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Toxics and the law
The spread of toxic substances in the environment is an environmental issue transcending national boundaries, according to Marc Pallemaerts in his book Toxics and Transnational Law: International and European Regulation of Toxic Substances as Legal Symbolism. There have been harmful consequences for ecosystems and human health, and the issue has become the focus of transnational regulatory efforts in international fora. Professor Pallemaerts brings his experience teaching domestic, European and international environmental law at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the Universite Libre de Bruxelles to bear on the complex development of transnational toxics law.
The book bases its analysis on two case studies: one dealing with the European regional regime for the control of toxic discharges in the aquatic environment; and the other looking at the emerging global regime for the regulation of international trade in hazardous pesticides.
Professor Pallemaerts offers a comprehensive survey of the legal and political framework in European Union law for the reduction of inputs of hazardous substances in the marine and freshwater environment. The book also examines regional agreements for the protection of the marine environment of the North Sea, the Northeast Atlantic, the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean.
Marc Pallemaerts, Toxics and Transnational Law: International and European Regulation of Toxic Substances as Legal Symbolism, Studies in International Law, Hart Publishing, Oxford – Portland Oregon, 2003, 767pp, £75, www.hartpub.co.uk Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
IPM global perspective
This 500 page volume gives an overview of recent IPM issues and experiences, mainly from the perspective of pest management researchers and those running IPM projects. It includes nine chapters on emerging issues in IPM (information, biological control, biotechnology, policy, industry perspectives, sustainable development, socio-economics, IPM adoption).
The pesticide policy chapter by Fleischer and Waibel is an excellent summary of issues with case studies on developing countries, otherwise this section has little new to offer and it is unfortunate that the IPM adoption statistics are mainly pre-1996 data.
The strength of the book lies in the twenty chapters on national IPM experiences, from Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and Australasia. These cover specific programmes and government policies and provide useful insights into the changing policies and research agendas as pesticide-dependent paradigms have been called into question in recent years. For example, the Malawi chapter discusses how IPM projects have evolved into broader understanding of the need to address farming system problems in legume and maize crops, with emphasis on soil fertility and indigenous practices. The Peru chapter looks at the different institutions and stakeholders involved in IPM, as well as details of crop specific IPM programmes and methods used in cotton and potato. One chapter focuses on European greenhouse crops and the use of biocontrol, while for New Zealand, apple and kiwi fruit IPM methods and programme development, collaboration and marketing issues are discussed. The last section gives useful summaries of regional programmes, such as FAO’s Participatory IPM in West Africa and CATIE’s programme in Central America, and organisational initiatives such as the CGIAR international research centres, CAB International, and CIRAD and the role of the World Bank in IPM. There are many useful websites throughout and up to date references, which serve as a good starting point for finding out more about specific countries.
Eds. KM Maredia, D Dakouo and D Mota-Sanchez, Integrated Pest Management in the Global Arena, CABI Publishing, Wallingford, 2003. Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Investigation of mental illness
Skewed is the title of a detailed investigation into the psychiatric diagnosis of a range of illnesses which may be caused by chemicals. The book traces the chemical companies’ arguments against their products causing illness and tracks the growth of the companies’ theory that individuals who report symptoms of chemical poisoning are mentally ill.
The central arguments in Skewed are based on the diagnostic history of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). The book also looks at multiple chemical sensitivity and Gulf War syndrome, showing how the theories of psychiatrists have become influential in shaping the diagnosis, research and public perception of these illnesses. The author scrutinises the UK chief medical officer’s inquiry into ME and CFS which began in 1998 and concluded in 2002.
Martin J. Walker, Skewed, Slingshot Publications, London, 2003, 284pp, £12. Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
Pesticide manual
The world compendium the Pesticide Manual, is an essential reference book for anyone with a particular interest in pesticides. The extensively revised and updated 13th edition contains 858 detailed main entries as well as abbreviated details covering 611 suspended active ingredients.
Entries cover herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, acaricides, nematicides, plant growth regulators, herbicide safeners, repellents, synergists, pheromones, beneficial microbial and invertebrate agents, rodenticides and animal ectoparasiticides.
All main pesticide entries contain information on the physical chemistry, commercialisation information, mode of action and uses, mammalian toxicology, ecotoxicity, and environmental fate information.
For the latest edition, the entire data set has been reviewed and updated. There are 50 new entries, including 30 new synthetic molecules. Sample entries are available to download from
www.pesticidemanual.com.
Ed. CDS Tomlin, The Pesticide Manual, 13th Edition, BCPC Publications, +44 (0)1420 593 200, publications@bcpc.org, www.bcpc.org/bookshop, 2003, 1,344pp, £195. The e-Pesticide Manual is also available in an easy to use CD format. For single users: £293.75 (including VAT).
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UK pesticide guide
The UK Pesticide Guide is based on approved product labels and information from the Pesticide Safety Directorate and the Health and Safety Executive, the UK regulators. It is a comprehensive reference source for all products approved for professional use and UK agriculture, horticulture, forestry and amenity.
The book summarises UK pesticides legislation and provides guidance on health and environmental protection. There is a comprehensive crop/pest index that allows rapid identification of chemicals available for control of specific weeds, diseases, insects and other pests on each crop. The pesticide profiles list over 1400 products, approved for use in the UK, which includes all new products and active ingredients launched during 2003.
Ed. Richard Whitehead, the UK Pesticide Guide 2004, BCPC Publications, +44 (0)1420 593 200, publications@bcpc.org, www.bcpc.org/bookshop, 625pp, £33.95. The e-Pesticide Manual is also available in CD format. For single users: £58.69 (including VAT). Order direct from Amazon.co.uk.
NGO resource publications
A number of recent reports from public interest groups address pesticides and related issues:
[This article first appeared in Pesticides News No. 63, March 2004, page 23]