Pesticides and Toxic Substances

A range of toxic chemicals can have impacts on the environment, directly or indirectly, singly or in combination:

Pesticides and biocides include agricultural chemicals, which affect farmland biodiversity (including their indirect effects on farmland bird declines), rodenticides (especially affecting birds of prey) and timber treatments.
Veterinary medicines include sheep-dip chemicals, anthelmintics and fish farm medicines, which can have impacts on other species during their use or disposal.
Industrial chemicals can accumulate in the environment, especially in sediments as well as in biota.
Radiation includes radioactivity and non-ionising (radio-frequency) radiation, which may have ecological significance.

Through the JNCC, the conservation agencies have a role on advising government and regulatory authorities on the implications for nature conservation and wildlife of the use or release of pesticides and other toxic substances into the environment. English Nature acts as the Pesticides and Toxic Substances Lead Agency. It represents the agencies on national consultations and on a number of regulatory and policy fora. The Lead Agency advises the country agencies on casework issues. Current or recent work includes:

Managing a research programme, including the long-running Predatory Birds Monitoring Scheme.
Pressing for wider biodiversity considerations (especially indirect effects) to be incorporated into regulatory processes as well as voluntary programmes for the management of pesticides and other toxic substances.
Ensuring that risks to wildlife are fully taken into account during regulatory processes and advisory programmes for pesticides and other toxic substances.
Developing joint monitoring programmes to better understand existing risks as well as to better forecast developing problems.
Influencing research programmes of other organisations.

The Lead Agency's output is issued in a range of reports published by JNCC or by the other country agencies, or in collaboration with other bodies.

Resources

Guidance on the use of herbicides in nature conservation sites.
Britt, C, Mole, A, Kirkham, F & Terry, A (in prep)
Report to English Nature from ADAS Consulting Ltd

A review of the indirect effects of pesticides on birds.
Campbell, LH & Cook, LS (1997)
JNCC Report 227

Modelling the impact of residues of ectoparasiticides and endoparasiticides
in livestock dung on populations of dung flora and fauna: Phase 1.
Cooper, C, Sherrat, T & Boxall, A. (in prep)
Draft report to English Nature from Cranfield Centre for Ecochemistry

Impact Assessment of ionising radiation on wildlife.
(R&D Report, No. 128)
Copplestone, D, Bielby, S, Jones, SR, Paton, D, Daniel, P & Gize, I (2001)
Environment Agency, Bristol

Non-ionising radiation and wildlife.
Cummins, CP & Osborn, D (in prep)
Report to English Nature from CEH (2002)

The effect of ivermectin on the invertebrate fauna associated with cow dung.
McCracken, DI & Foster, GN (1992)
JNCC Report 112

The potential for avermectins to affect wildlife.
McCracken, DI (1992)
JNCC Report 110

An investigation of the effects of low doses of Asulox on non-target species.
Sheffield, E, Johns, M & Rumsey, FJ (2003)
Report to English Nature and Scottish Natural Heritage from Manchester University

Potential modifications to the Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme(PBMS): second report
Shore, R.F. Osborn, D, Wienburg, C.L., Sparks, T.H, Broughton, R, Wadsworth, R (2005)
JNCC Report 353

Proposals for potential modifications to the Bird of Prey Monitoring Scheme.
Shore, RF, Wienburg, CL, Dobson, S & Osborn, D (2002)
JNCC Report 320

Effects of sheep dip disposal on terrestrial invertebrates.
Walker, LJ, Butterfield, JEL, Standen, V & Evans, PR (in prep)
Report to Countryside Council for Wales, English Nature and Environment Agency

Timber treatment chemicals: provision of guidance on possible environmental effects.
Whitehouse, P, Hurts, K, Sorokin, N, Comber, S & Weeks, J (2002)
Report to Environment Agency/English Nature from WRc

Malcolm, HM, Osborn, D, Wright, J, Wienburg, CL & Sparks, TH (2003) Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congener concentrations in seabirds found dead in mortality incidents around the British Coast. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 45(1), 136-147.
http://www.springerlink.com/

Wildlife and Pollution annual reports (listed starting with most recent)

Wildlife and pollution: 2000/01 annual report.
Shore, RF, Malcolm, HM, Weinburg, CL, Turk, A, Walker, LA & Horne, JA (in prep)
JNCC Report

Wildlife and pollution: 1999/2000 annual report.
Shore, RF, Malcolm, HM, Wienburg, CL, Turk, A, Horne, JA, Dale, L, Wyllie, I & Newton, I (2002)
JNCC Report 321

Wildlife and Pollution 1998/99 annual report.
Newton, I, Assar, A, Dale, L, Finnie, JK, Horne, J, Shore, RF, Wright, J, Wyatt, C & Wyllie, I (2000)
JNCC Report 305

Wildlife and pollution: 1997/98 annual report.
Newton, I, Dale, L, Finnie, JK, Freestone, P, Wright, J, Wyatt, C & Wyllie, I (1999)
JNCC Report 285

Wildlife and pollution 1996/7. annual report.
Newton, I, Dale, L, Finnie, JK, Freestone, P, , Malcolm, H, Osborn, D, Wright, J, Wyatt, C & Wyllie, I (1997)
JNCC Report 271

Wildlife and pollution: 1995/96 annual report.
Newton, I, Dale, L, Freestone, P, French, MC, Malcolm, H, Osborn, D, Wright, J, Wyatt, C & Wyllie, I (1996)
JNCC Report 262

Wildlife and pollution: 1993/94 annual report.
Newton, I, Asher, A, Dale, L, Freestone, P, French, MC, Malcolm, H, Osborn, D, Wright, J, Wyatt, C & Wyllie, I (1994)
JNCC Report 201

Wildlife and pollution: 1992/93 annual report.
Newton, I, Asher, A, Freestone, P, French, MC, Malcolm, H, Osborn, D, Wright, J, Wyatt, C & Wyllie, I (1993)
JNCC Report 169

Wildlife and pollution: 1991/92 annual report.
Newton, I, Asher, A, Freestone, P, French, MC, Malcolm, H, Osborn, D, Wright, J, Wyatt, C & Wyllie, I (1992)
JNCC Report 109