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 PAN International Website |
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WiGRAMP: A new pesticide cocktail
The UK Working Group on the Risk Assessment of Mixtures of Pesticides (WiGRAMP) has just been established. The long-term effects of low doses of mixtures of different pesticides have been an increasing concern as new research has emerged.
Mixtures of pesticides can behave in a number of ways. Some organophosphate (OP) and carbamate pesticides affect the same target end-point, the enzyme cholinesterase. Such cocktails can act as additive doses, where their combined effect equals the sum of each of their individual effects. The combined effect may also be either more or less than the sum of the individual toxicities.
In the course of their work many people may be exposed to more than one OP or carbamate compound. Endocrine disrupting pesticides may also affect the same target organ in the same way. Other groups of pesticides may have potential for additive effects as occurs with carbendazim and benomyl, or iprodione, vinclozolin and procymidone.
WiGRAMP’s Terms of Reference are to:
- assess the cocktail effect
- consider what assumptions can be made about the toxicity of pesticides in combination
- consider the potential impacts of exposures of pesticides and veterinary medicines by different routes
- formulate risk assessment advice.
The Working Group reports to the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT), an independent committee that in turn reports to its two sponsors, the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency. WiGRAMP is chaired by Prof Frank Woods (who chaired the previous COT working group report on organophosphates).
Peter Beaumont of PAN UK has been invited to participate as a ‘consumer representative’ together with Sue Payne of the
National Federation of Consumer Groups. The Working Group hopes to have a report out by the end of the year. It also plans an open meeting to be held on Tuesday 17 April 2001 in London (see below).
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