Farm pesticides: map claims to show the french areas most and least exposed

THE NORTH AND WEST OF FRANCE ARE PARTICULARLY AFFECTED WHILE CORSICA PERFORMS WELL A new searchable map of pesticide use around France has been published by an environmental group, with

departments in the north and west of the country revealed to be particularly affected. The map draws on the sales data from 2015 to 2022 for a range of pesticides (products are named) deemed

potentially harmful - or possibly cancerogenic - for human health at certain levels. The data used in the map does not suggest that there is an imminent health risk in these areas. “As long

as the volume of spray used is not made public, the data on pesticide purchases is the best available indication of where these substances are actually used,” says Générations Futures,

which published the map in December. The searchable tool, available here, indicates pesticide purchases by department over the period for pollutants considered to be: The pesticide purchases

are given by chemical compound in tonnes or relative to the total area taken up by arable land and permanent crops (Utilised Agricultural Area). Read more: Pesticide poison victims in

France asked to join legal action Unsurprisingly, the tool identifies that pesticide purchases correspond with high levels of agricultural activity, meaning that areas with cereal crops or

grape vines, also have high pesticide use Caption: While Gironde appears to stand out, the worst offenders for dangerous pollutants overall are Eure-et-Loir, Marne and Somme. Read more: MAP:

Air pollution in France, the worst - and best - areas EXPOSURE TO PESTICIDES BY DEPARTMENT (HIGHEST AND LOWEST): CARCINOGENIC, MUTAGENIC AND REPROTOXIC POLLUTANTS (CMR) Highest: Aisne,

Somme and Pas de Calais Lowest (excluding Paris) : Corse-du-Sud, Alpes-Maritimes and Lozère CMR 2 POLLUTANTS Highest: Eure-et-Loir, Marne and Charente-Maritime Lowest  (excluding Paris) :

Alpes-Maritimes, Corse-du-Sud and Lozère CMR 1 AND 2 POLLUTANTS Highest: Eure-et-Loir, Marne and Charente-Maritime Lowest (excluding Paris): Cantal, Lozère and Alpes-Maritimes ENDOCRINE

DISRUPTORS Highest: Eure-et-Loir, Marne and Somme Lowest (excluding Paris): Lozère, Alpes-Maritimes and Hautes-Alpes POLLUTANTS HIGHLY TOXIC TO AQUATIC ENVIRONMENTS Highest: Marne, Somme and

Eure-et-Loir Lowest  (excluding Paris): Lozère, Alpes-Maritimes and Corse-du-Sud Read more: French rural residents ‘must be protected from pesticides’ Générations Futures plans to update

the map in January with data down to a commune-by-commune level.  It also wants to include more pollutants, including neurotoxins, chemicals toxic to pollinators, persistent substances and

PBT (persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic) substances.