News

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19/10/2016 —
News

Manuelle Vertot is appointed as ANSES's ethics officer

Manuelle Vertot, Head of ANSES's Legal Affairs Unit, has been appointed as the Agency's ethics officer, in application of the Decree of 10 June 2016 on the presence of an ethics officer within health authorities and organisations. She takes on this new mission for a three-year term.
Phtalates
17/10/2016 —
News

Substitutes for phthalates in toys: no health risk detected for children under three years of age

Today ANSES publishes the results of its expert assessment on the health risks of oral exposure to several chemicals found in plastic toys and materials likely to be mouthed by infants and children under three years of age. For four of the substances studied which are substitutes for phthalates (DINCH, DEHTP, ATBC and TXIB), the Agency did not find any risk to children's health. However, the Agency recommends that risk assessments be conducted systematically for all new substances used for the manufacturing of plastics used in toys and materials for children. ANSES will soon begin an assessment of the combined health risks of exposure by children to certain phthalates classified as toxic for reproduction and will take into account several exposure routes (consumer goods, air, dust, food, etc.).
13/10/2016 —
News

Inauguration of iCube, ANSES's new infectious disease research platform for animal health

iCube, ANSES's new infectious disease research facility, is being inaugurated today. Those attending the event include Stéphane Le Foll, Minister of Agriculture, Valérie Pécresse, President of the Ile-de-France regional council, Michel Herbillon, Mayor of Maisons-Alfort and Member of Parliament, Christian Cambon, Senator from Val-de-Marne and Monique Eloit, Director General of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). This new level-3 containment facility is devoted to the study and handling of highly-pathogenic animal viruses, and in particular foot-and-mouth disease. Its creation will strengthen ANSES-Maisons-Alfort's infectious disease research capacities and will promote scientific collaboration with the other Ile-de-France laboratories specialised in the field.
enfants
30/09/2016 —
News

ANSES scrutinises the diet of children under three years of age

Today the Agency is publishing an initial snapshot of dietary exposure of children under three years of age to a vast number of substances. The infant total diet study (iTDS) in fact covers more than 95% of the diet of babies and toddlers, with around 670 substances being analysed. This study confirmed the high level of health management regarding toxicity reference values, since a risk can be ruled out for most of the substances assessed. Some points, however, deserve particular attention: among the substances or classes of substances for which a risk could not be ruled out, 16 require a reduction in exposure, including nine considered a priority (heavy metals such as arsenic, or persistent organic pollutants such as PCBs, for example). ANSES is therefore recommending measures to reduce exposure of the infant population to these substances and acquire additional knowledge for refining risk assessments.
Moisissures
01/08/2016 —
News

Reinforced measures for preventing mould growth in buildings and the impact of mould on human health

Today, ANSES publishes the results of its expert assessment of mould in buildings, a major issue for public health due to mould’s established effects on respiratory health, the large proportion of housing affected and the identification of population groups highly susceptible to developing pathologies when exposed. In its conclusions, the Agency recommends preventing mould in buildings first by reinforcing coordination between the sectors involved (construction, energy, etc.) and between the authorities and public entities, and second, through improved communication with housing occupants. The Agency also recommends preventing health problems, especially for the most vulnerable population groups, through changes in the regulations that would more effectively account for the risks of mould exposure in housing.
29/07/2016 —
News

ANSES issues its conclusions regarding criteria for the identification of endocrine disruptors

In May 2016, ANSES received a formal request to propose criteria for defining endocrine disruptors (EDs). On 15 June 2016, while this request was being examined, the European Commission (EC) published a proposal for criteria for identifying EDs, which had been expected since late 2013. Today ANSES issues the results of its expert assessment, whose scope had to be modified to take into account the draft proposed by the Commission. In its conclusions, the Agency recommends retaining the definition and criteria for identifying EDs from Option 3 of the European Commission's 2014 roadmap, which enables EDs to be distinguished into three categories: "known", "presumed" and "suspected". In addition, the Agency recommends that classification of EDs be conducted by a single European body, to avoid any risk of divergence of classification for a given substance.
Pesticides
28/07/2016 —
News

Publication of the report on occupational exposure to pesticides: a need for better understanding and a reduction in exposure

In France, more than a million professionals in the agricultural sector are potentially exposed to pesticides. In 2011, ANSES issued an internal request to conduct a collective expert appraisal aiming to identify, assess and characterise the exposure of agricultural workers to pesticides. In the opinion it has published, ANSES recommends decreasing exposure by reducing the use of pesticides, and issues various preventive measures. In addition, the Agency recommends improving understanding of exposure in actual conditions of use, in a context where the data available today are often in short supply.
Hypersensibilité Ondes Electromagnétiques
27/07/2016 —
News

ANSES organises a public consultation for its report on electromagnetic hypersensitivity

Today ANSES launches a public consultation of its draft report on electromagnetic hypersensitivity or idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields. Members of the scientific community, physicians and interested stakeholders are invited to provide their comments on the pre-final report through an on-line public consultation which will be open through 30 September 2016. The Agency's objective is to gather additional scientific comments and data that can be taken into account in the final version of the expert assessment report.
Fièvre Charbonneuse
26/07/2016 —
News

ANSES calls for ceasing the use of VELACTIS® and recalling all batches, including from farms

Following several reports of serious adverse effects related to the veterinary drug VELACTIS ® , ANSES has suspended the use of this medicine. The Agency has asked veterinarians to no longer prescribe VELACTIS ® . A recall of all batches has been initiated and farmers are invited to return all unused products to their veterinarians.

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