2023-05-24 14:52:00
Bisphenol A, although decreasing, and the pesticide glyphosate are still present in the bodies of Walloon children despite restrictions since 2011 and 2017, said Wednesday Aline Jacques, project manager at ISSeP (Institut Scientifique de Service Public ), during the presentation of the results of the second phase of Walloon human biomonitoring, in the presence of the Walloon Minister for the Environment, Céline Tellier
After newborns, adolescents aged 12 to 19 and young adults (20 to 39) in phase 1, children aged 3 to 5 and 6 to 11 were targeted as part of the phase 2 of the Walloon human biomonitoring conducted by the ISSeP with several scientific partners. There are 602 participants, from the different Walloon provinces, who were subjected to a urine test.
The aim is to have reference values that can be used to assess the average level of exposure of the population to pollutants and chemical substances (heavy metals, pesticides, bisphenols, etc.) present in food or the environment.
Of the 38 pollutants and chemical substances sought in the urine of these children, 33 reference values were established. Among these, bisphenol A (recognized as an endocrine disruptor), although on the decline, and glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the world, despite the restrictions introduced, for the first, in 2011 and 2017, for individuals (still used in agriculture) for the second substance.
The rates thus observed indicate that children are still exposed to these substances, although the levels are of the same order as those observed in other European countries.
In addition, cadmium (toxic to kidneys and bones) was found in the urine of almost 95% of children. For this substance alone, an overrun of the health risk value was observed, ie in 0.5% of children.
Health and the environment are intimately linked
In this phase 2, additional exposure reference values were also determined in the samples from phase 1, such as PFAS (per and polyfluoroalkylated) or the relevant toxic arsenic for which exceeding the risk value has been observed.
“Scientific studies show that health and the environment are closely linked. According to the WHO, at least 25% of diseases are due to environmental factors”noted Minister Tellier. “It is therefore essential to carry out actions to reduce exposure, firstly individual, in particular by avoiding smoking or the use of pesticides, but also at the political level. We see that the actions carried out show their effects, in particular at the level of PFAS to which the population is twice less exposed today than in 2016”. A third phase of this biomonitoring will follow, this time targeting adults aged 40 to 59.
A few days ago, we were talking about the use of glyphosate in agriculture:
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