The European Commission recently proposed to protect vertebrate wildlife using hazard-based approaches for regulating pesticides with endocrine-disrupting properties. Researchers are familiar enough with using lab-based studies to test whether chemicals cause adverse effects in the usual animal models, but how do we identify those substances that will have adverse effects at the population level? Mark Crane and co-authors present an approach for evaluating protection goals for these compounds based on population responses within an ecosystem services framework. Their approach utilizes the adverse outcome pathway model to prioritize the potential responses and support scientifically defensible decisions to protect wildlife. Read the open access article in the March 2019 issue of IEAM.
About the Guest
Mark Crane is a partner in AG-HERA, an environmental toxicology consulting firm based in the UK. His work in academia and consultancy over the past three decades includes environmental risk assessments of metals, plant protection products, veterinary medicines, and industrial chemicals; derivation of Environmental Quality Standards for freshwaters, marine waters, sediments, and soils; Direct Toxicity Assessment of discharges to surface waters, groundwater, and soils; development of environmental management frameworks; deterministic and probabilistic modelling of risks to wildlife; and the organization and facilitation of workshops on environmental toxicology. Mark gained a BSc (1st class honors) in Ecology from the University of East Anglia in 1985 and a PhD in Environmental Toxicology from the University of Reading in 1993.
Articles Referenced in this Podcast
Crane M, Hallmark N, Lagadic L, Ott K, Pickford D, Preuss T, Thompson H, Thorbek P, Weltje L, Wheeler JR. 2019. Assessing the population relevance of endocrine‐disrupting effects for nontarget vertebrates exposed to plant protection products. Integr Environ Assess Manag 15: 278-291. doi:10.1002/ieam.4113
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