DISCLAIMER: The tools, as they currently stand, are provided for research and informational purposes only. The underlying models, assumptions, data sources, and methodologies are experimental and might have not yet been peer-reviewed or independently validated. Outputs may be incomplete, uncertain, or inaccurate and should be interpreted with caution. The tools do not provide regulatory, medical, legal, toxicological, or professional risk assessment advice. For the time being, it must not be used as a substitute for expert judgment, regulatory review, or established risk-assessment frameworks, nor relied upon for decision-making related to human health, environmental protection, occupational safety, product registration, compliance, or policy.
Use of these tools for unlawful, harmful, misleading, or unethical purposes—including but not limited to regulatory circumvention, misrepresentation of risk, or inappropriate application to real-world pesticide use decisions—is strictly prohibited. The tool is provided “as is,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to accuracy, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

Pesticide concentrations in soil and surface water at national level

Authors: Artur Radomyski, MU (artur.radomyski@recetox.muni.cz)
Last update: 05/02/2026

This tool brings the soil and surface water maps of lumped Predicted Environmental Concentrations (PEC) at river catchments modelled for entire countries.

Frequency distribution or lumped PEC values at coarser scales can be derived through lumped modelling for the “target spatial unit” such as river basin, country districts or LAU/NUTS regions. This is performed by aggregating input raster and vector data for each “target spatial units” and extracting spatial statistics (e.g., sum, mean or median). The main outcome is a georeferenced PECs (geo-PECs) for each active substance, including initial PEC values right after AS application and time averaged over duration of the simulation scenario. Subsequently, geo-PECs can be used to derive time-dependent and spatially weighted risk quotients (RQ) for relevant terrestrial and aquatic endpoints.  Model predictions cover pesticide concentrations in topsoil (µg × kg⁻¹) and river water (µg × dm⁻³). PEC estimates in soil are shown as: 1) initial concentration, 2) 56-day time weighted average, and 3) 365-day time weighted average. PEC surface water is shown as annual concentration. PEC surface water for streams is weighted by size of the individual fields within 100-meter buffer area around river segments and length of this river segment. Similarly, PEC surface water for river basins is weighted by size of all individual fields within 100-meter buffer area around all river segments and their lengths. Uniquely, the PEC surface water in the Netherlands is calculated separately for streams grouped by streams breadth and length classes.

The materials available in the Toolbox-website serve as a demonstration of what outputs one can expect from running the model for a specified scenario. For more detailed information about the model underpinnings, input data it requires, and all the processes involved in calculating pesticide concentration in soil and water see model documentation. Likewise, the script to run the model is available via links to GitHub.

Both the modelling framework and the maps can meet various interests of different audiences. Brief outline of how the Toolbox can provide insights into matters of interest for three target groups (General Public, Policy Makers, Scientists) is provided in the Pesticide concentrations in soil and surface water at field level section.