Pesticides in our food supply: Overcoming the barriers to risk assessment

Researcher Leah Sattler recently published a policy memo in the Journal of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.  Sattler is a doctoral student and graduate research assistant in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy.  

The publication entitled "Synthesizing evidence in toxicological policymaking" explores strategies for overcoming barriers in acceptance of new risk assessment methodologies with regards to pesticide regulation. Sattler worked on the publication under the guidance of science communication and policy professor K. L. Akerlof. This is the first student paper to be published from Akerlof's EVPP 530 Evidence-based Environmental Policymaking class. Akerlof also mentioned that two more publications are forthcoming from her EVPP 530 students - a new record. 

As Sattler explains, pesticides play a critical role in ensuring food security by protecting crops from pests and diseases. However, without proper regulation, these chemicals can cause unintended harm to wildlife, water sources, and ecosystems. To mitigate this, an environmental risk assessment is required before pesticides can be approved for use. Traditionally, this assessment has relied on animal experiments to assess potential hazards. Not only is this extremely costly and time-consuming, but animal testing raises ethical concerns about the treatment of animals. In response to these concerns, new approaches are being developed, such as computer and cell-based tests which complete tests faster and at a much lower cost. However, despite their benefits, these methods face barriers such as competing stakeholder interests.

This policy memo explores three key barriers preventing the adoption of modern, non-animal testing methods in pesticide regulation. It also presents strategies to overcome these challenges, helping to create a more efficient and ethical pesticide regulation process.