Analytical expertise
Knowledge of pesticide analysis is absolutely essential for research and development within the area. Quality controls are important in obtaining reliable results. Investments in personnel and equipment are being planned to upgrade the existing laboratory at the Department of Aquatic Science and Assessment.
Contact: Christer Jansson
Environmental monitoring
National environmental monitoring of pesticides is currently carried out by SLU with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency, and this will continue. The role of CKB is to provide opportunities for in-depth studies and assessments outside the scope of the ordinary monitoring. Making the results more accessible is one suggestion.
Contact: Jenny Kreuger
Education
The need for education concerning chemical pesticides is great, both within SLU’s own courses but also in training courses for practitioners. One aim is to provide a combined course within undergraduate education at SLU. Training courses will be provided according to demand.
Contact: Mikaela Gönczi
Spreading information
A large proportion of this area involves creating a website. There is a need for a place to go to look for collected information on pesticides, their status in the environment, what happens to pesticides in the soil, countermeasures that can be taken, etc. An important aspect is making information from research more easily accessible.
Contact: Mikaela Gönczi
Expansion of knowledge
Biological effects of chemical pesticides in surface water
The central issue that is addressed in this field is: What are the ecological effects of pesticides in streams of agricultural landscapes? Do pesticides affect species abundancies or community composition? Or both? By analyzing stream samples of epiphytic algae and benthic invertebrates, as well as through experimental approaches, we study how pesticides impact on aquatic communities and important ecosystem functions.
Contact: Willem Goedkoop
Development of risk assessment tools for pesticide incidence in Swedish waters
Are there pesticides that are more or less suitable for use in a certain situation? Is it possible to develop computer models that show what is happening on the larger scale, e.g. for a catchment area? Several different projects will be carried out within this area, but all relate to the development of models on various scales, from farm level to national level.
Contact: Nicholas Jarvis
Fate of pesticides
Contact: Mats Larsbo
Countermeasures to decrease the risk of chemical pesticides spreading to the environment
Contact: Mikaela Gönczi
