Report from the Sub-comittee on the environment and health

Conclusions concerning
<strong>the</strong> population’s intake of
pesticides
Conclusions concerning
epidemiological studies
The sub-committee wishes to draw attention to <strong>the</strong> fact that knowledge is
lacking concerning <strong>the</strong> ability of pesticides and <strong>the</strong>ir coformulants to
produce allergies and <strong>the</strong>ir effect on <strong>the</strong> immune system. The subcommittee
<strong>the</strong>refore recommends that more knowledge be built up in this
area.
In view of <strong>the</strong> intensive use of pesticides in nurseries and in <strong>the</strong>
production of fruit, vegetables and berries, <strong>the</strong> sub-committee
recommends intensified action to reduce <strong>the</strong> exposure to pesticides in
<strong>the</strong>se areas.
11.5 The sub-committee’s conclusions and recommendations
concerning public health
The sub-committee’s examination of <strong>the</strong> pesticide intake <strong>from</strong> food
products and drinking water shows that <strong>the</strong> main source of <strong>the</strong> load on
<strong>the</strong> population is <strong>the</strong> intake <strong>from</strong> berries, fruit and vegetables and, to
some extent, cereals and cereal products, whereas <strong>the</strong> intake <strong>from</strong>
drinking water, animal food products and fish is negligible.
In treated crops it is generally assumed that <strong>the</strong>re is some residual
content, so that lack of detection is usually taken to mean that <strong>the</strong>
content, if any, is below <strong>the</strong> analytical detection limit.
The total average load <strong>from</strong> food products is estimated to be approx. 200
microgrammes of pesticide per day, more than half of which comes <strong>from</strong>
some few types of food products – namely, citrus fruit, potatoes and
apples. Around 60% comes <strong>from</strong> imported products and 40% <strong>from</strong>
Danish products. There are big variations in <strong>the</strong> calculated numerical
values, and, in practice, <strong>the</strong> total intake is estimated to lie between very
low and about 600 microgrammes per day. However, since most of <strong>the</strong>
residual content in citrus fruit is in <strong>the</strong> peel, which is not eaten, <strong>the</strong> actual
daily intake of pesticides is less than 200 microgrammes per day. In this
estimate, <strong>the</strong> intake via Danish products accounts for more than 50% of
<strong>the</strong> total intake.
The average load at single-substance level <strong>from</strong> food products is
typically around 1% or less of <strong>the</strong> current Acceptable Daily Intake (<strong>the</strong>
ADI value).
The sub-committee concludes that epidemiological studies do not
provide evidence that pesticides are harmful in <strong>the</strong> quantities to which
<strong>the</strong> general public is exposed through, for example, diet. Similarly, one
can never completely prove scientifically that a pesticide cannot result in
a risk to health, but one can show, with greater or lesser certainty, <strong>the</strong>
probability of a risk to health or of no risk to health. This applies to all
scientific work, including tests on animals. In addition, every statement
about safety in connection with <strong>the</strong> use of chemical substances is based
on present knowledge, so <strong>the</strong>re will always be a possibility of
unforeseeable effects being found at a later date.
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