Technology assessment on the use of pesticides

The extensive use of pesticides in Japanese agriculture was studied as a problem-oriented case of technology assessment with an aim to contribute to the establishment of appropriate procedures of assessing real and potential impacts which modern technologies have or may have on health, industries, economy, society and on the environment and to obtain clues to the development of safer use of pesticides. Direct and indirect impacts, both real and potential, favourable and adverse, were intended to identify and evaluate systematically and comprehensively as their cause and effect sequences were studied. Adverse impacts were divided into tradable and untradable categories, untradable adverse impacts were related mostly to human health. As to the evaluation of impacts, it was suggested that the size of area and population affected, irreversibility and controllability of the impact be considered. It was recognized as urgent and requisite to develop and establish a more efficient and satisfactory method of testing the safety of pesticides and their metabolites over a wider spectrum of organisms and with respect to newer aspects of toxicology as mutagenesis, teratogenesis and cancerogenesis.