According to data from the “World”, around 12 million people were affected in 2021 by exceeding the quality thresholds for pesticides and their metabolites.

The numbers are startling. They reveal the extent of contamination of water resources by pesticides and their degradation products; they also show deep shortcomings, which have persisted for many years, in the monitoring of drinking water. In 2021 , according to data collected by Le Monde from regional health agencies (ARS), water agencies or prefectures, around 20% of French people in mainland France – some 12 million people – received at the tap, regularly or occasionally, water that does not meet quality criteria . This figure was 5.9% in 2020, according to the Ministry of Health.

Most of this data has been available to the Directorate General for Health (DGS) for several months, but so far has not been aggregated for public release. The DGS declined our interview requests . Their official presentation, scheduled for the next few weeks, promises to be delicate: in a country where the rare deviations from drinking water quality standards are, each year, presented as marginal and harmless, the current situation is as alarming as unexpected . To the point of disturbing former senior executives of the health system.

The former director general of ARS Nouvelle-Aquitaine Michel Laforcade , retired since 2020 , believes that the health authorities have ” failed” on the issue of pesticides and their degradation products, metabolites . “ There is a lot of self-censorship in the administration, a kind of inability to look at reality , he testifies. One day, we will have to be accountable. It may not be on the same scale as the tainted blood scandal, but it could become the next public health scandal. »

Source: Lemonde.fr

By Stéphane Foucart , Stéphane Mandard and Florence Traullé

Posted on September 21, 2022 at 5:56 p.m. Updated on September 22, 2022 at 10:01 a.m. 

The water of many major brands around the world, including Evian and San Pellegrino, is contaminated with tiny plastic particles whose health hazards are still unknown. American researchers tested the water from more than 250 bottles in nine countries including Lebanon, India or the United States and found that 93% of the water samples were contaminated.

According to researcher Sherri Mason, this contamination is due to the plastic of the bottle, but also to its cap or to the industrial packaging process. Bottled water is not the only one concerned: tap water also contains traces of plastic caused by the microbeads present in our cosmetics, or by the fibers of our clothes evacuated during washing.

Video: https://www.bfmtv.com/sciences/evian-san-pellegrino-selon-une-etude-americaine-des-eaux-en-bouteille-contiennt-des-particules-de-plastique_VN-201803150115.html

Source: https://www.bfmtv.com/sciences/evian-san-pellegrino-selon-une-etude-americaine-des-eaux-en-bouteille-contiennt-des-particules-de-plastique_VN-201803150115.html

In 2021, approximately 20 % of French people in mainland France, or some 12 million people, have received at the tap, “regularly or occasionally, water that does not comply with quality criteria”, according to data collected by Le Monde from regional health agencies, water and prefectures. However, should this prevent us from consuming it?

Water is the safest and most controlled food in France. And yet, the pesticides and the molecules resulting from the degradation of the latter would have serious consequences on the quality of the water. Should we be worried about this news? Is drinking water with traces, even minimal, of pesticides dangerous for your health?

Figures “probably” underestimated

For Julie Mendret , lecturer at the University of Montpellier and specialist in water treatment, the results made public Thursday, September 22 are “a stone in the pond”. “Analytical methods are progressing. The more we look, the more we will find [pesticides in the water]. We even find banned pesticides…”, she laments.

In December 2020, the General Directorate of Health extended the fields of research for pesticides in drinking water. Result: the 6% of French people concerned in 2020 rose to 20% in 2021. It was “predictable”, estimates Mickaël Derangeon , vice-president of Atlantic’eau , public service for the distribution of drinking water in the Loire- Atlantique, and lecturer at Nantes University in physiology, the study of the functioning of living organisms. These new results are “probably below reality”, he adds.

There are two types of drinking water control. First, that of the Regional Health Agencies (ARS), which each determine a list of molecules to be searched for. Drinking water network managers also carry out self-checks.

Everywhere in France, pesticides deemed potentially dangerous must not exceed the threshold of 0.1 microgram per liter (or 0.3 microgram for some) and their sum must not exceed 0.5 microgram/litre. Thresholds set in 2007, without certainty about the reality of the risks.

To set health standards, explains Le Monde, the National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health Safety (Anses) needs studies. These do not yet exist for all pesticides.

As many pesticides in 1 kg of celery as in 500,000 liters of water

“The long-term health effects of exposure to low doses of pesticides are difficult to assess,” writes the Ministry of Health on its website .

So should we be afraid to drink tap water? However, the quantities of pesticides present in tap water should be put into perspective, explains Mickaël Derangeon . “The scale is different in food. Conventional foods [not from organic farming] can legally contain in 1 kg up to 500,000 times more pesticides than a liter of water. In 1kg of celery, you can legally have as many pesticides as in 500,000 liters of water. »

“ But even in small amounts, pesticides can have consequences. The risk, with water, is exposure over the long term or at certain times in life, for example when you are a baby or pregnant”, adds Mickaël Derangeon , referring in particular to the effects on the development of the brain of some babies. ” We have the scientific evidence, but there is no public health response ,” he laments.

How do pesticides end up at the tap?

So what to do? We must first understand how pesticides end up in our faucet. Spreading is the primary cause of pesticide infiltration into the soil. These molecules are also found in the rain and, finally, in our treatment plants through our food.

Once in the environment, the pesticide molecule can change on contact with humidity or with changes in temperature, for example. This modified molecule is called the metabolite. It is he who is found in tap water.

Bottled water, the solution?

So should we drink bottled water? “I drink tap water. When I buy bottled water, I don’t know how long it’s been there, maybe in the sun! “, testifies the vice-president of Atlantic’eau . Several studies have also demonstrated the presence of microplastics in these bottled waters. “So it’s not a solution”, evacuates Mickaël Derangeon .

Julie Mendret also highlights the environmental impact of bottled water. “It would be a disaster if everyone started drinking bottled water”, explains the one who published an article this summer in The Conversation defending the consumption of tap water, “safer than water in bottle “.

Source: https://www.centrepresseaveyron.fr/2022/09/23/pesticides-faut-il-avoir-peur-de-boire-leau-du-robinet-10581266.php

While one in five households consumed water contaminated with pesticides, ANSES decided to raise the thresholds, thus making the quality compliant.

This is one of the health issues that regularly comes up on the table: the quality of drinking water . According a joint survey of the World and of France 2 , 20% of the population in mainland France consumed water that would exceed the required quality thresholds in 2021, compared to 5.9% in 2020.

And precisely, a news has again made speak at the end of last September. Whereas they were considered until now as potentially dangerous for human health, two metabolites resulting from a pesticide were eventually reassessed by the National Agency for Health, Food, Environment and Labor Safety (ANSES).

Read also

• In Europe, nearly a third of fruit is contaminated with dangerous pesticides

Now deemed “not relevant”, these two substances have seen their maximum authorized threshold be automatically increased from 0.1 micrograms per liter (µg/L) to 0.9 µg/L. For some households, this means that, despite their higher concentration, tap water will once again be in line with consumption. This was not the case before, since compliance was only valid below 0.1 µg/L.

Many associations and collectives warn of health risks.

Where does our tap water come from?

The least we can say is that drinking water makes its way to our tap. In France, it comes mainly from groundwater or rivers, lakes and dams .

Before arriving here, it undergoes a more or less advanced treatment within the 15,000 stations that cover the territory. Objective: to eliminate microorganisms and substances potentially harmful to human health, but also to ensure “the microbiological and physico-chemical quality of water”, such as its mineral or trace element content, emphasizes ANSES .

Read also

• Quality of drinking water: is there a health risk in the Channel?

And who is in charge monitor and analyze the quality of our water? This mission is the responsibility of the Regional Health Agencies (ARS). “The ARS define the substances to be searched for in water and analyzed, depending on the populations and areas concerned”, explains to news.fr toxicologist Pauline Cervan .

For example, mountainous areas with little agriculture tend to have better water quality because less pesticide is used there.

Pauline Cervan Toxicologist

Regulatory values and health values

What exactly are we tracking in our water? “We find what we want to look for! “Slips Pauline Cervan . Residues of drugs , type pollutants heavy metals (like lead or cadmium), pesticide …

To determine whether or not these substances are dangerous (in other words, “relevant” or “irrelevant”) for human health, the health authorities have defined maximum authorized thresholds, on the basis of “regulatory values”, measured in micrograms per liter (µg/L).

“When this threshold is exceeded, it means that the quality of the water distributed to the tap is deteriorating”, emphasizes ANSES . Should we expect the water to be shut off automatically if the regulatory value is exceeded?

Read also

• Ferns: are there pesticides in tap water?

No, reassures Pauline Cervan . The quality of the water is reduced, of course, but the water remains consumable. “The distributor must do everything to limit this contamination and restore the quality of the water. »

Different actions can be taken depending on the context: increased protection of the resource, interconnections between different raw water resources, dilution, enhanced treatment of the water distributed.

handles

What if I still drink my glass of water? “There is no immediate risk to health if we exceed the regulatory value, it is an indicator of water quality”, sums up the toxicologist. On the other hand, some substances are also classified according to health values which , as their name suggests, determine health risks.

One in five French people has consumed water that has exceeded its quality threshold

According to a survey by Le Monde and France 2, which cross-referenced huge public databases, 20% of the population in mainland France consumed water that would exceed the required quality thresholds in 2021, compared to 5.9% in 2020. These figures are expected to be confirmed by the Ministry of Health in December.

Metabolites, preferred targets

For years, pesticides and their metabolites are the preferred target of health authorities. More sought after, they are therefore more often detected.

“The metabolites come from the transformation of the active substance of the pesticide. Once spread in the fields and in the soil, the active substance degrades with the sun, the humidity… and it becomes the metabolite”, summarizes the specialist, also a member of the collective. Future Generations .

Read also

• Pesticides in tap water in Ouistreham: the town hall provides explanations

In the case of its two reassessments at the end of September 2022, ANSES looked into the toxicity of metabolites S-metolachlor ESA And S-metolachlor NOA , from an active substance herbicide used since 2005, particularly in the cultivation of maize. “They are mainly found in Hauts-de-France and Brittany, because of the important cultivation of this cereal”, underlines Pauline Cervan .

A raised threshold that poses a problem

Until now, the regulatory value of the two metabolites, then considered “relevant”, was set at 0.1 µg/L. But since the end of September, ANSES has reconsidered the classification of these substances, finally considering that they were “not relevant” for health.

Consequently, their maximum authorized threshold has automatically increased from 0.1 µg/L to 0.9µg/L . In other words, the health authorities now tolerate a nine times higher concentration of these metabolites in the water, without this changing the quality or the dangerousness of the water. And this is where it gets stuck for associations and collectives.

Research on pesticides and metabolites in drinking water is more numerous in France. (©Jean-Paul BARBIER)

Read also

• Pollution, pesticides, is it really dangerous to swim in the water of the Rhône?

“A loophole in the regulations”

The metabolites comply with regulatory thresholds, but do not have health values. This means that since the end of September, denounces Pauline Cervan , their level has been greatly increased on the basis of insufficient data concerning their dangerousness for human health.

The problem with metabolites is that when they are put on the market, their toxicity (carcinogenic, endocrine-disrupting, etc.) is not assessed over the long term. There is a loophole in the regulations. Raising the authorized thresholds of metabolites in water ultimately means exposing consumers to potentially dangerous substances.

Pauline Cervan Toxicologist

For its part, ANSES points out that the classification of a metabolite can change over time “thanks to the acquisition of new scientific knowledge relating to the criteria on the basis of which this classification is established”. “A metabolite can therefore go from a classification of relevant to irrelevant, and vice versa”, justifies the organization.

Over the past decade, sanitary control of the quality of water intended for human consumption has evolved in terms of the performance of analytical methods. In addition, more and more active substances and metabolites are being sought. Finally, the uses of plant protection products also change over time.

handles

Nowadays, according to data from the National Institute for the Industrial Environment and Risks ( Ineris ), more than twenty pesticides or metabolites do not have health values.

Sources: https://actu.fr/planete/pollution/pesticides-dans-l-eau-du-robinet-pourquoi-les-seuils-des-autorites-sanitaires-inquietent_54589647.html

Bottled water is polluted with microplastics, which means that the French who consume it also ingest plastic. A real health risk, especially for the youngest.

One of the main arguments of those who prefer bottled water over tap water is that of health. Bottled waters are supposed to be good for your health, which is highlighted in many advertisements.

But the reality is quite different : bottled water is polluted by microplastics…

Microplastics found in 7 out of 9 bottled waters tested

Microplastics are at the center of concerns for health and the environment: these are very small plastic particles that are suspended in water (but are also found elsewhere). Polluting, they could also be dangerous for health in the long term, although studies on the subject are still necessary. Nevertheless, drinking plastic does not seem like a good idea… It makes sense.

However, according to the study by the association Agir pour l’environnement published on July 21, 2022 and rightly called “We drink plastic! » … This is what the French are doing without realizing it. By opting for bottled water rather than tap water (which is very strictly controlled), we ingest microplastics. And beware: it is the waters of major brands that have been analyzed by the association… Including the most drunk bottled water in France: Cristalline.

La Vittel Kids: poor student of microplastics

Source: Consoglobe.com, Written by Paolo Garoscio , Jul 26 , 2022

Les eaux en bouteille polluées aux microplastiques, même celles pour enfants

The MP for Martinique returned to the dismissal required by the Paris prosecutor’s office in the chlordecone case. In response, the Minister Delegate for Overseas France underlined the independence of the judiciary and defended the government’s record.

Jeanne Peru-Gelly • Posted on December 6, 2022 at 5:33 p.m., updated on December 6, 2022 at 6:01 p.m.

The deputy for the 2nd district of Martinique, Marcellin Nadeau, mentioned the chlordecone pollution during questions to the government on Tuesday December 6, and the dismissal recommended by the Paris prosecutor’s office on November 24.

“It is clear that it is also and now a judicial scandal”, thundered the deputy Nupes, recalling that on November 24, the Paris prosecutor’s office requested a dismissal after 16 years of investigation. on this pesticide which poisons the West Indies . While chlordecone was banned in France in 1990, the French State, however aware of the risks, granted an exemption for several years to West Indian banana producers, victims of the weevil.

The public ministry, therefore the government, advocates silence and impunity.

Marcellin Nadeau, MP for Martinique.

“The circle is therefore complete. Justice cannot condemn the State, and the State asks justice to absolve the various persons responsible for this crime of poisoning”, estimates the deputy, who denounces the “contempt” to the regard “to the poisoned peoples of Martinique and Guadeloupe”.

Contempt or independent justice?

“This is not a final court decision, but an indictment from a public prosecutor” , corrected in response the Minister Delegate for Overseas Territories, Jean-François Carenco , before insisting on the independence of justice. “Let’s stop the useless polemics,” he added.

This government does not control the positions of justice and we respect the independence of justice.

Jean-François Carenco , Minister Delegate for Overseas Territories

From the recognition of prostate cancer as an occupational disease to free analyzes of the level of chlordecone in the blood of the population , through soil contamination tests, the Minister reviewed the progress made in the file since the election of Emmanuel Macron, the first president to acknowledge state responsibility for chlordecone pollution.

A scientific symposium dedicated to chlordecone will be held next week in Guadeloupe and Martinique.

of Tuesday, December 6, and the dismissal of the case by the Paris prosecutor’s office on November 24.

“It is clear that it is also and now a legal scandal,” thundered MP Nupes, recalling that on 24

Source: https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/demande-de-non-lieu-dans-l-affaires-du-chlordecone-marcellin-nadeau-denonce-un-scandale-judiciaire-1346940.html

Studies confirm that chlordecone has effects on our health

chlordecone

©Martinique1ere

The health harms of chlordecone are already known, but it is possible to learn more bad news in the future. The molecule is an endocrine disruptor, that is to say it is likely to have effects on the body, but also on the brain of children.

Cecile Marre • Published on January 19, 2018 at 11:33 am, updated on March 1, 2019 at 10:40 a.m.

In this area, a researcher has worked extensively in Europe and the United States. Her name is Barbara Demeneix and she is one of the world’s foremost experts on endocrine disruptors.

An endocrine disruptor

She has proven the impact of these disruptors on the functioning of the thyroid and has taken an interest in her research in the consequences of pesticides on the brains of children, via their pregnant mothers. However, chlordecone is an endocrine disruptor. It was recognized as such by the WHO (World Health Organization) in 2012.

In the United States, certain regions exposed to pesticides and identified in the work of Barbara Demeneix report an explosion in the number of cases of autism, up to 600%. How far are we in Martinique? Difficult to know, because there is no epidemiological watch in Martinique, as is the case in France.

(Re)see the report:

© martinique

In Merlieux-et-Fouquerolles, Le Thuel , Versigny and Rogécourt, the presence of the pesticide exceeds a limit value set by the government. The consumption of mains water is no longer authorized there for drinking, preparing and cooking food and washing teeth.

The municipalities concerned will have no alternative but to provide their constituents, at least initially, with bottled water in cisterns or cans. – (File photo)

By Gael Rivallain

Journalist at Courrier Picard

The decision was expected. The authorities ended up ordering a restriction on water consumption in four towns totaling almost 1,000 inhabitants – Merlieux-et-Fouquerolles (Laonnois), Le Thuel (near Rozoy-sur-Serre), Versigny and Rogécourt ( near de La Fère) – due to the presence of chloridazone metabolites detected in tap water . In total, 39 municipalities in the department were placed under enhanced surveillance.

In these four municipalities, the analyzes revealed that the transitional health value of 3µ/L set by the government was exceeded for this pesticide used until 2020 for beet cultivation. In detail, the analyzes show average rates of 6.99 g/L in Merlieux and Fouquerolles, 4.51 g/L in Thuel , 3.38 g/L in Versigny and 3.20 g/L in Rogecourt. Consequently, the consumption of mains water is no longer authorized for drinking, preparing and cooking food, washing teeth. She will be able to continue for the washing of food, the toilet, the dishes (including baby bottles) and the linen.

Bottles and cisterns as an alternative

Concretely, the municipalities concerned will have no other alternative than to supply, at least initially, bottled water in cisterns or cans. ” The restrictions will only be lifted after three consecutive results below the threshold value of 3 g / L, or after the completion of work to regain the quality of drinking water “, specifies the prefecture.

If the department of Aisne is the most affected by this pesticide in water, it is not the only one in Picardy . In the Oise, four municipalities are also under the microscope. Mont-l’Évêque, Litz , La Rue-Saint-Pierre and La Neuville-en- Hez will have to connect to another network . And in the Somme, Brie and Mesnil-Bruntel (next to Péronne) escaped a water restrictions decision, by connecting to a nearby network .

Sources: https://www.courrier-picard.fr/id363730/article/2022-11-24/pollution-au-chloridazone-la-prefecture-de-laisne-

By pointing to data from regional health agencies highlighting that in 2021, 20% of French people in France, i.e. 12 million people, were confronted, occasionally or regularly, with tap water with thresholds that were too high in pesticides and metabolites, Le Monde newspaper threw a stone into the pond.

Already in the spring of 2021, UFC-Que Choisir, through its interactive water map , denounced the presence of pesticides in drinking water and the serious shortcomings of local regulations and management measures.

Chance of the calendar, the alert from the daily Le Monde came the day after the publication of a Tribune signed by no less than 80 associations, including UFC-Que Choisir , calling on behalf of the precautionary principle and the interest higher than environmental health, to an exit from pesticides and more generally to an agricultural transition towards a model that is more respectful of the environment, more resilient.

The collective challenged the Prime Minister and all parliamentarians to finally take up the subject. Because we won’t be able to tell our children that we didn’t know !

Petition

For guaranteed tap water without pesticides!

Published on: 04/19/2021

While only 206 pesticides are searched for on average in drinking water, knowing that there are more than 750 in nature, we ask the Ministry of Health to guarantee tap water without pesticides by significantly increasing the search for these harmful substances.

Petition
For guaranteed tap water without pesticides!

77,085 people have already signed

Our goal is to 100,000 signatures.

Dear

I agree to be asked to support the other actions of UFC-Que Choisir I would like to subscribe to the quechoisir.org electronic newsletter

SIGN THE PETITION

The information collected by UFC-Que Choisir is necessary for the identification of signatures. The legal basis for the processing is the legitimate interest of UFC-Que Choisir in defending consumers. The recipient is the UFC galaxy-What to choose. They are kept only for the duration necessary to carry out the petition operation increased by a period of 24 months. If you wish, you can unsubscribe from the petition at any time by using the link to the petition, sent by email. To exercise your rights or for any questions about the processing of your data, you can contact the  DPO . You can also file a complaint with the CNIL. For more information, personal data protection policy .

If you wish, you can unsubscribe at any time of this petition.

More than 750 different molecules of pesticides in nature

Pesticides are the leading cause in France of exceeding the quality standards defined for tap water. But while more than 750 different molecules of pesticides and their derivatives are likely to be found in drinking water, only 206 are sought on average on French territory as part of the official analyzes carried out on behalf of the Regional Health Agencies. (ARS).

Only 12 pesticides searched on average in the Aisne against 609 in the Var!

But this average figure hides huge local disparities, in fact, the list of molecules sought is defined by each ARS, according to local specificities, particularly agricultural. Our survey of official analyzes reveals that for nearly twenty departments, the spectrum of analyzes is clearly insufficient to guarantee consumers the absence of pesticides beyond the authorized levels. It is the department of Aisne which is distinguished by the lowest number of substances searched for with only 12 molecules on average, ie 50 times less than in the Var which searches for 609!

Water with pesticides drunk by 450,000 consumers… or maybe many more

While nearly 450,000 consumers drink water that does not comply with this criterion, the very low number of pesticide molecules sought in many French departments raises fears that this proportion is in fact much higher.

In order to guarantee truly pesticide-free water and limit consumer exposure to these particularly harmful molecules, we ask the Ministry of Health to define the minimum number and nature of pesticides to be analyzed.

Drinking water quality is non-negotiable!

Sign the petition and pass it around, we need you!

Petition launched at the initiative of UFC-Que Choisir and Future Generations 

Quality of tap water in France

The call (e) for help from the UFC-Que Choisir

Published on: 03/19/2012

SUMMARY

• Pesticides and nitrates flood crops… but also tap water
• Agriculture: a repeat polluter
• Water treatment and natural contamination: adjustment faults at the margin…

In the aftermath of the World Water Forum in Marseille on access to aquatic resources and on the eve of World Water Day, UFC-Que Choisir is making public today a worrying analysis of the quality of tap water distributed in France ^{( 1)} .

While 97.5% of French people have year-round access to good quality water, on the other hand nearly two million consumers pay for water that does not comply with regulatory criteria. The cocktail of the main pollutants detected (pesticides, nitrates, selenium) highlights the serious threats that agricultural pressure poses to the resource.

PESTICIDES AND NITRATES FLOOD CROPS… BUT ALSO TAP WATER

More than a million consumers receive water contaminated with pesticides, nitrates and selenium. The most affected departments are found in areas where agriculture is most intensive: Paris Basin (Eure-et-Loir, Loiret, Seine-et-Marne, Yonne), the North and Champagne (Pas-de-Calais , Marne, Aube).

AGRICULTURE: A RECIDIVIST POLLUTER

Far from being isolated, the problem of agricultural pollution is structural. The use of pesticides has not decreased in 10 years. The explanation is that the polluter-pays principle is reversed. While agriculture is the source of nitrate and pesticide pollution respectively for 74% and 90%, it is the consumers who bear the bulk of the bill (almost 90%) via the pollution charge. In the end, agricultural pollution generates additional annual expenditure on the water bill of at least between 640 and 1,140 million euros, or 7% to 12% of the water bill of French households ( ^{2 )} .

WATER TREATMENT AND NATURAL CONTAMINATION: ADJUSTMENT DEFECTS AT THE MARGIN…

Contamination linked to the lack of treatment (bacteriological quality, aluminium) and to natural contamination (radioactivity) are much less marked. Although they represent only 31% of water pollution, they nevertheless affect 1,500 municipalities and 500,000 consumers. The local associations of the UFC-Que Choisir, located in these sectors, therefore intervened with the mayors of the municipalities concerned to ask them to take, without delay, measures to inform consumers and to deal with non-compliances.

The issue of quality water is essential, both from the point of view of purchasing power and the environment. It must indeed be remembered that, compared to bottled water, tap water wins the game hands down. It is thus of equivalent quality, up to 130 times less expensive than its rival in plastic bottles and contributes almost a thousand times less to the greenhouse effect ( ^{3 )} .

The UFC-Que Choisir can no longer tolerate the use of palliative measures where polluted water is diluted with compliant water, nor encourage the headlong rush of drilling ever more catchments. In order for agricultural pollution to be stopped at the source, UFC-Que Choisir asks national and European public authorities:

– Effective protection of all catchments;

– An application of the constitutional polluter-pays principle in the field of agricultural pollution to deter polluting agricultural practices;

– That aid from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) be reserved for production methods inspired by the principles of integrated and organic farming.

In any case, determined to inform consumers about the quality of their tap water and good habits in terms of drinking water, the association has made available on its website the results, commune by commune, of its readings .

Source: https://www.quechoisir.org/billet-du-president-pesticides-eau-secours-n103340/

Interview by Laurence Valdés

Published on March 15, 2018 at 5:11 p.m., updated on March 15, 2018 at 6:58 p.m.

STUDY – Polypropylene, nylon, polyethylene terephthalate (PET)… are present in the form of tiny particles in most bottled water, according to American analyzes covering nine countries. These particles would come from the container itself, its cork and the bottling process.

They measure about a tenth of a millimeter and contaminate different brands of bottled water. Tiny particles of polypropylene, nylon and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in particular were found in the vast majority 93% of more than 250 bottles analyzed by researchers at the University of Fredonia in the State of New York .

The study published Wednesday, March 14, 2018 on the Orb Media site concerns 250 bottles of brands such as Evian (Danone), San Pellegrino (Nestlé), Aquafina (PepsiCo) or Dasani (Coca-Cola) in particular. The samples come from nine countries (Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Thailand and the United States).

The researchers found an average of 10.4 particles per liter of water, around 0.10 millimeters in size. In question: ” I think that most of the plastic comes from the bottle itself, from its cap, from the industrial bottling process “, estimates the head of the study, questioned by our colleagues from AFP.

Source: https://www.tf1info.fr/sante/eau-en-bouteille-contaminee-par-des-particules-de-plastique-evian-san-pellegrino-pellegrino-aquafina-dans-ces-proportions-quasi- null-the-risk-seems-non-existent-dr-expert-toxicologist-2081772.html

France is a big consumer of bottled water, a result of lobbying by brands that convinced the French that bottled water was better than tap water .

Why drink bottled water? Erica Ashleson , Flickr , CC BY

This is a public health issue linked to the presence of microplastics in water. They are mainly due to the degradation of larger plastic objects such as bottles.

Every week, we ingest the equivalent of a plastic credit card, mainly through the water we drink – tap and bottled – but also to a lesser extent through the food we eat, especially shellfish, or even fish. air we breathe (this is an average estimated worldwide and not just in France).

Reducing or even eliminating the use of plastic, in particular by no longer consuming bottled water, would reduce the presence of microplastics in the oceans .

In addition, some highly mineralized bottled waters are to be consumed occasionally and their daily use is not recommended .

To neutralize the potentially unpleasant taste of tap water due to chlorine, which in no way affects its sanitary quality, a very simple solution is to let it breathe by leaving it in the fridge for the hours preceding its consumption. .

Finally, the consumption of bottled water for drinking (i.e. 1.5 liters per day and per person) is at least 100 times more expensive than that of tap water .

Source: https://theconversation.com/dou-vient-leau-du-robinet-comment-sa-qualite-est-elle-assuree-187493

The analysis of data on the quality of tap water in France reveals a phenomenon of magnitude, which confronts the health authorities with the lack of knowledge on the toxicity of certain molecules derived from pesticides .

“The long-term health effects of exposure to low doses of pesticides are difficult to assess” , note the Ministry of Health. And this uncertainty weighs even more heavily on one type of substance in particular: metabolites. These are molecules resulting from the degradation of pesticides once spread. Glyphosate turns into Ampa ; chloridazone is transformed into chloridazone desphenyl … From how many micrograms (μg) of metabolite per liter does tap water become toxic? For some molecules, we still don’t know, and the precautionary principle is not always applied.

On the occasion of the broadcast of a “Complément d’Enquête” survey, Thursday September 22 on France 2, franceinfo took an interest in tap water analysis data, between January 2021 and July 2022. The compilation of this data together with an article from the World reveal that the environmental quality thresholds set by law have been exceeded.

From Ajaccio to Roubaix, we are not looking for the same molecules in water

There are hundreds of pesticide molecules and therefore metabolites . Are they all tracked down in tap water? Far from it. Out of more than 1,000 existing pesticide molecules, the health authorities searched for an average of 170 per sample between January 2021 and July 2022. But the number and list of substances monitored differ from one region to another, and even from one levy to another. With, sometimes, huge differences. In Corsica, for example, an average of 30 molecules are tested per sample, compared to 386 in Ile-de-France.

The detail by department reveals even greater disparities: 24 molecules per sample for Haute-Corse against 477 in Hauts-de-Seine. How to explain these differences? The list of molecules to be tested is defined locally. It depends in particular on the population density on the territory of the water distribution network, the capacity of the laboratories to detect such and such a new molecule and the financial resources of the ARS to carry out these costly operations.

But this depends above all on the phytosanitary products most used in the territory. In a region where mainly beets are grown, such as in the north of France, research will, for example, target the molecules of chloridazone, a herbicide specific to this crop. Where corn is mainly grown, as in the West, we will mainly look for molecules derived from S-metolachlor.

Quality overruns measured in nearly 9,000 municipalities since January 2021

What do these analyzes show? In nearly 80% of cases, nothing to report: the samples did not reveal any exceedances of pesticide molecules or their metabolites. But in just over 20% of the samples, the health authorities noted that the quantity of one or more molecules of pesticides or their metabolites exceeded the regulatory threshold. A water quality limit, most often located at 0.1 micrograms per liter ( μg/L) . This represents 12,281 exceedances between January 2021 and July 2022, affecting 8,959 municipalities.

French territories are not all concerned in the same way by this phenomenon. The map below, which represents the number of overruns by municipality, reveals that the north and west of France are particularly affected. The gray areas are the municipalities where, when we looked for a molecule of pesticide, no excess was found. The white areas correspond to the places where no pesticide molecule has been sought (read our methodology at the end of the article) .

Exceedances for all pesticides combined

Number of exceedances of the quality limit, by municipality

0 10 or more

Metabolites of metolachlor and chloridazone are the most present

Number of samples where quality threshold exceedances were observed, by molecule, for the 10 most present, between January 2021 and July 2022.

But in the detail of the overruns, we do not find the same molecules. The most common is ESA-metolachlor, a metabolite of S-metolachlor, a herbicide used in the cultivation of corn, sunflower or sorghum. Between January 2021 and July 2022, the health authorities noted 6,550 exceedances of the quality threshold, evaluated at 0.1 μg/L. In second and third position are two metabolites of chloridazone, for which values above the quality limit were observed 4,125 times and 2,539 times respectively.

Due to the uses of phytosanitary products which differ from one region to another, the map of overruns of the most concerned products is revealing. Chloridazone and its metabolites exceed the limit, especially in the distribution networks of Hauts-de-France, Marne and sometimes in Normandy. While S-metolachlor and its metabolites are found in western France, the Rhone Valley and, to a lesser extent, the Southwest.

For some molecules, overruns but no maximum health value

According to According to ANSES data , there are 23 pesticides or metabolites for which the authorities have not defined a maximum health value. Due to a lack of scientific knowledge and knowledge of toxicological limits, “Anses may not be able to provide Vmax” , explains the organization.

As the journalists of “Complément d’Enquête” note, the authorities have oscillated in recent years on the way forward in the face of this lack. In an instruction of December 2020, the Directorate General for Health (DGS) deemed it preferable to apply a precautionary principle as soon as the quality threshold of 0.1 μg/L was exceeded. “It is recommended to restrict the uses of water as soon as the exceeding of the quality limit is confirmed”, she wrote.

This is for example the position adopted by the city of Chemilly-sur-Serein (Yonne), where “Complement of the investigation” has placed its cameras. The samples revealed excesses of desethyl-terbumeton, a metabolite which has no Vmax. And the distribution of water has been banned for eight years. “As we do not know [if it’s dangerous] , as a precaution, we have taken restrictions on use”, explains Pascale Charbois-Buffaut , head of the ARS in the Yonne department .

This is far from being the case for all the municipalities concerned. The recommendation of the DGS to apply the precautionary principle was issued before massive testing of desphenyl -chloridazone, and the discovery of numerous excesses. In Merlieux-et-Fouquerolles (Aisne), for example, “Complement of the investigation” notes that unprecedented measurements (for 2021) of desphenyl -chloridazone (up to 12.46 μg / L) have been observed. In fact, since January 2021, the measurements of this molecule in this village have never fallen below 7 μg/L.

If the precautionary principle were applied in all cities like Merlieux-et-Fouquerolles, this would amount to restricting the use of tap water for millions of inhabitants. Result: the health authorities have recently set up a new threshold, called “transient health value”. It is set at 3 μg/L, ie thirty times more than the quality threshold (0.1 μg/L ). This new limit still does not provide, for the moment, the automatic prohibition of the consumption of tap water, but reinforces monitoring. ARS Hauts-de-France announced on September 15 the placement of 105 municipalities under enhanced surveillance, “before possible restrictive measures” , notes the agency .

It is clear that, compared to its five homologs with a transitional value, desphenyl -chloridazone is an exception: in the samples taken from January 2021 to July 2022, it is the molecule for which we count the no more exceedances above this new threshold. This type of overrun has been observed 134 times. For its cousin, methyl- desphenyl -chloridazone, it happened only ten times. And for another metabolite, Flufenacet ESA, it happened only once.

Traces of pesticides twenty years after their ban

Analysis of data on the quality of tap water highlights another phenomenon: in 2022, we still measure sometimes high levels of pesticide molecules (or their metabolites), which have been banned for years. This is the case of chloridazone, the use of which has been prohibited since January 1, 2021 and whose metabolites are still found in water intended for consumption.

But this is also true for substances that have been banned for much longer. Atrazine is a herbicide widely applied for forty years, especially on corn crops, before its ban decided in 2001. But more than twenty years later, we still find some of its molecules, or its metabolites, in the water coming out of some taps. Over the single period from January 2021 to July 2022, values above the limit of 0.1 μ g/L were observed in more than 2,300 samples taken in 878 municipalities. Exceedances which however remain below the maximum health values of these molecules.

In the same way, we find traces of substances whose agricultural use has been banned for a long time: paraquat in 2016 in the Médoc, diuron regularly measured in Seine-et-Marne or Normandy… it that spreading was carried out after the prohibition? It’s hard to tell. The infiltration of chemical substances in basements is a complex science. What is certain is that the environment can preserve these molecules for many years.

Source: https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sante/environnement-et-sante/infographies-ce-que-l-on-sait-des-residus-de-pesticides-dans-l-eau-du-robinet- of-thousands-of-municipalities-and-uncertainties-about-their-toxicity_5360212.html#xtor=CS2-765-%5Bautre%5D-