A groundbreaking study from the SPRINT project has revealed a concerning fact: residues of plant protection products (pesticides) are widespread in both agricultural and residential environments of farms, raising concerns about environmental and human health. These new findings are significant for the decision-making bodies of the European Union. They highlight the urgent need for regulatory measures to address the issue of co-occurrence of pesticide residues in mixtures, both in environmental components, including indoor environments, and in human bodies. Recent publications of results reveal the potential negative impacts of such mixtures on human health and ecosystem functioning.
For decades, pesticides have been used worldwide to increase agricultural productivity, but the cumulative effects caused by their residues occurring in mixtures in the environment have been largely overlooked. The scientific community is increasingly uncovering an alarming trend: pesticide residues, often assessed for risk based on individual substances, actually mix extensively in ecosystems. This issue is not limited to agricultural fields and water bodies but also extends to the homes of farmers and their neighbors.
As part of the SPRINT project, environmental, agricultural crop, livestock, and human samples (from those farming or living near fields, or completely outside agricultural landscapes) were collected in 2021 in 10 European countries. The study plan was published in the prestigious journal Plos One.
Recently, the first peer-reviewed article was published, presenting the summary results of analyses of more than 200 pesticide residues in over 600 environmental samples from both organic and conventional farms. The collected samples included soil, water, sediments, crops, outdoor air, and indoor dust. Notably, the study revealed that 86% of the tested samples contained pesticide residues and 76% contained pesticide mixtures (i.e., two or more substances together). The total number of different pesticides found in various matrices ranged from 76 in outdoor air, 78 in crops, 99 in sediments, 100 in soil, to 197 in indoor dust. Most of these pesticides are on the list of substances permitted in the EU, but a significant portion of the pesticide mixtures also includes recently and long-banned residues. Glyphosate residues were most frequently detected, with high concentrations in all studied environmental samples.
Particularly striking are the findings related to indoor dust, as this could have potential health implications for people living on farms and in rural areas. Dust in one house contained residues of up to 121 different pesticides.
Although the study did not assess the specific level of exposure of residents or the subsequent health risks, it is concerning that more than two-thirds of the residues found in dust are classified as highly hazardous to mammals according to the Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB*) and are associated with adverse effects on human health. Based on the study results, a new pesticide hazard indicator has been proposed, based on priorities for assessing ecosystems and human health, which can be used in achieving the goal of pesticide reduction within the “farm to fork” strategy.
Professor Violette Geissen from Wageningen University, the coordinator of the SPRINT project, emphasized the far-reaching significance of these findings: “Our research shows that the problem of pesticide mixtures extends beyond the boundaries of agricultural fields and into the homes of farm workers and their neighbors. The results indicate that mixtures of pesticide residues are not only quite common in both agricultural and residential environments but can also be very complex and vary in composition depending on the environment. To better understand the risks to the ecosystem and human health, we need a deeper understanding of the impact of chemical mixtures in the field and related exposure and effect data. We urgently need integrated risk assessment practices that reflect the complexity of real-world situations and the existence of such widespread pesticide mixtures.”
The next phase of the SPRINT project will focus on assessing the risks to ecosystems and human health that the identified pesticide mixtures might pose. The project is collecting extensive data and aims to develop new indicators that will provide EU decision-making bodies with information and tools to address the growing problems posed by pesticide mixtures.
*The Pesticide Properties Database (PPDB) is a comprehensive relational database of more than 1800 pesticides and their metabolites. It was created primarily to support risk assessments. The stored data include registration information, physicochemical properties, toxicological endpoints, human health data, and commercial information.
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