Incorporating the benefits of vegetative filter strips into risk assessment and risk management of pesticides

Authors: CHEN, DANESHA SETH - University Of North Carolina; CARLEY, DANESHA SETH - North Carolina State University; MUNOZ-CARPENA, RAFAEL - University Of Florida; FERRUZZI, GIULIO - Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS, USDA); YUAN, YONGPING - Us Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); HENRY, ERIC - Basf Corporation North America; BLANKINSHIP, AMY - Us Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Veith, Tameria - Tamie; BRECKELS, ROSS - Consultant; FOX, GAREY - North Carolina State University; LUO, YUZHOU - California Department Of Pesticide Regulation; OSMOND, DEANNA - North Carolina State University; PREISENDANZ, HEATHER - Pennsylvania State University; TANG, ZHENXU - Bayer Cropscience; ARMBRUST, KEVIN - Louisiana State University; COSTELLO, KEVIN - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); MCCONNELL, LAURA - Bayer Cropscience; RICE, PATRICIA - Basf Corporation; WESTGATE, JOHNNY - Basf Corporation; WHITESIDE, MELANIE - Consultant

Submitted to: Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/28/2023
Publication Date: 8/1/2023
Citation: Chen, D., Carley, D.S., Munoz-Carpena, R., Ferruzzi, G., Yuan, Y., Henry, E., Blankinship, A., Veith, T.L., Breckels, R., Fox, G., Luo, Y., Osmond, D., Preisendanz, H.E., Tang, Z., Armbrust, K., Costello, K., McConnell, L.L., Rice, P., Westgate, J., Whiteside, M. 2024. Incorporating the benefits of vegetative filter strips into risk assessment and risk management of pesticides. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management. 20(2):454-464. https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4824.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4824

Interpretive Summary: Workshops were held in 2018 and 2020 to bring together scientists from universities, government (US and Canada) and industry for a brainstorming discussions. The main focus of the workshops was to determine if vegetative filter strips were effective at reducing the risk of pesticide runoff from agricultural fields and, if so, how can science better quantify the effectiveness. This manuscript report on key outcomes of the workshops. Additionally workshop participants have worked to improve a model called the Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System (VFSMOD) so that it provides simulation of pesticides in a way that informs current regulatory efforts and helps to improve recommendations on pesticide application labels.

Technical Abstract: The pesticide registration process in North America, including the USA and Canada, involves conducting a risk assessment based on relatively conservative modeling to predict pesticide concentrations in receiving waterbodies. The modeling framework does not consider some commonly adopted best management practices that can reduce the amount of pesticide that may reach a waterbody, such as vegetative filter strips (VFS). Currently, VFS are being used by growers as an effective way to reduce off-site movement of pesticides, and they are being required or recommended on pesticide labels as a mitigation measure. Given the regulatory need, a pair of multistakeholder workshops were held in Raleigh, North Carolina, to discuss how to incorporate VFS into pesticide risk assessment and risk management procedures within the North American regulatory framework. Because the risk assessment process depends heavily on modeling, one key question was how to quantitatively incorporate VFS into the existing modeling approach. Key outcomes from the workshops include the following: VFS have proven effective in reducing pesticide runoff to surface waterbodies when properly located, designed, implemented, and maintained; Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System (VFSMOD), a science-based and widely validated mechanistic model, is suitable for further vetting as a quantitative simulation approach to pesticide mitigation with VFS in current regulatory settings; and VFSMOD parametrization rules need to be developed for the North American aquatic exposure assessment.