Identification and classification of pesticides for health and environment : Sph'Air, a decision support system for air monitoring

Sph'air is a decision support system aiming to classify pesticides according to the level of concern caused by their presence in the atmosphere. The classification is carried out via a multicriteria analysis method. The criteria used are quantities of pesticides sold in France, their air persistence, atmospheric sources and toxicity. The classification results were compared to pesticides monitored in air. Sph'air correctly identified the most often detected substances in the atmosphere. The French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS) has developed this decision support system with the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) and the Public Research Institute studying land and water management (CEMAGREF). Financed by the French "Region Picardie" and French Environment and Agriculture Ministries, this project is supervised by a steering committee composed of policy makers, scientists, industrialists and associations.