Workshop Reports

Thirty-eight leading experts in environmental fate, ecotoxicity and environmental risk assessment, participated in a two-day workshop in Brussels, Belgium, to review the current state of knowledge regarding ?bound residues? (BR) in the context of environmental risk assessment (ERA).

The workshop also identified areas of this science that require further research. It was the hope of the workshop that by identifying gaps in the science, a common framework could be proposed that would successfully address bound residues in environmental risk assessments. Steps were taken to bridge differences in interpretation of terms such as ?non-extractable residues? (NER) and BR, such that debate could move forward with a common understanding.

As a focal point of the workshop, gaps in the science and in the risk assessment paradigm were addressed during plenary and syndicate sessions, resulting in constructive scientific debate engaged by those from industry, academia and the regulatory areas.