Department Pesticides Safety

Our tasks

The remit of the department comprises the health risk assessment of plant protection products and biocides as outlined in Directive (EC) No. 2009/128/EC for establishing a framework for Community action to achieve the sustainable use of pesticides.

The department’s mandate is the protection of humans, pets and livestock from potential harm from pesticides. Central tasks hence comprise the toxicity assessment of active substances and product formulations, the establishment of dose-effect relationships, the classification and labelling of active substances as well as the derivation of toxicological limit values. In addition the department also is responsible for the assessment and proposal of risk mitigation measures and maximum residue concentrations. The department also reviews analytical monitoring methods and works on the development and improvement of regulatory testing and assessment strategies and technical guidelines.

Research

The department conducts extensive research in support of its regulatory remit. Projects predominantly focus on methodological and conceptual issues as well as molecular toxicology and exposureExposureTo glossary assessment. One focus is on so-called "New Approach Methodologies" (NAMs) for improved and less animal-intensive risk assessment (Next-Generation-Risk-Assessment). In addition potentially new risks are also analysed and addressed.

Key projects currently address the following issues:

  • cumulative toxicity of mixtures,
  • residues and multiple residues of plant protection products and biocidal products including their degradation products,
  • relevant mechanisms of molecular toxicity,
  • endocrine disruptors,
  • possible substance toxification by the human microbiome and
  • in silico toxicology as well as data formats and AI-based data evaluation.

Finally, the department provides specialist advice to the German government on issues relating to national and European legislation on active substances in pesticides as well as on pesticide and biocide applications.

Units

The Department comprises the following six units and two junior research groups:

Third party projects (Selection)

Research projects
Go to overview of all third party projects

Science News - The BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in journals

Datum Titel Fachzeitschrift
External Link: Transfer of fourteen pesticides from grapes (Vitis vinifera) into wine – Comparison of spiked grapes with grapes treated in the field Journal of Food Composition and Analysis
External Link: A walk in the PARC: developing and implementing 21st century chemical risk assessment in Europe Archives of Toxicology
External Link: Roadmap for Mixture Toxicity published EFSA Journal
External Link: Comprehensive framework for human health risk assessment of nanopesticides Nature Nanotechnology
External Link: The "EU chemicals strategy for sustainability" questions regulatory toxicology as we know it: is it all rooted in sound scientific evidence? Archives of Toxicology
External Link: Report from the BfR expert hearing on practicability of hormonal measurements: recommendations for experimental design of toxicological studies with integrated hormonal end points Archives of Toxicology

Legal basis

Assessments are communicated by means of scientific opinions, commentaries or assessment reports. The department’s risk assessments are the basis for subsequent, regulatory approval, risk management and national, European and worldwide regulations in line with the following laws on pesticides and chemicals:

  • Regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market,
  • Regulation (EC) No. 528/2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products,
  • Regulation (EC) 396/2005 on maximum residue levels of pesticides,
  • Regulation (EC) 1272/2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures and
  • the Infection Protection Act (IfSG), §18.

Further information

Contact

Head Department - Pesticides Safety Address: Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10
10589 Berlin
Germany Postal address: German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfRshort forGerman Federal Institute for Risk Assessment)
Max-Dohrn-Str. 8-10
10589 Berlin
Germany Telephone: +49-30-18412-76000 +49-30-18412-76000 Fax: +49-30-18412-26099 E-mail: 6@bfr.bund.de

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