At present, there are around 400 pesticide references marketed in France: these molecules are used in agriculture (but not only) to fight against insects and harmful plants.
Problem: according to several studies, pesticides are also bad for human health. People who are exposed to it thus present an increased risk of cancer, respiratory diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, etc.
To what extent is the French population exposed to pesticides? This is the question that experts from Public Health France are trying to answer through the Esteban study, the third part of which was published this Thursday, December 16, 2021.
First observation: the French population presents “rather low impregnation levels similar to those measured in Europe“.
3 tips to protect yourself against pesticides
However, there are still concerns about β-HCH (or hexachlorocyclohexane beta, it is an insecticide), the organophosphate metabolite (dimethylthiophosphate or DMTP) and Br2CA (it is also an insecticide from the pyrethroid family) “for which the concentrations measured in France are higherthan in most European and North American countries.
In detail, Public Health France explains that “adults are exposed in particular to certain organochlorines, the organophosphate metabolite (DMTP), pyrethroids and PCBs, dioxins and furans. Children are exposed to DMTP and pyrethroids“.
How to protect yourself against pesticides? The specialists from Public Health France give us 3 tips: first, eat organic as much as possible. Indeed, “the consumption of products from organic farming reduces the impregnation of organochlorines, DMTP (metabolite of organophosphates) and pyrethroids“.
Second, respect the conditions of use of insecticides at home – by respecting the recommendations on the labels, for example. Third, ventilate your home regularly, to fight against indoor air pollution. Easy to apply!
Read also :
- Eating organic: the 12 foods to buy first
- Pesticides during pregnancy: a risk for the brain of teenagers
- Chlordecone: prostate cancer will be recognized as an occupational disease before 2022
