Practical application of BREAM2 in bystander/resident spray drift exposure assessments: accounting for variations in water volume

Abstract The EFSA 2022 guidance on non-dietary human exposure, including operators, workers, residents and bystanders, relies on output from the original BREAM model, including simplified extrapolation for different application volumes. This study aims to present the current limitations and challenges in the European Plant Protection Product (PPP) authorizations for non-dietary exposure and risk assessments of residents and bystanders. It also and outlines a concept that could help overcome these limitations while maintaining a health-protective approach. The study demonstrates that refining the value of spray liquid (mL/ person) by more reliably incorporating application volume as a variable in the model leads to a more realistic and scientifically sound risk assessment. This refined approach has been shown to be both reasonable and applicable in the context of PPP registration processes, ahead of its anticipated inclusion in the next EFSA guidance update, where the implementation of BREAM2 is expected.