Pesticide Regulation in Practice: Analytical and Environmental Challenges

Laila Sheeney-Haj-Yichia, Director of the Senior Chemistry & Public Health, Plant Protection and Inspection Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Israel (Lailas@moag.gov.il)

The use of pesticides for plant protection arises from the ongoing need to safeguard agricultural production against pests, diseases, and weeds. Although agricultural practices differ between countries, many challenges are shared globally — foremost among them is ensuring that pesticide use does not compromise human health or the environment.

In Israel, the registration and authorization of plant protection products are based on risk management principles that balance health, environmental, and agricultural considerations. This process includes the assessment of acute and chronic toxicological effects, as well as the periodic re-evaluation of existing uses in light of changing environmental conditions, the emergence of new pests, and accumulating evidence of long-term health and environmental impacts.

Key challenges in this field include the decline in efficacy of existing active substances, the need for developing new and safer alternatives, and the necessity of maintaining access to essential pesticides for critical agricultural sectors — all while ensuring their safety for human health.

Another major issue concerns pesticide residues in food, which have significant implications for public health, international trade, and regulatory compliance, particularly given the lack of harmonized residue standards across countries. An additional challenge is the shortage of long-term environmental monitoring data in Israel, limiting the ability to assess both population exposure and cumulative effects on ecosystems. Consequently, environmental and health exposure models from other regions are often applied, although they may not accurately reflect local conditions.

The lecture will provide an overview of pesticide regulation in Israel, focusing on the associated health, analytical, and environmental challenges, with particular emphasis on pesticide residue analysis, environmental monitoring, and human exposure assessment.