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Hyperbaric occupational activities: new practices to improve safety require special regulations
Respiration
15/10/2014
News

Hyperbaric occupational activities: new practices to improve safety require special regulations

Workers who perform their activities under hyperbaric conditions (pressure higher than the ambient atmospheric pressure, i.e. > 100 hPa), may do so immersed in water (divers, scientists, military personnel, rescue teams, etc.) or without immersion (medical staff, tunnel diggers, etc.). They are exposed to the risks inherent to their occupation, in addition to specific risks linked to hyperbaric environments. In France, while there are regulations defining work methods and the gaseous breathing mixtures authorised according to the work sector, they do not have any special provisions concerning gas-recycling breathing apparatuses (rebreathers) or professional free-diving activities. To ensure the drafting of a regulatory framework suitable to all these practices, the General Directorate for Labour formally requested ANSES to conduct an expert assessment on the health effects of occupational exposure to breathing gas mixtures other than air in hyperbaric contexts. A specific focus has been provided with regard to the use of rebreathers and the risks of free-diving. In the opinion and report relative to this request, ANSES concludes that gaseous mixtures, rebreathers and free-diving offer a new outlook and opportunities in terms of safety and health in the hyperbaric occupational sector. Nonetheless, it wishes to stress the fact that the implementation of these practices requires adherence to special recommendations for each type of activity.
ANSES food consumption data made available as open data
alimentation
24/09/2014
News

ANSES food consumption data made available as open data

In 2009, ANSES published a full report on the food consumption data obtained from INCA 2, the second phase of the national food consumption survey it conducts every seven years. Today, it makes available all of the data it has obtained from this study as open data. Directly exploitable by all, and by researchers in nutritional epidemiology in particular, these data are valuable for expanding knowledge about the eating habits of the French population and the connection between diet and health.
France's proposal on the restriction of bisphenol A use in thermal paper, prepared by ANSES, is submitted for public consultation by ECHA
Bisphénol
01/09/2014
News

France's proposal on the restriction of bisphenol A use in thermal paper, prepared by ANSES, is submitted for public consultation by ECHA

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a monomer used as a dye developer in the manufacturing of thermal paper which is used for cash register tickets, payment receipts, self-adhesive labels, lottery tickets and fax paper. In April 2013, the Agency presented the results of its risk assessment of bisphenol A for human health related to dietary and environmental exposure and exposure to consumer goods and items. The report identified the potential risks linked to handling thermal paper containing BPA for the unborn children of exposed pregnant women (female cashiers, consumers). Following these results, in May 2013, ANSES was asked to prepare a restriction dossier within the framework of the REACh regulation. The opinion it issued today summarises the restriction proposal provided to the Europeans Chemicals Agency (ECHA). On June 18th of this year, ECHA submitted ANSES's proposal for public consultation on its website for a period of six months.
France's proposal on the restriction of inorganic ammonium salts in cellulose wadding, prepared by ANSES, is submitted for public consultation by ECHA
03/07/2014
News

France's proposal on the restriction of inorganic ammonium salts in cellulose wadding, prepared by ANSES, is submitted for public consultation by ECHA

Cellulose wadding is sometimes used to insulate dwellings. It may contain ammonium salts, added for their flame-retardant properties, i.e. to improve resistance to fire. However, especially under conditions of high relative humidity, these salts can lead to emissions of ammonia in the dwellings, a gas that is irritating to mucous membranes and the respiratory tract. Following reports of symptoms characteristic of the effects of this substance in some forty people, cellulose wadding containing ammonium salts was prohibited in France [1] in June 2013. France also declared that urgent action was required at European level to protect the general public from ammonia gas generated by ammonium salts used in cellulose wadding. ANSES was asked to prepare a restriction dossier under the REACh Regulation. Today, the Agency is publishing an Opinion summarising the restriction proposal submitted to the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). On 18 June, ECHA submitted ANSES’s proposal for public consultation, on its website, for a period of six months.
Indoor air quality: ANSES proposes two guideline values for acetaldehyde
Air Intérieur
02/07/2014
News

Indoor air quality: ANSES proposes two guideline values for acetaldehyde

The quality of air inside buildings can be altered by various chemical or microbiological contaminants. Health effects such as respiratory diseases can also result from exposure to indoor air pollutants. The occurrence of these effects depends on the nature of the pollutants, and the intensity and duration of exposure, as well as on genetic determinants, socio-economic factors and other environmental characteristics, which also influence air quality. To address the health issue represented by indoor air quality, ANSES issued an internal request in 2004 to develop indoor air quality guideline values (IAQGs) based on health criteria. The Opinion it is publishing today therefore proposes two IAQGs for acetaldehyde, corresponding to short- and long-term exposure.
Foods fortified with phytosterols: no demonstration of an overall benefit regarding prevention of cardiovascular disease
Phytosterols
25/06/2014
News

Foods fortified with phytosterols: no demonstration of an overall benefit regarding prevention of cardiovascular disease

Phytosterols are natural compounds found in plants. They can lower blood cholesterol levels by reducing its intestinal absorption through competition. EU regulations authorise claims on the labels of products fortified with phytosterols indicating that phytosterols lower blood cholesterol and on the other that lowering blood cholesterol may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. To address the concerns of a consumer association, ANSES is today publishing an Opinion and a Report on this issue. The study they are based on concludes that although phytosterols do indeed contribute to a reduction in blood cholesterol, there is no demonstrated benefit regarding prevention of cardiovascular disease. For people concerned about their levels of blood cholesterol, ANSES recommends personal medical surveillance covering all the levers of prevention, and reiterates its view that these products should not be used by either pregnant or breastfeeding women or by children.
ANSES publishes its assessment of the risks of emergence of antimicrobial resistance related to patterns of antibiotic use in the field of animal health
Antibiorésistance Santé Animale
20/06/2014
News

ANSES publishes its assessment of the risks of emergence of antimicrobial resistance related to patterns of antibiotic use in the field of animal health

The development of antimicrobial resistance is a major concern for human and animal health. This phenomenon calls into question the effectiveness of antimicrobial drugs and may worsen the prognosis of certain infectious diseases, with major consequences for human health. With this in mind, ANSES launched an internal request to conduct an assessment of the risks of emergent antimicrobial resistance phenomena due to patterns of antibiotic use in the veterinary sphere. Its goal is to specify the most appropriate measures to implement in the field of animal health in order to establish an effective antimicrobial resistance control policy. The opinion and expert appraisal report published today provide recommendations for each sector and animal species and will supplement the initiatives currently provided for in the draft law on the future of agriculture and by the Ecoantibio 2017 plan. The recommendations include discontinuing preventive use of antibiotics, reserving latest-generation antibiotics to clearly identified and strictly regulated situations, and giving preference to narrow-spectrum antibiotics.
Perchlorate ions: ANSES's studies and recommendations
Perfluores
04/06/2014
News

Perchlorate ions: ANSES's studies and recommendations

During the national measurement campaign conducted in 2011 by ANSES's Laboratory for Hydrology, perchlorate ions were detected in water intended for human consumption (WIHC) in several regions of France. These ions interfere with iodine absorption by the thyroid, one of the initial stages in thyroid hormone synthesis. At the request of the Ministry of health, ANSES has conducted a health risk assessment of the presence of perchlorate ions in WIHC and in milk formulas for infants aged 0 to 6 months, the most vulnerable population group. With regard to the calculated exposure levels, ANSES concluded that the risk of surpassing the toxicity reference value set by the Agency in 2011 cannot be excluded for certain infants. Consequently, ANSES recommends lowering perchlorate ion concentrations in infant milk formulas, and in cases where tap water is found to have perchlorate ion levels higher than 4 µg/L, it suggests that the authorities inform the public and recommend limiting tap water consumption by children under 6 months of age.
ANSES publishes its recommendations to reduce exposure to five substances which are reproductive toxicants and/or endocrine disruptors
Substances Reprotoxiques
22/05/2014
News

ANSES publishes its recommendations to reduce exposure to five substances which are reproductive toxicants and/or endocrine disruptors

ANSES was asked in 2009 by the Ministry of Health to identify and characterise exposure situations potentially posing a risk to health and associated with common consumer products and/or items containing certain chemicals classified as Category 2 reproductive toxicants (according to the European CLP regulation) or considered to be endocrine disruptors. Today, ANSES publishes several expert assessment reports and an opinion on five of these substances. The conclusions of the expert assessment reveal evidence of exposure situations that potentially pose a risk for embryonic or foetal development in association with exposure by pregnant women to toluene, n-hexane and cis-CTAC found in certain items or products. ANSES issues recommendations which aim to reduce the exposure of pregnant women to all five of the substances under study, in general and in the workplace in particular. It also is issuing recommendations specific to each of these substances.

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