Plant protection products, biocides and fertilisers

The Drosophila melanogaster or fruit fly may be used to assess whether pesticides induce an increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease. This was the conclusion reached by scientists in the ANSES Lyon Laboratory’s Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, who have been collaborating with researchers from the École Normale Supérieure in Lyon. Working on paraquat, they also showed that the effects of this compound on proteins were not strictly identical to those of ageing. We interviewed Jean-Noël Arsac, one of the authors of the study.

Mosquito traps are increasingly used in public spaces as a means to prevent mosquito bites and to control mosquito-borne diseases. However, the studies currently available are not sufficient to demonstrate the short-term effectiveness of these traps in preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. ANSES is therefore encouraging their use primarily as a preventive measure (in the medium and long term) to reduce high mosquito density as part of an integrated control strategy. ANSES also points out that the marketing and use of these traps must comply with regulations. In recent decades, a number of mosquito-borne diseases – such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika – have spread outside tropical regions. The use of mosquito traps as a complement or alternative to other techniques for controlling the spread of viruses, is a relatively recent idea. In France, the operators responsible for limiting the spread of mosquitoes are appointed by the Regional Health Agencies (ARSs). Some 15 operators currently exist, but they do not all use mosquito traps in the same way. ANSES conducted a literature review to assess the effectiveness of the mosquito traps used by operators as part of vector control. Several ways to attract female mosquitoes Two main types of trap are used to catch female mosquitoes, which are the only ones able to bite and to transmit pathogens. The first type of trap simulates an egg-laying site. A water-filled container uses a variety of means, including insecticide and glue strips, to trap the females when they come to lay their eggs. The second type of trap attracts mosquitoes by simulating the breathing of a living being through the diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or the use of visual or olfactory attractants (for example, lactic acid to simulate human body odour). A control method to be used alongside other techniques “ We have a body of evidence showing that both types of trap can have a preventive effect in reducing the mosquito population in the medium and long term (over several weeks, months, or even years), providing that they are well maintained and used in sufficient numbers ,” says Johanna Fite, head of the "Vectors" unit at ANSES. “ However, they are not a magic solution. Traps are most effective when used in conjunction with other control methods , particularly the elimination of breeding sites. " No studies concerning the impact of traps on the spread of disease Some operators place traps when cases of vector-borne disease are identified. Traps are set up for a period of three to six weeks around the homes of infected people. The expert appraisal conducted by ANSES identified no data shedding light on the effectiveness of traps in quickly containing the spreading of disease when the viruses are already in circulation. The Agency therefore recommends that research be carried out in order to collect data on this question and to determine the best conditions for the deployment of these traps, based on different epidemiological scenarios, including an isolated case, an outbreak and an epidemic. Pending these additional data, mosquito traps should be used only as a preventive measure, or in cases where it is not possible to use an insecticide, for example when the area to be treated is inaccessible or close to a waterway. A reminder needed of the regulations CO2, lactic acid and other substances used to attract female mosquitoes are biocidal substances. Traps using these substances must therefore comply with the regulations on biocides . They also require marketing authorisation (MA). To date, no applications for marketing authorisation have been filed in France for mosquito traps using CO2. Under the terms of a transitional regime, the marketing of traps using CO2 produced through combustion is authorised until July 2022. After this date, it will no longer be possible to sell traps without a marketing authorisation in France. Applications for marketing authorisation must include documentary proof of the effectiveness and safety of these traps. Finally, devices will not be able to make claims such as "zero nuisance" or "mosquito-free home" without proof.

ANSES's expert appraisal has confirmed the effectiveness of the hand sanitiser gels and solutions manufactured and placed on the market under a special exemption from March 2020 to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. However, for long-lasting effectiveness, it is preferable to use gels and solutions with at least 65% alcohol or whose effectiveness against viruses has been validated experimentally in accordance with the EN 14476 standard.

Used in gardens and homes or as antiparasitic products for humans and pets, pesticides expose the public to health risks that need to be controlled. In order to better understand the practices and uses of pesticides in the French overseas territories, ANSES conducted the Pesti'home study. Following its first report in October 2019 focusing on metropolitan France, today it is publishing the findings of the survey carried out among 608 households in the French Caribbean and on Reunion Island.

As glyphosate's approval in the European Union expires at the end of 2022, any future use requires this herbicidal active substance to undergo a new assessment of the risks to humans and the environment. A group of four rapporteur Member States (France, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden) was appointed to carry out the first step of this re-assessment, in accordance with European legislation*. In the interests of transparency, this group, known as the Assessment Group on Glyphosate (AGG), has been publishing information on the most significant advances in this process since the work began in 2019 . On 15 June, to coincide with submission of the draft renewal assessment report to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the AGG published an online summary of the process and the main results of its assessment, which is the first step. At the same time, the European agencies announced that they will publish the draft report and launch a public consultation on it in September. It will also be peer reviewed by experts from other Member States. In accordance with EU legislation, following this consultation and any further data provided later, the preliminary report may be revised and a final report published. The European Commission will then draw on the findings of the assessments conducted by EFSA and ECHA to propose the possible renewal of glyphosate's approval to Member States in 2022. Read the summary of the draft report on the web page of the Assessment Group on Glyphosate. Find out more about ANSES and the assessments conducted on glyphosate and the plant protection products containing this active substance. For any questions on the draft report and the assessment process, contact: AGG@ec.europa.eu * Regulation (EU) No 686/2012 as amended designating the rapporteur Member States

In an update of its 2018 Opinion on alternatives to neonicotinoids, ANSES identified 22 solutions for controlling aphids and yellowing disease in sugar beet crops. These control measures may take over from neonicotinoid products, which have been banned since 2018 but whose use was reintroduced for beet seed treatments under a waiver in 2020. These alternative solutions, whose effectiveness is good but insufficient when they are used alone, will require an integrated control approach or even a change in cultivation practices to be sufficiently effective.

Scientists from ANSES and INRAE have analysed the systems in place to monitor resistance to plant protection products around the world. Their findings showed that studies on this subject are often engaged by both private and public players, at the same time and in the same country. Given the complementary nature of these approaches, greater cooperation would increase the efficiency of monitoring systems.