Mapping of pesticide loads in EuropeAre bans on pesticides effective?

28 June 2024, by Miriam Frieß

Photo: Aqua Mechanical, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Due to health risks, the pesticide chlorpyrifos has been banned in the EU since 2020. Not only is the substance dangerous for humans; its use also negatively affects biodiversity, e.g. bees and other pollinators. But how effective are bans like that? Luisa Gensch looked into this question. In a study, she assessed the risks for human health and the environment in connection with pesticides in the EU. To do so, she investigated more than 50 pesticides, 14 of which were banned between 2018 and 2023.

Her calculations reflected e.g. the toxicity for various organisms and how long the respective substance produces an effect in the soil. She also looked into how the use of alternative pesticides could affect the risks. Her conclusion: imposing a ban on these 14 pesticides reduced the risks for human health and the environment by 94 percent. “Farmers might also use alternative substances in a different way, or in higher doses, which would limit this positive effect,” says Gensch. “Nevertheless, the study shows that, in general, bans on individual pesticides produce substantial positive effects.”

The article was published in the CLICCS Quarterly magazine, the research news from the Cluster of Excellence every three months.