EFSA expands body of work on cumulative risk assessment

EFSA presents its conclusions on the relevance of dissimilar mode of action as part of its ongoing work in the field of cumulative risk assessment (CRA) of pesticide Substance used to kill or control pests, including disease-carrying organisms and undesirable insects, animals and plants residues in foods. This scientific opinion complements EFSA’s previous work in developing a methodology for identifying and grouping pesticides that exhibit similar toxicological properties in a specific organ or system, such as the central nervous systerm or thyroid.

In the opinion on the relevance of dissimilar mode of action and its application to the CRA approach, the Panel on Plant Protection Products and their Residues (PPR) concludes that:

• The concept of dose addition A process to establish the response of organisms to a mixture of chemicals with similar toxicity. This involves adding up their individual effects to predict the likely impact of the overall mixture should be used as a way of evaluating the combined toxicity The potential of a substance to cause harm to a living organism of mixtures of substances that act by dissimilar modes of action. Dose addition implies that every chemical in any concentration contributes to the overall toxicity of the mixture.
• In risk assessment practice, substances causing the same adverse outcome in the same organ or organ system should be grouped together in cumulative assessment groups (CAGs).

• Scientific Opinion on the relevance of dissimilar mode of action and its appropriate application for cumulative risk assessment of pesticides residues in food