« 170 different pesticides found in the environment, in animals and in humans in the Netherlandss »
Wageningen University & Research*
My cyber wanderings have brought me to a rather disturbing press release from Wageningen University. A European project looks like a vast smoke-out operation worthy of a French company incorporated in the form of an association under the 1901 law and benefiting from generous funding from biobusiness in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Did we find piles of pesticides? So what ? At what doses? It is not specified…
Would it be to create an atmosphere conducive to the adoption of the draft SUR regulation (sustainable use [of pesticides] regulation)? We will have to wait for the scientific article (or scientist ”) to see.
The person to contact is Ms. Violette Geissen… That’s all seen as far as I’m concerned, even if this is essentially an observational study…
Posted on February 2, 2023
The European project SPRINT, funded by the European Commission, conducts large-scale research on the presence of pesticides in the environment, in animals and in humans. The preliminary results show that a mixture of pesticide residues can be found almost everywhere in the environment, as well as in animals and humans. Further research should reveal the effects of these mixtures of substances on health.
Chemical pesticides have been used in agriculture since the 1960s to protect crops against disease and pests. Some substances are now banned due to their harmful effects on humans and the environment, while others are still on the market. In Europe, nearly 500 pesticides are marketed. The number and quantity of pesticides used, the residues actually present in the ecosystem and in humans, and the effects of mixtures of residues on the ecosystem and human health have not yet been studied on a global scale. (inter)national.
Test on 207 different pesticides
Over the past two years, the study has looked at the amounts of pesticide residues that can be found in the environment, in animals and in humans. In ten European countries and in Argentina, researchers from SPRINT collected soil, surface water, sediment, house dust and air samples. They also took blood from more than 700 people and examined stool and urine samples.
The samples were tested for 207 different pesticides, of which 151 were allowed on the market and 56 were rejected. However, residues of these pesticides can still be found after years.
Glyphosate is most commonly found
In the Netherlands, research was carried out with 24 farmers from Groningen and Friesland, who mainly grow potatoes, and their environments, as well as with 24 inhabitants of the city of Groningen. A total of 170 different substances were found. It was the herbicide glyphosate that was found most often and in the greatest quantities.
The study covered both conventional and organic farming. Residues have also been found in organic farmers, where the use of chemical pesticides is prohibited. However, the quantities found were lower on average. Compared to other countries, the Netherlands ranks at the top of the basket when it comes to residues in the environment and in humans from conventional agriculture.
In the Netherlands, mixtures of residues were found in almost all samples. House dust stands out with more than 144 residues, and often more than 100 substances were found in house dust samples. About three quarters of the substances found are authorized on the market, a quarter are prohibited.
Halve by 2030
The European Union wants to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030, as provided for in the strategy ” farm to table “. Study results SPRINT can be used in this transition to less and more sustainable use of pesticides in agriculture.
Over the next two years, the risks of the residues found in the ecosystem and in humans will be studied. To do this, collaboration with toxicology institutes throughout Europe will be set up. A toolbox is also being developed at European level so that risks can be identified more quickly. Together with a broad group of stakeholders, researchers are trying to identify bottlenecks to accelerate the transition to sustainable crop protection.
The results of this first phase will be the subject of a scientific publication in the coming months.
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* Source : 170 different pesticides found in the environment, animals and people in the Netherlands – WUR