Pesticides in the Environment

Pesticides are biologically active substances designed to control unwanted organisms. As plant protection products, they are used in agriculture and horticulture to protect (crop) plants against insects (insecticides), weeds (herbicides) or fungi (fungicides). In other applications, such as in the home, commerce and industry, they are referred to as biocides. Examples include disinfectants, preservatives, wood preservatives, rodenticides and insect sprays. Many of these active substances eventually end up in the environment, where they can harm other organisms or pose a risk to drinking water resources. We measure pesticides in the environment, develop methods for their detection, assess their risks and determine ecotoxicologically safe limit values.