The effects of fenoxycarb in a chronic Oomen feeding test – results of a ringtest

Background - The Oomen bee brood feeding test (Oomen et al. 1992)6 is recommended by the EFSA (2013)2 as one method to investigate potential effects of plant protection products on honeybee brood (Apis mellifera L.), with the ‘brood termination rate’ as the key endpoint. In 2013 the test method of Oomen was adapted to a chronic feeding scenario including current methods (OECD GD 75, improvements by Pistorius et al. 20127) and was subsequently ring-tested in 2013 and 2014.Results - The results were compared to data of acute feeding studies. Overall the obtained results of the chronic Oomen feeding studies indicated that the design is a robust and reliable test method with low brood termination rates in the control and a sufficient exposure of the brood to the reference item.Conclusion - Nevertheless, based on current experiences and recent publications adaptations are proposed concerning dosing of the test item, assessment intervals and methodology (digital brood assessments). Moreover the test method was compared to the bee brood test according to OECD GD 75 and several advantages were pointed out.Keywords: honeybees, chronic Oomen bee brood feeding test, ring-test, EFS

1.22 Weight differences of honey bees after administration of sublethal doses of dimethoate

Background: The aim of this work was to assess honey bee body weight as a possible further parameter to detect effects in a 10 day chronic feeding study according to OECD 2451 following exposure to sublethal concentrations of a plant protection product (i.e. dimethoate). This investigation is based on the assumption that weight differences might be caused by chronic feeding of dimethoate. Two set of tests in two different laboratories (Lab 1 and Lab 2) were conducted in order to investigate possible weight changes of complete adult honey bees and/or parts of their body (honey stomach and intestine) following treatment of dimethoate. Bees were weighed before and after chronic feeding of sub-lethal concentrations of dimethoate. Results: Differences in the number of bees which lost weight following treatment of sublethal concentrations of dimethoate was found in Lab 1, but could not confirmed in Lab 2. The difference in weight between the control group and the dimethoate treatment could only be detected as a statistical significant difference in one lab at the highest concentration (0.4 mg/kg). Assessment of weight changes of parts of the bee body (honey stomach and intestine) shows a very high variation (CV) which makes interpretation of the data of the total body weight questionable. Conclusion: The results of the two laboratories were contradictory and no conclusive assessment can be done following the two sets of experiments. Assessment of bee body weight within a 10-day chronic feeding study is considered questionable for the detection of sublethal effects. Further work with other active ingredients is needed to clarify if body weight change of honey bees can be used as a parameter for sublethal effects.Background: The aim of this work was to assess honey bee body weight as a possible further parameter to detect effects in a 10 day chronic feeding study according to OECD 2451 following exposure to sublethal concentrations of a plant protection product (i.e. dimethoate). This investigation is based on the assumption that weight differences might be caused by chronic feeding of dimethoate. Two set of tests in two different laboratories (Lab 1 and Lab 2) were conducted in order to investigate possible weight changes of complete adult honey bees and/or parts of their body (honey stomach and intestine) following treatment of dimethoate. Bees were weighed before and after chronic feeding of sub-lethal concentrations of dimethoate. Results: Differences in the number of bees which lost weight following treatment of sublethal concentrations of dimethoate was found in Lab 1, but could not confirmed in Lab 2. The difference in weight between the control group and the dimethoate treatment could only be detected as a statistical significant difference in one lab at the highest concentration (0.4 mg/kg). Assessment of weight changes of parts of the bee body (honey stomach and intestine) shows a very high variation (CV) which makes interpretation of the data of the total body weight questionable. Conclusion: The results of the two laboratories were contradictory and no conclusive assessment can be done following the two sets of experiments. Assessment of bee body weight within a 10-day chronic feeding study is considered questionable for the detection of sublethal effects. Further work with other active ingredients is needed to clarify if body weight change of honey bees can be used as a parameter for sublethal effects

Proposal for a new OECD guideline for the testing of chemicals on adult honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) in a 10 day chronic feeding test in the laboratory and results of the recent ring test 2014

Background - Even though the evaluation of potential chronic oral effects on adult honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) is an integral part of the risk assessment according to e.g. the EC Regulation 1107/2009 and the EFSA Guidance Document, (EFSA 2013), there is no validated guideline available for this test system, yet. To address this new requirement and to develop a new test guideline an international ring test group was founded and a ring test was carried out in summer 2014. The ring test was carried out on the basis of a test protocol, which followed the recommendation for the proposed guideline. Results - A validity criterion for the control mortality of ≤ 15 % was met for the untreated control group in all tests and laboratories within the first run. However, for the solvent group this validity criterion could not be met in 7 out of 17 labs. In the reference item treatment group clear doseresponse correlation could be observed with the tested concentration levels and the mean LC50 and LDD50 values could be calculated, as well as the NOEC and NOEDD levels.Conclusion - The results gained in these tests indicate the suitability and reproducibility of the described test method which could serve as a basis for an official test guideline. However, the use of acetone as solvent at the tested concentration level is still questioned. Keywords: chronic toxicity, honey bee, laboratory tes

Effects of spinosad on honey bees (Apis mellifera): Findings from over ten years of testing and commercial use

Background: Spinosad is widely used as an insecticide in crop protection against thysanopteran, lepidopteran and dipteran species. As such it is intrinsically toxic to insects and among them to the honey bee (Apis mellifera). An updated risk assessment is presented in the context of the regulatory evaluation of spinosad products and is in accordance with the latest recommendation of regulatory guidance documents. Results: The intrinsic toxicity to the honey bee as observed in laboratory conditions through oral and contact tests on adults does not appear to impair honey bee colonies when exposed to treated attractive crops in tunnel conditions. Reasons for this could include reduced availability of residues of the product on plant surface compared to laboratory conditions, together with a fast dissipation from treated plants and the absence of active degradation products. Conclusions: Spinosad products present a negligible impact on honey bees when used under the current label recommendations and conditions of agricultural use. This conclusion deduced from data available for the regulatory risk assessment has been confirmed by the feedback of surveys on incidents, which address the potential impact of spinosad products under realistic conditions of exposure, including other environmental and chemical factors that are common in cropped areas. Keywords: honey bee, pesticide, risk assessment, risk management, spinosa

The History of Science and Current Perspectives in Dialogue

Research on urban space has a long tradition in classical studies. Current research of ancient urban spaces continues on in this tradition. It is essential to determine the position of research history in order to define the prospects of current urban studies in a more dif- ferentiated way: only those who are conversant with the history-of-science determination of their respective fields are able, intuitively and critically, to put innovative approaches and methods to the test. Based on the projects of the research group C-6, the various threads of history-of-science developments will be outlined and the current approaches defined in the context of constant re- orientation and new orientation of classical urban studie