Up date on the use of Pesticides on hard surfaces

Application of the HardSPEC Assumptions from the Regulatory Risk Assessment on Non-Porous Hard Surfaces

Regulatory Update: 42 /2011

Introduction

This Regulatory Update introduces new labelling requirements on the method of application of herbicides authorised for use on non-porous hard surfaces to ensure that best practice is followed.
Background

There is evidence that some users apply herbicides to non-porous surfaces in a 'blanket' rather than targeted fashion, i.e. treating the whole road or paved area rather than a 30 cm and/or spot treatments outside the swath and the current label 'directions for use' do not provide appropriate instructions for application.

Implications

Applying pesticides in a 'blanket' fashion to non-porous hard surfaces gives rise to a number of issues:

* Unnecessary and wasteful use of herbicide where it will have no impact. This is inconsistent with both long-standing government policy of minimising pesticide use and with the requirements in Directive 2009/128/EC (on the sustainable use of pesticides) that use in such areas be minimised.
* There is a greater risk of run-off of product to urban drainage systems. This has the potential to increase predicted environmental concentration of active substance in water bodies and is inconsistent with the requirements in Directive 2009/128/EC that measures be taken to support the aims and objectives of, and compliance with the Water Framework Directive (WFD).

See the rest of the article on the following link:-HSE