Proposed Indoor Test Procedure to Quantify Pesticide Treatment Effects on Seed Consumption by Birds
2019
Pesticides used in seed coatings can influence seed consumption by birds
and therefore actual exposure risk for them. A quantification of such effects on
consumption is currently not regarded as a refinement factor in environmental risk
assessments, although it is a possible option and should be considered, for example for
comparing exposure risk of different pesticides. It can highlight avoidance behaviour
preventing birds from taking up lethal or sublethal pesticide doses. To formulate a
standard, we developed an indoor test procedure based on established pen test
methods, including two- and no-choice phases with hunger periods. During testing,
the highest standards of animal welfare were applied. Statistical approaches were used
to determine the most appropriate number of replicates and for analysis. The effect on
consumption of seeds is expressed as the ratio of consumed treated to untreated seeds.
This consumption factor can be applied in avian risk assessments for seed treatments
equivalent to an avoidance factor. We present, as an example, an application of the
procedure to obtain a seed- and species-specific consumption factor for oil seed rape
seeds (Brassica napus) provided untreated and treated with fungicides to greenfinches
(Carduelis chloris) and Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). Overall, bird constitution
was not negatively affected by the test procedure in either species. The test procedure
was suitable for showing differences in expected consumption patterns, such as
greater avoidance of treated seeds in two-choice than in no-choice tests. However, the
consumption differed between species and fungicide treatments, allowing us to rank
avoidance effects of different fungicides. Using the presented standard procedure to
generate comparable pesticide- and species-specific consumption factors for more
species and seed treatments may result in refinement of default values and reduce
animal trials in different designs in the future.
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