Report from the Sub-comittee on the environment and health

Some of <strong>the</strong> calls concerned parathion, which has not been used
professionally for many years. In two thirds of <strong>the</strong> cases, <strong>the</strong> accident
occurred in <strong>the</strong> home or garden, 12% occurred within farming and 5% in
forestry undertakings or market gardens. However, it must be stressed
that <strong>the</strong> figures cannot be regarded as representative, since <strong>the</strong> calls
constitute only a small proportion of <strong>the</strong> events actually occurring.
6.3.1 Conclusions
• A relatively large number of cases of pesticide poisoning are recorded
each year. Deaths have occurred through suicide and accidents among
children. About half <strong>the</strong> recorded admissions in connection with
pesticide poisoning relate to children.
• Cases of poisoning with pesticides that have been out of use for many
years still occur.
6.4 The sub-committee’s conclusions and recommendations
The sub-committee deems <strong>the</strong> risk of acute effects <strong>from</strong> pesticides to be
considerably lower today than it was just 10 years ago because <strong>the</strong> most
harmful products are no longer permitted. The possibility cannot be
excluded of some risk to persons who do not observe <strong>the</strong> given rules for
personal protection and correct use of <strong>the</strong> pesticides, inappropriate work
routines and poor work hygiene. However, <strong>the</strong> sub-committee notes that
<strong>the</strong>re can be considerable exposure of <strong>the</strong> sprayer operator and of
workers in greenhouses and in <strong>the</strong> production of fruit and vegetables,
where frequent use is made of pesticides.
The sub-committee concludes that <strong>the</strong> risk of occupational accidents in
connection with mechanical weed control could rise with <strong>the</strong>
introduction of more machines, which require repair and maintenance.
Fur<strong>the</strong>rmore, increased manual weeding could result in more cases of
injury due to repetitive, monotonous work (RMW). There is a generally
increased risk of physical problems – particularly osteoarthritis – among
workers in farming due to stable work, milking, tractor operation and
heavy physical work, which are not related to <strong>the</strong> use of pesticides.
• The review of <strong>the</strong> pesticide intake <strong>from</strong> food products and drinking
water shows that <strong>the</strong> main sources of <strong>the</strong> population’s exposure is <strong>the</strong>
intake <strong>from</strong> berries, fruit and vegetables and, to some extent, cereals
and cereal products, while <strong>the</strong> intake <strong>from</strong> drinking water, animal
food products and fish is of no significance to <strong>the</strong> total exposure.
• Treated crops must always be assumed to have a certain residual
content, so failure to detect a content can only be taken to mean that
<strong>the</strong> content is in such case below <strong>the</strong> analytical detection level.
• Limiting permission to spray after flowering or seeding would reduce
<strong>the</strong> residual contents.
• The total average load <strong>from</strong> food products is estimated to be approx.
200 microgrammes pesticide per day, more than half of which comes
<strong>from</strong> just a few types of food products, namely citrus fruit, potatoes
and apples. Around 60% come <strong>from</strong> imported products and 40% <strong>from</strong>
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