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Evaluation and management
of pesticides on a global level:
the role of the International Program
on Chemical Safety
M.J. Mercier
International Program on Chemical Safety, World Health Organization,
Geneva, Switzerland
In spite of the magnitude and severity of the health and environmental
problems associated with pesticides, these chemicals will continue to be
widely used in the foreseeable future, both in agriculture (to produce more
food and fibres) and in public health (to control vector-borne diseases and
pests). Two processes should take place before pesticides come into use. The
first involves the scientific evaluation of any potential risk of a pesticide
by virtue of its intrinsic properties to produce an adverse effect in humans
and other biota. The second process deals with management of the risk,
weighing it against benefit, cost of a product, and local socioeconomic
conditions. The aim of this paper is to elaborate briefly on these two
processes, especially in relation to developing countries. Particular attention
is paid to activities developed and maintained by the International
Program on Chemical Safety and other international bodies.
The use of chemicals in a broad range of human activities has increased
considerably in recent decades. Society has undoubtedly benefited greatly
from this trend, e.g., through the introduction of drugs for the prevention and
treatment of many diseases; the development of pesticides to control diseases
transmitted by vectors and to boost agricultural productivity; the introduction
of food additives that allow food to be preserved where it would otherwise
have been wasted.
Chemical substances play a key role in most industries and contribute significantly
to society's technical progress by producing new materials for clothing,
packaging, construction, and so on. It has now sadly become apparent that
this progress carries a price - in terms of human health and the quality of our
environment - and that, if adequate means are not found to control the use
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