Haalbaarheid van onderzoek naar blootstelling aan bestrijdingsmiddelen en de gezondheid van omwonenden

Abstract

People who live in the vicinity of agricultural land are at risk of exposure to chemical pesticides. It is as yet unclear whether such exposure leads to adverse health effects. Together with other institutes, RIVM carried out exploratory studies into the potential health effects in 2018 and 2020. These revealed some indications of a link between a number of health effects and ‘residence in the vicinity of certain crops’. However, the information available at the time was insufficient to explain these results. As a result, the Health Council of the Netherlands issued a recommendation in 2020 to conduct further health research into the association between pesticides and the health of local residents. In particular, there is a need for greater insight into long-term effects. The Health Council of the Netherlands made its recommendation conditional on a more accurate definition of exposure to pesticides. In addition, RIVM made a recommendation to include more information on the lifestyles of local residents in the research. Subsequently, RIVM compiled an overview of the feasibility and usefulness of five research options. For each disorder or condition, it indicated which research option, or combination of options, was most suitable for demonstrating an association with exposure. It also included forecasts as to the length and cost of the research. The Ministries of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV) will use this overview to determine the type of research that will be conducted. The presented research options emphasise neurological disorders, such as learning disadvantages in children and Parkinson’s disease. In addition, they cover pulmonary disorders (e.g. COPD) and certain types of cancer, such as childhood leukaemia. They also provide for research into acute effects, such as irritation (e.g. of the eyes). The research options are the following: 1. Cognitive skills tests among children in Year 8, combined with exposure measurements; 2. New research into the long-term effects of exposure on Parkinson’s disease; 3. Research on the basis of data from the Netherlands Cancer Registry; 4. Analysis of data from the Municipal Public Health Service health monitor and the Statistics Netherlands (CBS) health survey; 5. Analysis of data on acute effects from General Practitioners.