Pesticides in urine and contaminated children: Public Health France gives 6 instructions to households to limit their exposure

A French study shows that people who live near crops are more exposed to pesticides. Here's how to protect yourself.

This is unfortunately no surprise. People who live near vineyards are more exposed to pesticides than those who live far from crops. This is the conclusion of a study by Public Health France and ANSES (the French National Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety), whose highly anticipated results were presented on September 15, 2025. The study, "unprecedented and of unprecedented scale," according to Caroline Semaille, Director General of Public Health France, was conducted in six French regions. A total of 56 substances were measured over several months in the outdoor air, in homes, and in the urine and hair of nearly 2,000 adults and 750 children.

The study showed, in particular, that "the pesticides sought were found in almost all urine samples." Children aged 3 to 6 are particularly contaminated. In the air, pesticide levels are "up to 12 times higher" near the vineyards than in distant areas. It also highlighted "higher exposure" during the period when the vineyards were being treated. While the study's authors recommend "limiting the use of plant protection products to what is strictly necessary" to reduce the population's exposure to pesticides, it is possible to take individual action.

Indeed, it's not just agricultural practices that have an impact on pesticide exposure. First, contact with the environment is significant in areas close to crops. "Exposure increases with the length of time the home is ventilated and with the time spent outdoors," state Public Health France and ANSES. The latter two recalled some everyday actions that "help limit exposure."

This involves removing your shoes when entering the home, cleaning the floors at least once a week with a mop or vacuum cleaner, and drying your laundry indoors during the treatment period. Regarding food, both agencies recommend peeling garden fruits and vegetables before eating them, and consuming as few eggs as possible from domestic chicken coops in agricultural areas. Finally, it is advisable to have a VMC (ventilation ventilation) at home.

The quantities of pesticides measured were not communicated: the data "do not, on their own, allow us to determine the health risks associated with exposure," the two authorities point out. Overall, the health risks of pesticides are still poorly understood, especially in the general population. Some diseases associated with plant protection products are officially listed as agricultural occupational diseases: lymphoma, prostate cancer, and Parkinson's. Further studies must therefore be conducted to better understand the population's exposure to these substances and the risks this poses to their health.