Crop Spraying and the Health of Residents and Bystanders

This report addresses a complex and controversial issue: the human health risks associated with the use of agricultural pesticides. Some people are extremely concerned about their potential exposure to pesticides, arising because they occupy properties adjacent to farmland or because they have (or have had) access to such land, for example when using footpaths. The official position in the UK in response to these concerns has been that a robust approach to the assessment of human health risks associated with pesticide exposure already exists; and that there is no scientific case for taking additional measures, such as the introduction of no-spray buffer zones, to protect members of the public who may be in the vicinity of a sprayed area. But those who consider themselves to be adversely affected by pesticide spraying have not been reassured, and have continued to campaign for the adoption of more precautionary measures.