Some of the terms and abbreviations used in the agendas and minutes of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides are explained below
ACP Advisory Committee on Pesticides
Active substance Substances or micro-organisms including viruses, having general or specific action:
against harmful organisms; or
on plants, parts of plants or plant products
Adenoma a benign tumour with a gland-like structure or developed from the glandular epithelium
ADI acceptable daily intake, defined as ’an estimate of the amount of a substance, expressed on a bodyweight basis, that can be ingested daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk’.
Aneugenic inducing aneuploidy (q.v.)
Aneuploidy the circumstances in which the total number of chromosomes within a cell is not an exact multiple of the normal haploid (see polyploidy) number. Chromosomes may be lost or gained during cell division.
AOEL acceptable operator exposure level
ARfD acute reference dose, this is intended to define (on the basis of all known facts at the time of the evaluation) an estimate of a chemical substance in food (or drinking water), expressed on a bodyweight basis, that can be ingested over a short period of time, usually during one meal or one day, without appreciable health risk to the consumer [JMPR].
BCF bioconcentration factor
BPAU Biocides and Pesticides Assessment Unit
bw bodyweight
CAP Common Agricultural Policy
Carcinogens the causal agents which induce tumours. They include external factors (chemicals, physical agents, viruses) and internal factors such as hormones. Chemical carcinogens are structurally diverse and include naturally occurring substances as well as synthetic compounds. An important distinction can be drawn between genotoxic (q.v.) carcinogens, which have been shown to react directly with and mutate DNA, and non-genotoxic carcinogens, which act through other mechanisms. The activity of genotoxic carcinogens can often be predicted from their chemical structure. Most chemical carcinogens exert their effects after prolonged exposure, show a dose-response relationship and tend to act on a limited range of susceptible target tissues. Carcinogens are sometimes species- or sex-specific. Several different chemical and other carcinogens may interact and constitutional factors (genetic susceptibility, hormonal status) may also contribute to effects.
Carcinoma malignant tumour arising from epithelial cells lining, for example, the alimentary, respiratory and urogenital tracts and from epidermis, also from solid viscera such as the liver, pancreas, kidneys and some endocrine glands.
Clastogen an agent that produces chromosome breaks and other structural aberrations such as translocations (q.v.). Clastogens may be viruses or physical agents as well as chemicals. Clastogenic events play an important part in the development of some tumours.
COPR Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 (as amended)
CRD Chemicals Regulation Directorate
d Day
Defra Department for the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
DNA deoxyribonucleic acid. The carrier of genetic information for most organisms.
DT50 time taken to degrade by 50 per cent
EC European Community
ECCO EC Co-ordination (EU expert peer review groups)
EFSA European Food Safety Authority
EMDI estimated maximum daily intake
EPPCO EFSA Pesticides Peer review Co-Ordination
FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation
FEPA Food and Environment Protection Act 1985 (as amended)
GAP good agricultural practice
GATT General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
GIFAP Groupement International des Associations Nationales de Fabricants de Produits Agrochimiques (the European trade association for the agrochemical industry)
GLP Good Laboratory Practice
ha hectare
Half life time interval required for half of a quantity of material to be eliminated naturally
Heinz bodies roughly spherical inclusion bodies in red blood cells resulting from precipitation of haemoglobin
HSE Health and Safety Executive
IDS Inter-Departmental Secretariat, a sub-committee of the ACP
IPM integrated pest management
In vitro term used to describe effects in biological material outside the living animal
In vivo term used to describe effects in living animals
JMPR Joint FAO/WHO meeting on pesticide residues
Koc organic carbon adsorption coefficient
LOAEL lowest observed adverse effect level. The lowest administered dose at which an adverse effect has been observed
LC50 the theoretical lethal concentration for 50 per cent of a group of animals
LD50 the theoretical lethal dose for 50 per cent of a group of animals
MAC maximum allowable concentration
MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (UK)
µg microgram
MRL Maximum Residue Level
n normal (ie maximum approved or applied for) dose
NOAEL no observed adverse effect level
NOAEC no observed adverse effect concentration
NOEC no observed effect concentration
NOEL no observed effect level
OECD Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OPIDN organophosphate-induced delayed neuropathy
OPIDPN organophosphate-induced delayed polyneuropathy
PA provisional approval
PEC predicted environmental concentration
PHI pre-harvest interval
POEM predictive operator exposure model
Pow partition coefficient (n-octanol/water)
PPE personal protective equipment
ppm parts per million
PSD Pesticides Safety Directorate (UK)
RPE respiratory protective equipment
RSPB Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
safener a substance which reduces or eliminates the phytotoxic effects of a plant protection product on certain plant species
SCPH Standing Committee on Plant Health
TER toxicity exposure ratio
Teratogen a substance which causes congenital abnormalities (deformities) in the baby or offspring in the womb
TMDI theoretical maximum daily intake
Tropospheric
pertaining to the lower part of the atmosphere extending from the surface up to a height varying from about 9 km at the poles to 17 km at the equator, in which the temperature decreases fairly regularly with height
UDS
unscheduled DNA synthesis. DNA synthesis that occurs at some stage in the cell cycle other than in the S period (the normal or ’scheduled’ DNA synthesis period) in response to DNA damage. It is usually associated with DNA repair.
w/w weight per weight
WHO
World Health Organisation
WIIS Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (UK)
wt weight
