Avain Risk Assessment of Six Pesticides Including Chlorpyrifos, Diazinon

Key words: 
• pesticides /
• avian /
• environmental risk assessment /
• dietary route /
• drinking water route /
• inhalation route

Abstract: The risks of six pesticides (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, dimethoate, imidacloprid, pirimicarb and methomyl) to birds were assessed using the existing assessment methods. The results showed that through exposure route of dietary, the primary acute, short-term and long-term risks of dimethoate, chlorpyrifos and diazinon to birds were unacceptable; the primary acute and long-term risks of imidacloprid to birds were unacceptable; the primary acute risks of pirimicarb and methomyl to birds were unacceptable, and the primary short-term and long-term risks of pirimicarb and methomyl to birds were acceptable. Through exposure route of drinking water, the risk of chlorpyrifos to birds was acceptable, and the risks of other five pesticides to birds were worthy of concern. Through exposure route of spray droplet inhalation, the risks of dimethoate and pirimicarb to birds were acceptable, and the risks of imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, diazinon and methomyl to birds were worthy of concern. Through exposure route of vapor phase inhalation, the risks of all the six pesticides to birds were acceptable. The assessment results could provide scientific reference for the safe use and the environmental safety management of these pesticides. Meanwhile, suggestions for improvement of the existing assessment guideline in China were put forward at the end of this paper.