Carried out among 6,007 French people aged 18 to 75, this study reveals that the French feel well informed about the risks related to the environment for health, and feel very concerned by the subject.
More than seven in ten French people perceive high risks related to the environment for health. Asbestos is considered the most dangerous environmental risk, ahead of carbon monoxide, lead paints, and sun exposure.
On the other hand, an information deficit is noted with regard to legionella, lead paints, the consequences of indoor pollution, and soil pollution. As for radon, an odorless radioactive gas responsible for around 2,500 lung cancer deaths each year, 61.9% of the French have never heard of it.
Some glaring misunderstandings were noted. For example, 77.3% of French people who have combustible heating do not know that it can lead to a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Another worrying fact is that one in five people think carbon monoxide has an odor, while its dangerousness comes in part from the fact that it is odorless.
According to Didier Houssin, director of the General Directorate of Health (DGS), these results show “a good knowledge of high-profile subjects, such as asbestos, outdoor air pollution, mobile telephony and carbon monoxide. carbon”. According to him, they encourage “to make the same effort on legionellosis, radon, or indoor air pollution”.
One of the other lessons of the barometer is the credit given by the French to scientific expertise. The risks considered to be the greatest are those on which there is a scientific consensus, such as outdoor air and asbestos. On the other hand, mobile telephony, highly publicized but subject to expert debate, is the subject on which the public is most skeptical.
