A report by the World Wide Fund for
Nature (WWF) has called for sweeping changes to pesticide use in the UK. WWF-UK
is concerned that pesticides which exert oestrogenic effects may have adverse
impacts on the hormonal balance of animals and humans.
Gwynne Lyons, author of the new report says: "New UK
targets for minimising the use of pesticides are needed such as a 50% reduction
in usage (by weight) by the year 2000. At least 20% of farming area should be
managed organically by then. There should be low input and integrated management
techniques through better provision of independent advice, increased ratios of
on-farm advisers to farmers, and more demonstration farms."
WWF-UK calls for the specific phasing out of certain
pesticides because of their impacts on the environment:
Endosulfan, lindane, linuron and permethrin should be phased out because of their potential effects on sex hormones.
TBT and other organotin antifouling paints should be banned and other uses phased out.
2,4-DB, benomyl, carbendazim, chlorfenvinphos, demeton-S-methyl, diazinon, dichlorvos, dimethoate, malathion, prometryn, simazine and vinclozolin should be considered as candidates for phasing out.
The use of dichlorvos in fish farming should be prohibited.
Gwynne Lyons, Pesticides posing hazards to reproduction: A report for WWF on pesticides which disrupt hormones and reproduction, WWF-UK, Panda House, Weyside Park, Cattershall Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1XR, Tel. 01483 426444, Fax 01483 426409, July 1996, 67pp.
[This
article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 33, September 1996,
page 25]