The Research Working Group of the Pesticides and The Chesapeake Bay Watershed Project has developed a matrix-based, unified methodology for assessing compounds-of-concern and their impact on the watershed. While it is vital ultimately to assess the impact of these compounds in terms of human toxicity, this assessment focuses only on ecosystem toxicity. The working group has applied the methodology seven compounds: atrazine, chlorothalonil, glyphosate, metolachlor, permethrin and s-fenvalerate and triclosan. The methodology also has been applied to triazines as a class-of-compounds.
The application of this methodology is intended to inform scientists, government agencies and policy makers about existing data on pesticides widely used in the Bay watershed, as well to identify data gaps, to inform further inquiry and to help the other project working groups prioritize their activities.
The methodology assesses compounds on the basis of occurrence, persistence, chemical/physical properties, temporal/seasonal patterns of application, toxicity, exposure pathways, solubility and other relevant criteria.
A more detailed explanation can be found below in a "Fact Sheet on the Research Matrix & Scoring Methodology."