFRAM-5) was to investigate whether the application of probabilistic methods of uncertainty analysis can improve the risk assessment for effects of pesticides on below-ground invertebrates. The project addressed this objective in two ways: First, analysis of existing pesticide effects data was used to examine which methods of uncertainty analysis could be used. Second, where possible (subject to availability of data), internet-based risk assessment tools were provided to enable stakeholders to independently and impartially evaluate the current deterministic risk assessment approach against alternative methods. The project output aimed to be consistent with the EU regulatory guidance (according to the Directive 91/414/EEC and its amendments) and was complementing the output from other WEBFRAM projects on non-target arthropods (WEBFRAM-4), birds and mammals (WEBFAM-3 & 7) and aquatic organisms (WEBFRAM-2). The WEBFRAM projects together (coordinated in project WEBFRAM-1), were intended to provide a comprehensive internet-based risk assessment resource. Specifically, the WEBFRAM-5 project had five objectives: (1) acquire relevant data; (2) identify initial pesticide use scenarios and case studies for evaluation of uncertainty analysis methods; (3) develop and refine the case studies for internet-enabling as online risk assessment tools; (4) identify further pesticide use scenarios and case studies for evaluation of uncertainty analysis methods, and refine these for internet enabling; (5) finalize testing of the internet risk assessment tools and disseminate the findings.