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Pesticide residues in running water: BASF "reassuring" on the "health risk"

2022-09-21T13:45:02.226Z


The German chemical leader BASF declared on Wednesday that the pesticide present in the tap water of some French people in the North of France is harmless.


The German chemicals giant BASF assured on Wednesday that the pesticide found in tap water in several towns in Hauts-de-France, some of which were placed under surveillance by the authorities, did not present a health hazard.

"

BASF hears consumer questions but wants to be reassuring about the health risk

", given a "

reassuring assessment

" carried out by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in 2007, Jean told AFP. -Marc Petat, the group's sustainable agriculture and communication director in France.

In parallel with this assessment

”, “

we follow the life cycle of our active substances very closely, in conjunction with the authorities, with a team of dedicated experts, particularly in the field

”, he added.

Chloridazone is a herbicide used for beet weed control until 2020, which BASF discovered in 1960. The molecule fell into the public domain "

in the 2000s

" and has since "

been produced by many generic companies in addition to BASF

“said Mr. Petat.

The Hauts-de-France Regional Health Agency announced on September 15 that it had placed 45 municipalities in the region – 13,500 inhabitants – under enhanced surveillance, including levels of chloridazone metabolites (a residual by-product of chloridazone) in drinking water are particularly high.

Tap water will be analyzed “

every 15 days until the end of September

”.

Depending on the results, the ARS could recommend to the prefectures "

restrictions on the consumption of tap water

", she said.

Read alsoReduction of pesticides: EU ministers castigate the Brussels plan

Sixty other municipalities, at slightly lower rates, will be placed under enhanced surveillance in the fall.

For the ARS, these controls respond to a “

precautionary principle

”.

In France, we are extremely cautious.

This is the first time that we have taken so many measures for a metabolite that we do not know

“, had insisted Thomas Campeaux, the prefect of Aisne, department mainly affected.

The National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) has been instructed to set a maximum concentration value for chloridazone metabolites, to replace the 3?g/L set on a transitional basis by the government.

The product has not been registered since December 31, 2019 but stocks could still be sold until May 2020, explained Mr. Petat.

BASF stopped production of chloridazone in 2017. The group then "did

not wish to file a new registration file at European level

", its profitability being deemed insufficient, he added.

SEE ALSO

- In France, reuse more wastewater to save drinking water

Source: lefigaro

All business articles on 2022-09-21

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