The SPRINT consortium has a new paper published in PLOS ONE. Here they describe in detail the study protocol that has been used for the collection of the samples in WP2 (Field Campaign) adressing all sampling matrixes and sampling protocols. Click for the full article on the title below!

"Collection of human and environmental data on pesticide use in Europe and Argentina: Field study protocol for the SPRINT project"


Visualization of the Case Study Sites across Europe and Argentina
 journalpone0259748g002

Blue on the map = Northern Europe, Green = Central Europe, Red = Southern Europe. 
Italian and French CSS have no livestock. CSS 2 (Portugal) and CSS 9 (Netherlands) are
reference CSS for modelling. At these reference locations, additional water, sediment 
and air samples will be collected

Meet our work package leaders! In the videos below, WP leaders present the main objectives of their respective work packages. For now, Judith Nathanail (WP1), Abdallah Alaoui (WP2), Paul Scheepers (WP3) and Jane Mills (WP8), will tell you all about their respective Work Packages. More WP leaders will follow in the coming weeks!

 

Click here for all video's on SPRINT

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Photo credit: Canva

Based on extensive research, a group of leading scientists have argued that the maximum allowed residue levels of glyphosate, a commonly used pesticide, should be lowered. This reduction would lessen the damage to our gut bacteria (microbiomes) and our health.

Two brand new SPRINT related articles just got published! Both papers are review papers that will contribute to the understanding and collaboration on environmental pollution management and human/environmental health protection. Below you can find more information about the specific articles. Click on the picture or title to be directed to the paper. 

publication9 

This review on the effects of glyphosate, the active ingredient of Roundup, on microbial communities and plant, animal, and human health arrived just in time: this year the European Commission (EC) takes a decision on the possible extension of the authorization of the herbicide glyphosate in the EU. The policies in all EU countries concerning glyphosate use are dependent on the EU decision. The authors conclude that the maximum residue levels in human and animal food should be adjusted downwards to prevent or at least minimize damage to the microbiome and thus to the host. Glyphosate residues in the environment originate not only from spraying crops with glyphosate but also from the application of manure from animals that were fed with glyphosate-resistant internationally traded feed stuffs. The concentrations of glyphosate in soil and surface- and groundwater are already so high, partly due to the slow total degradation, that there are concerns for the future drinking water quality. In addition, regular glyphosate-sensitive crops grow worse on soils that have been sprayed with glyphosate or fertilized with glyphosate-containing manure so that opportunities for circular agriculture can be compromised. The authors, therefore, advocate that all these negative side effects should be seriously considered before deciding on whether to allow glyphosate use in the (near) future.

 
 publication8  

Highlights
•Global pesticide regulations and standards for surface freshwater are evaluated.
•Large variation exists in pesticides, standard types, and numerical values.
•European Union standard clusters promote communication between member states.
•Regulatory vagueness challenges water quality monitoring and treatment.
•Regulatory inconsistencies create obligations for transboundary management.

We conclude that regulatory inconsistencies emphasize the need for international collaboration on domestic water treatment, environmental management as well as specific water quality standards for the wider range of current-use pesticides, thereby improving global harmonization in support of protecting human health.

  

Did you know you can see all the SPRINT related articles here?