- ‘Highly toxic to bees’ – This classification is assigned if the LD50 (lethal dose 50%) for acute and dermal absorption by honey bees is lower than 2 micrograms per bee (μg/bee). The value of LD50 for a substance is the dose required to kill half the members of a tested population after a specified test duration. A lower LD50 is indicative of increased toxicity as it shows that it takes less of a substance to kill half the population.
- ‘Groundwater contaminant’ – Strict limits are set for pesticides in groundwater due to the potential for them to negatively impact drinking water quality and aquatic ecosystems. In order to maintain the integrity of groundwater sources, a precautionary limit of 1µg/L is set for pesticides. Some pesticides regularly exceed this limit and are therefore classified as groundwater contaminants.
- ‘Endocrine disruptor’ – Interferes with hormone systems and can cause birth defects, developmental disorders and reproductive problems such as infertility.
- ‘Carcinogen’ – Capable of causing different types of cancer, including leukaemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
It is important to note that if a substance is classified as a ‘carcinogen’ (for example) it does not mean that exposure to it will definitely result in the development of cancer. The classification simply means that in tests for toxicity the substance can cause a particular effect.