![]() ![]() ![]() The loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is the result of the interaction of various stress factors, including intensified management with poorly structured landscapes, as well as the use of pesticides. Trends of declining diversity and biomass of insects, earthworms and birds are observed in agroecosystems and non-crop ecosystems around the world. These interdependencies need to be considered when implementing pesticide reduction targets to protect public health and biodiversity, such as the EU´s “farm-to-fork” strategy, which aims to reduce the amounts and risks of synthetic pesticides. Our results show a trade-off between herbicide amounts and toxicological hazards to humans and other non-target organisms. It is important to note that this toxic load assessment, like official environmental risk assessments, evaluates the potential risk but not the actual fatalities or real-world exposure. The further ranking of the most toxic herbicides varied considerably depending on the organism. The most problematic AI for honeybees, earthworms, birds and humans was the highly persistent diquat. This can be attributed to a shift toward the use of more acutely toxic and especially more persistent AIs. Surprisingly, over the same period, toxic loads to honeybees increased by 487% (oral exposure), while lethal toxic loads to earthworms increased by 498%, and to birds by 580%. Yet, 36% of herbicides used were still classified as highly hazardous pesticides according to the Pesticide Action Network. This also led to a considerable decrease in the amounts of AIs classified by H-statements of the EU Pesticides Database: − 71% acute inhalation toxicity, − 58% reproductive toxicity,− 47% specific target organ toxicity. In Austria, herbicide amounts sold decreased significantly by 24% from 1480 to 1123 tonnes between 20. Human health risks were qualitatively assessed based on official hazard statements for the AIs used. We analyzed official sales data of 101 herbicide active ingredients (AIs) approved in Austria between 20 regarding their ecotoxicological properties based on lethal doses (LD 50 and LC 50) weighed by their persistence in the environment (DT 50) for honeybees ( Apis mellifera), earthworms ( Eisenia fetida), and birds ( Serinus serinus). We investigated the extent to which long-term trends in herbicide use in Austria influence potential toxic exposures to non-target organisms and potential risks to humans. Although herbicides are the most commonly used pesticides worldwide, they have received less attention in this debate. Pesticide use has been associated with risks for human health and an overall decline in biodiversity. ![]()
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