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Future Generations and Pesticide Action Network Europe highlight the flaws in European rules on phytosanitary products to regulate PFAS pesticides.They ask that they integrate the European restriction proposal. Silicone Deform For Coating
Pesticides which contain per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS) (1) are escaping the cracks of the European racket: this is the alert launched, Thursday, November 9, by Générations futures through the publication of a report (2 ), produced with Pesticide Action Network Europe (Pan Europe).
Resistant to high heat, non-stick, waterproofing... The multiple properties of the large PFAS family mean that these substances are used in a large number of applications, including phytosanitary products.However, with reduced visibility, particularly for this last use.“The bibliography is poor and it is appropriate to question manufacturers to determine the pesticides concerned, the quantities sold in France, on which crops and in which regions”, underlined the report on PFAS from the General Inspectorate of the Environment ( Igedd), in December 2022. The proposed restriction on the production, use and marketing of PFAS on a European scale, however, opens a first avenue to follow: it draws up a non-exhaustive list of 47 “PFAS pesticides », without however taking them into account in particular because of their European framework elsewhere.
Générations futures and Pesticide Action Network Europe therefore took part in the analysis and cross-referencing of the substances listed in this list with the authorization files as well as data on the sale of phytosanitary products.Results: “37 active substances whose use in pesticides is still authorized in Europe are PFAS, or 12% of all synthetic substances approved in Europe, underlined Pauline Cervan, regulatory and scientific mission manager at Générations futures, during from a press briefing.In France, there are 30 active substances, or 13% of authorized substances.» And since 2008, the quantities of PFAS pesticides sold in France have increased threefold, according to the associations.
Very persistent herbicides or PBT at the top of sales
In the top 10 of the most used substances in France are two substances which could prove problematic, according to the two NGOs: flufenacet and diflufenican.These herbicides are used on crops including wheat, barley and rapeseed.“Flufenacet generates a very persistent metabolite, trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which has a potential to migrate and can contaminate groundwater: the modeled concentrations are higher than the authorized levels, of 10 mg/l, for all uses, explained Pauline Cervan.Since 2018, difufenican has been considered a persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) substance by the Czech Republic, the Member State responsible for its assessment.»
“There are flaws in the assessment carried out by health agencies, but also in risk management” Pauline Cervan, Générations futures And their continued existence on the market shows the limits of the rules which govern the use and marketing pesticide market and more specifically PFAS, according to the associations.“Not only are there flaws in the assessment carried out by health agencies, but also in risk management,” noted Pauline Cervan.Thus the latter points out that the persistence properties of a substance or its metabolites do not prevent their approval.Another example: the very late arrival of the criteria for defining an “endocrine disruptor” in the Pesticides regulation allowed certain substances to escape the framework.“All application files submitted as part of the approval of active substances before this date do not include tests to assess whether a substance is an endocrine disruptor,” detailed Pauline Cervan.Which concerns a lot of PFAS substance.»
Among the other flaws denounced by Future Generations and Pesticide Action Network Europe are also the way of evaluating the properties of endocrine disruption.This assessment focuses on certain endocrine pathways (3) .“Other pathways, for example metabolic with lipid regulation, are not explored.However, many PFAS disrupt them, lamented Pauline Cervan.Furthermore, the effects of metabolites are very poorly evaluated: chronic toxicity is not taken into account even though they are persistent.»
In addition to the insufficient consideration of metabolites, the absence of evaluation of cocktail effects or pesticide formulations, the associations also highlight extensions of approvals, in particular due to delays in evaluations, often linked to data gaps.“In theory, the regulation on pesticides requires that the file be complete to authorize a substance,” recalled Pauline Cervan.However, a majority of the files that we examined are incomplete and authorized.» And in certain cases, the advice of EFSA is not followed.“PFAS pesticides in critical areas of concern have been identified, yet the substances are authorized,” noted Pauline Cervan.The association plans to take legal action.
Towards taking pesticides into account in the restriction proposal?
“The regulation on pesticides is quite ambitious and should be satisfactory,” said Salomé Roynel, advocacy and campaign manager for Pan Europe.One of the challenges is that it is better applied.» Another request from Future Generations and Pan Europe: that the proposal to restrict PFAS - which today excludes pesticides - includes them.And thus takes into account the persistence of these substances.“Taking an interest in PFAS as a group allows for a significant protective effect,” added Salomé Roynel.This approach was first proposed for microplastics.»
Finally, they ask for support for a development in agriculture that really makes it possible to reduce the use of pesticides.“The new ecophyto plan is underway,” said François Veillerette, spokesperson for the Générations Futures association.The regulation on the sustainable use of pesticides (SUR) also… We are not convinced that it leads to something effective.»
Dorothée Laperche, journalist Head of water/environmental health section © All rights reserved Actu-Environnement Reproduction prohibited without agreement of the Publisher or establishment of a preformatted link 42904 / use of the news feed.
Wetting And Dispersing Additives There is something I don't understand.A pesticide is regulated as such, whether it contains fluoride or not.We study its toxicity according to its structure, this is not new.There, we are in the process of mixing the two areas, pesticides and Pfas, knowing that the regulation on the 2nd compounds is only in its infancy (the ECHA is researching a lot at the moment on this subject).Unless in the case where a substance is a pesticide including/AND Pfas, we ultimately want the most restrictive regulations to apply to it.