Measure exposure to pesticides considering all sources of exposure
While the effect of pesticides on health is of concern to the French and the public authorities, today little data is available in France on the actual exposure of people living near crops, in particular vineyards. PestiRiv thus constitutes the first study carried out on the scale of metropolitan France to explore exposure to pesticides in viticultural and non-viticultural areas. This is an unprecedented study insofar as it will make it possible to compare the actual level of exposure of the population, assessed by biological samples, to all possible sources of exposure: air, food (including water), professional activity including agricultural uses, and domestic uses.
The main objective is to find out if there is a difference between the exposure to pesticides of people living near vineyards and those living far from any cultivation. PestiRiv will make it possible to identify the sources that contribute the most to exposure to pesticides and to identify the influence that the distance to the vines, the season or even the habits and behavior of individuals may have on this exposure. A better understanding of the origin of these exposures will make it possible to identify the means of limiting them and consequently avoiding the potential effects of these products on health.
A large-scale study: 3,350 participants, 2 field study periods
The study is carried out with 3 350 participants selected at random, adults aged 18 to 79 and children over 3 living in wine-growing areas (less than 500 meters from vines and more than 1,000 meters from other crops) and areas far from any crop (more than 1,000 meters of any crop). Participants will be divided into more than 250 study areasrepresenting contrasting local situations, in six regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie, Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.
The PestiRiv study covers 2 periods of the year:
- from October 2021 to February 2022, when treatments of the vines with plant protection products are the least frequent;
- from March to August 2022 when treatments are most frequent.
Exposure to pesticides will be measured both in humans and in the environment with :
- collection of urine and hair samples to measure the pesticides present in participants’ bodies;
- collections of dust, air inside the accommodation, or fruit and vegetables from the garden of some participants;
- measurements of pesticides in the outside air carried out in certain wine-growing areas and others far from any cultivation.
These measures will be accompanied by:
- questionnaires sent to participants to identify the sources that may contribute to their exposure to pesticides;
- a description of the meteorological and topographical conditions that may influence the dispersion of plant protection products in the environment;
- an analysis of the agricultural context of the study areas, for example the probability of treatment of the vines;
- use of national water monitoring data to determine locally the contribution of this source to consumer exposure.
The measures in the environments will concern about fifty substances.
A study tested beforehand and accepted: 56% of participants interested in the subject
The first phase of the PestiRiv study was conducted by Public Health France and ANSES in four municipalities in the Grand Est and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions. The objective was to ensure the involvement of the participants and to adjust the protocol if necessary by testing the methodology and the adhesion of local residents and stakeholders, by identifying the reasons for refusal and the expectations of the people approached. Among the 72 households that took part, from October 28 to December 21, 2019, the following were observed:
- conscientious follow-up of the protocol by the participants, including the children;
- a good understanding of the questionnaires, even if some have since been adapted and simplified;
- participants generally highly mobilized because they live very close to the vines, are winegrowers or winegrowers’ families or are aware of health problems in their entourage.
This first phase of the PestiRiv study made it possible to better understand participants’ expectations and to adjust the study protocol in order to improve its conduct on a national scale.
A study in the continuity of the work of ANSES and Public Health France
The PestiRiv study is part of a series of scientific works supported by ANSES and Public Health France, which aim to improve knowledge on pesticides and their real effects on health.
Through the national biomonitoring program (ENNS, Elfe, Esteban, etc.), piloted and implemented by Public Health France, the exposure of the French population to various pollutants, including pesticides, is assessed by measuring the levels of impregnation from samples (urine, blood, hair), researching the methods of exposure and proposing recommendations for reducing exposure.
GEOCAP-AGRI, also conducted by Public Health France in partnership with Inserm-Epicea UMR 1153, with funding from ANSES, is studying the risk of the appearance of cancer in children with regard to the proximity of certain crop families.
The National Exploratory Pesticide Campaign (CNEP) carried out by ANSES, Ineris and Atmo France, the network of air quality monitoring associations, made it possible to obtain a photograph of the substances present in the outdoor air (except in situations of close proximity to the emission source) and their concentration levels in France, mainland France and overseas.
All of this data is used as part of the phytopharmacovigilancea national system for monitoring adverse effects related to the use of plant protection products piloted by ANSES, the purpose of which is to collect existing data and identify signals and alerts that require national action.