PestiRiv: a study on the exposure to pesticides of people living in wine-growing areas

In France, grapevines are one of the crops most frequently treated with plant protection products and are often located in close proximity to homes.

However, few data are available on the actual exposure of people living near crops, and vines in particular. For the first time, the PestiRiv study has measured exposure to pesticides in wine-growing and non-wine-growing areas.

What were the objectives of PestiRiv?

The primary objective was to find out whether exposure to pesticides differed between people living near vines and those living far away from any crops.

The study also had other complementary objectives:

• more precisely determine the sources of exposure to pesticides;
• study the effect on exposure of the distance between homes and vines;
• study the links between the various routes of exposure and their relationship with biological concentration levels;
• describe how exposure varies over the course of the year.

What did PestiRiv involve?

The study was carried out with around 2700 randomly selected participants: adults between the ages of 18 and 79 years and children over the age of three, living in:

• wine-growing areas: within 500 metres of grapevines and more than 1000 metres from any other crops;
• areas far away from any crops: more than 1000 metres from any crops.

The participants were spread out across more than 265 study areas, representing contrasting local situations, in six regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Grand Est, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Occitanie and Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur.

The survey of participants took place between October 2021 and August 2022.

What information was collected?

Exposure to pesticides was measured in both humans and the environment, with:

• the collection of urine and hair samples to measure levels of pesticides in the participants’ bodies;
• the collection of dust and indoor air from the participants’ homes and fruit and vegetables from some of their gardens;
• pesticide measurements in outdoor air taken in certain wine-growing areas and other areas far away from any crops.

These measurements were accompanied by:

• questionnaires sent to the participants to identify sources potentially contributing to their pesticide exposure;
• a description of the weather conditions and topographical features potentially influencing the dispersal of plant protection products in the environment;
• an analysis of the agricultural context in the study areas, for example the likelihood of vines being treated;
• an analysis of national water monitoring data to understand how water may locally contribute to consumer exposure.

These measurements concerned around 50 substances commonly used in viticulture, sold in large quantities, and with the highest toxicity and environmental persistence.

The measurements in the environment were taken in collaboration with the Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB), the National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks (INERIS), Atmo France and the approved air quality monitoring associations (AASQAs).

What are the main findings? 

The results of the study showed that people living in wine-growing areas were more exposed to the plant protection products applied to these crops than people who live far away from any crops. Exposure was also higher during the treatment period. 

This higher exposure is due to the transfer to the environment of the substances applied to the vines, which was observed for most of the substances measured. It was true for both those highly specific to grapevines (e.g. folpel or metiram) and those that are less so (e.g. glyphosate, fosetyl-aluminium, spiroxamine). 

PestiRiv showed that the quantities of products used and the proximity of homes to vines were the two main factors determining exposure. This finding confirms the need to act on the source of emissions in order to limit the exposure of people living closest to crops. 

How will the results be used?

PestiRiv has made it possible to identify the sources contributing most to pesticide exposure and determine how living distance from vines, the season and the habits and behaviours of individuals may impact this exposure. Better understanding the origin of this exposure will help identify ways of limiting it, thereby avoiding the potential health effects of these products. This study is part of a series of scientific work supported by ANSES and Santé publique France with the aim of improving knowledge on pesticides and their actual health effects.

Funding of the study

The PestiRiv study is part of the Ecophyto 2+ plan. It primarily received Ecophyto funds and financing from Santé publique France and ANSES. The Agency’s contribution was funded through the phytopharmacovigilance scheme it runs.