Pesticides lurk in the bedroom. They are in the dust we breathe in the house, the same one that settles on the ground, where children crawl. This is demonstrated by the survey conducted in 21 countries by the European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) Save Bees and Farmers, far-sighted call to action which we invite you to support with a signature , here by 30 September 2021.
Pesticides in the bedroom, the study
Il network ICE member NGOs Save Bees and Farmers coordinated dust sampling in the bedrooms of 21 homes in rural areas, where 'conventional' agriculture spills pesticides non-stop.
The powders collected between June and July 2021 were analyzed in the French laboratory Yootest to look for 30 pesticides. Although they correspond to less than 10% of those approved in the EU, these molecules are the most frequently found in similar studies.
Toxic (but authorized) molecules
Of the 30 substances 24 searched were found. Among these there are 11 clearly dangerous to health. In detail,
- 2 are suspected of being carcinogenic to humans (chlortoluron and lenacil).
- 4 are classified as toxic for reproduction and cause of fetal malformations (spiroxamine, chlortoluron, fluazinam, phosmet),
- 5 are potentially harmful to the hormonal system and are therefore endocrine disruptors (2,4-D, fluazinam, metolachlor, pendimethalin, phosmet).
A great absent, glyphosate
A systematic review excluded glyphosate (or glyphosate) and its metabolite AMPA from the research. A major flaw, given the pervasiveness of the Bayer-Monsanto herbicide, under indictment in the United States for causing disease and death.
The reasons of the exclusion of glyphosate from the study are traced back toanalytical and economic complexities'.
The result, multi-residues of pesticides
The result unfortunately the survey is not surprising. Laboratory analyzes revealed pesticide residues in all 21 dust samples. Contamination is always multiple, with an average coexistence of 8 molecules. A cocktail from 'unknown' toxicity, given that the authorization procedures they do not take it into account.
The worst result emerged on the dust sampled in the bedroom in Belgium, contaminated with 23 residues of poisonous molecules. The best - if it is possible to positively consider the presence of poisons in the home - is instead related to the sample taken in Malta, containing residues of a single pesticide.
The amount of pesticides found is highly variable. The highest level is in the dust sampled in Denmark, 4.942 mg / kg.
Cancer molecules in 1 out of 4
Crossing the results of the analysis with the scientific evidence on the toxicity of pesticides, the study authors report that
- one in four samples contains molecules suspected of causing cancer in humans,
- one third of the dust analyzed is contaminated with pesticides known as inhibitors of the enzyme acetylcholinesterasi,
- in 81% of the dust sampled (17 out of 21) substances suspected of being toxic endocrine disruptors for reproduction were found.
The following chart below, as in a gallery of horrors, indicates the pesticides most frequently highlighted by the analyzes.
There is no time to lose
A systematic review on pesticide pollution in homes in rural areas is yet another demonstration of the drift effect.
'The problem of drift of pesticides can no longer be ignored. We hope that the detection of suspected carcinogenic and reproductive harmful pesticides in rural bedrooms will be a wake-up call for regulators in the EU. After all, epidemiological studies show an increased risk of reproductive damage and cancer, especially among residents of agricultural areas'explains Helmut Burtscher-Schaden, Head of Chemistry at Global2000 (Friends of the Earth Austria).
'In rural areas, crawling babies are constantly exposed through dust, often to carcinogenic or endocrine-disrupting pesticides. This is not acceptable as science shows that exposure to small concentrations of these chemicals can cause harm. Furthermore, exposure to pesticide mixtures is not tested by regulators, it is high time the EU stopped subsidizing polluting intensive agriculture and instead supports agroecological practices!'thunders Martin Dermine, policy manager of PAN Europe, promoter of the ICE.
The 3 requests of the ICE
'Let's save bees and farmers' is a European citizens' initiative which aims to collect 1 million signatures across the EU by 30 September. The alliance of over 200 organizations has until September 30 to collect the necessary signatures. More than 800.000 signatures have been collected so far.
The initiative has three main demands:
1. phase out synthetic pesticides by 2035,
2. restore biodiversity in the agricultural environment,
3. support farmers in the transition to organic farming.
The full text of the study is available , here.
A professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic studies on food and has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
