News

As part of its assessment of the risks associated with bisphenol A, ANSES is today publishing two reports: one on the health effects of bisphenol A and the other on its uses. This work highlights health effects that have been proven in animals and suspected in humans, even at low levels of exposure. These effects may also depend greatly on individuals being exposed during different phases of their development, which means that it may be possible to identify categories of people who are particularly vulnerable to bisphenol A. This work is one step in a continuing risk assessment process. The Agency considers, however, that it now has enough scientific evidence to be able to identify that the priority should be to prevent exposure of the most susceptible populations, such as infants, young children, and pregnant and breastfeeding women. This objective entails reducing exposure to bisphenol A, mainly by replacing it in the food contact materials that are the main source of exposure of these populations. In this context, the Agency is submitting the findings of its work for consultation and is issuing a call for contributions in order to collect, by the end of November 2011, any relevant scientific data concerning, in particular, the available substitutes and their safety and effectiveness.

Following the discovery of wild animal carcasses in the Gouessant estuary, the Ministry of Agriculture requested that ANSES determine the causes of their death. In view of all the available data, the hypothesis of poisoning by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is the most probable, although it is impossible to confirm whether this was the only factor contributing to this case of mass mortality. ANSES recommends further studies and emphasises that the health issues associated with the decomposition of green algae and the production of H2S on mudflats call for an investigation into the gas emissions from estuary bottoms and some river beds.

Legionellosis (or Legionnaires' Disease) is a lung infection caused by bacteria of the Legionella genus. The disease is monitored mainly through data collected when cases are reported to the authorities, which has been mandatory since 1987. In 2010, 1540 cases were notified to the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS). In 2010, 159 of the cases notified led to death, i.e. a mortality rate of 11.7% for the disease.