Health study finds chemical spikes
Air freshener chemical ten times more prevalent in French blood than in German or US studies
THE FRENCH have three times more pesticides in their blood than Germans or Americans, according to a national health study.
The Institut national de veille sanitaire studied the blood, hair and urine of nearly 3,100 adults and 1,700 children, checking for the presence of metals, toxic Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and pesticides.
The study is the first of its kind in the country and the report said it should form the basis of future health and environmental policy.
It finds the amount of pesticides and PCBs in the blood of French people was three times higher than Americans or Germans.
Levels of lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic were stable.
Despite the phasing out of PCBs, which were used as insulators, during the 1970s and their banning in 1987, the study found levels that were five times higher than those in similar research in New Zealand and the USA.
While, in general, levels of synthesised pesticides, such as DDT, were low and in line with similar studies, the report found one particular chemical, 2,5-DCP, was present at levels 10 times higher in the French.
This chemical is used in air fresheners, disinfectants and anti-mite products.
"These observations should drive more research towards the particular exposure of the French to this substance," the report said.
Photo: Mouvement pour les Droits et le Respect des Générations Futures
