The Conta-Lait study by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) and the 2024 report by the French High Council for Public Health (HCSP) on breastfeeding, highlight the presence of contaminants in breast milk, a finding consistent with international data. Understanding the presence of these contaminants equires monito-ring the exposure and contamination of women of childbearing age during pregnancy and breastfeeding. These contaminants originate in various environmental sources, including food, outdoor and indoor air, cosmetics, household products and occupational exposure. This review summarises the sources responsible for the exposure of the population, including breastfeeding women, and outlines actions and recommendations to improve protection.
Citizen radioactivity measurement emerged in the wake of the Chernobyl accident in the late 1990s, so that local populations could assess the radiological quality of their environment and develop measures to protect themselves against the potential harmful effects of radioactivity on their health. Following the Fukushima accident in 2011, there was renewed interest in citizen radioactivity measurement activities, encouraged by the possibilities around sharing information through the internet and social networks. There are currently several citizen radioactivity measurement networks in Europe, some of which were created in response to societal demand following the Fukushima accident. However, these networks face challenges in gaining credibility with decision-makers. They must respond to doubts about the reliability and representativeness of measurement results and published data. The long-term sustainability of these networks is another major challenge. This article reviews the landscape of these European networks, the way in which they are responding to these challenges and the avenues to be explored to ensure their sustainability.
French regulations allow different categories of bottled waters to be marketed, particularly natural mineral waters and spring waters, which must comply with certain criteria to ensure their purity and to prevent any risk to the consumer. During 2025, consumers were extensively informed about various quality issues with some of these waters, due to treatments that were at least questionable in relation to the regulations in force. The purpose of this article is to review these various categories of bottled waters, their chemical and microbiological composition, their potential evolution, and the treatments generally authorised, as well the difficulties encountered by certain brands. The situation is not fully understood, as authorities and bottling companies provide barely any information. It is clear that although the quality of the marketed product does not compromise consumer health, the information provided could be better.
Guadeloupe:-year Free-living amoebae (FLA) play a central role in natural and artificial ecosystems as microbial predators and as reservoirs and vectors of opportunistic bacteria. While most free-living amoebae are harmless, some species, such as Naegleria fowleri and Acanthamoeba spp., are pathogenic to humans and have recently been classified as emerging microorganisms due to climate-related environmental changes and their impact on water quality. The islands of Guadeloupe, characterised by a wide variety of aquatic and terrestrial environments, provide a unique setting for studying the distribution, diversity, and potential virulence of these organisms. This article presents a comprehensive review of fifteen years of research on FLA in Guadeloupe, including environmental monitoring of water and soil, investigations of amoeba-bacteria ecological interactions, and advances in the genomics and biology of Naegleria fowleri. The implications for public health and future research priorities are also discussed.
Identifying endocrine disruptors represents a major challenge in environmental health. Adapting practices to manage them is a societal issue. This review analyses recent developments in the European regulatory framework and French initiatives regarding these substances.The adoption in 2023 of an amendment to the CLP (Classification, Labelling and Packaging) Regulation by introducing specific hazard classes for endocrine disruptors represents a significant step forward, enabling the structured identification of chemical substances with this hazardous property in a harmonised way. In this article, we describe how France has worked towards this in the framework of the second National Strategy on Endocrine Disruptors (SNPE 2) and how the project for a third plan will benefit from this progress. The development of new test methods and improvements in scientific knowledge remain essential for the identification of endocrine disrupting effects and to ensure better protection of human health and the environment from chemical substances with this type of effect. Questions regarding the assessment of low-dose effects are still unanswered. Risk assessment associated with these substances remains a challenge to be solved. For some of these substances, reasonable use limited to essential controlled uses is the only solution consistent with the precautionary principle. The targeted authorisation systems in sectorial regulations such as REACH, and regulations on biocides, pesticides, and cosmetics therefore appear to be the most appropriate mechanisms for controlling these dangerous substances.
A necessary response to a growing global population and increasing urbanisation, urban densification now has legal foundations in various countries including France and Switzerland, as part of the fight against urban sprawl. Although apparently simple, the reality of urban density is complex. It can be broken down into multiple indicators, none of which truly considers the human dimension, the living environment, or the experiences of residents. This article describes this complexity and presents the advantages and disadvantages of urban densification, the obstacles to its development, and the stakeholders involved. It also highlights the terminological debate between "urban density" and "urban intensification". The latter term, preferred by some practitioners and researchers, offers a more qualitative and comprehensive approach, integrating the diversity of uses, the quality of public spaces, the place of nature in the city, and the well-being of residents. Every approach to urban intensification must be carefully planned, adapted to the local context (resources, geography, history, morphology, etc.), based on scientific knowledge regarding the effects on health, the environment, and quality of life, and involving residents from the earliest design phases. Urban intensification must address the challenge of aiming for a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable city.
Health, urban planning, societal, and demographic developments over the last 150 years have led to the expansion of cities through urban sprawl. This has a considerable impact on natural resources, the environment, and planetary health. One strategy which can be adopted to counter these negative effects is urban densification, the methods and mechanisms of which are discussed in other articles in this issue. This text focuses on its direct and indirect impacts on health. In particular, it describes the various mechanisms that govern the processes of salutogenesis (factors and mechanisms that support health) and pathogenesis that are constantly at work in urban environments. Healthy urban planning is proposed here as an effective preventive strategy to reinforce salutogenesis and reduce pathogenesis which can be adopted by local decision-makers and more widely promoted among professionals and the population.
As part of its work cycle on urban density and health, the Health-Promoting Urban Planning section of the French-speaking Society for Health and Environment organised a contributory workshop focused on the interactions between urban planning, public health, and social dynamics. This workshop provided an opportunity for dialogue, collective reflection, and sharing findings and identified avenues for action. The workshop highlighted that urban planning can no longer be carried out without a cross-cutting approach integrating health, social, and environmental concerns. It also made it possible to advance reflection by collecting experiences and reflections, shedding light on specific themes including physical activity in polluted air, how a strategic and inclusive vision of density can become a strength for European cities, how to support the reconversion of urban and industrial wastelands and the vision of densification, and the conflictual densification of an African capital city. This summary note therefore serves both as a report of the workshop and as an editorial introduction to a thematic dossier on "urban density and health".
In order to design and execute housing operations which comply with numerous regulatory requirements, meet the as-yet-unknown expectations of the future occupants, ensure their local integration, and take into account ecological and social issues, architects cannot work in isolation. This multidimensional challenge which is well known to urban design and planning professionals was the guiding thread of a collaboration between an architect and environmental health researchers. Prospective action-research was initiated in February 2024, with the intention of monitoring a programme to construct 54 apartments to house older people and young professionals within a wider urban planning operation in Ruelle-Sur-Touvre (Charente). The aim of this action-research, which received the support of the social housing provider leading the project, was to explore questions relating to well-being and quality of life by investigating the experience of living. It included working sessions involving a group made up of employees of the social housing body, local authority officers, and local civic actors, as well as the team responsible for implementing the project. This article focuses on epistemic and methodological decisions that were made during the process in order to promote knowledge-sharing and collective (social) learning among participants. Based on examples, we examine the meaning and consequences of themes such as living together and preserving biodiversity, both of which were ambitions expressed in the initial documents. We discuss the benefits of this experimentation (which is still ongoing), and its the way it addresses lived experience, as opposed to a functional-based approach (sleeping, eating, leisure), in urban design and planning projects within a given territory, particularly through approaches to health promotion through urban planning.
The City of Paris Public Health Department has implemented an internal health-promoting approach to urban planning (UFS) based on health impact assessments (HIA). The article presents a UFS analysis grid which was developed to integrate health issues at a very early stage in for a project to redevelop an area on the outskirts of Paris, at a time when several development options were under discussion. A multidisciplinary team drew up a socio-environmental profile of the sector (INSEE data, site visits, aspects of urban design) and then translated the urban issues into six components that could be assessed from a health perspective: nature and urban green spaces, mobility, environmental exposure, public spaces and urban atmosphere, scheduling, and construction time. Based on UFS benchmarks and a scientific review, a grid of objective questions was developed to document the links between these components and potential impacts on health. Each option was scored independently before being consolidated by consensus. The "health" scores ranged from 1 to 4 depending on the angle of development being studied. The analysis was shared with elected officials, contributing towards initiating in-depth technical and feasibility studies in partnership with the government services to develop ambitious urban redevelopment sc & eacute;narios that comply with environmental health requirements. The tool has since been reused on another site, demonstrating its transferability. The limitations of the tool include the lack of weighting of items, a lack of inclusion of externalities beyond the perimeter, poor consideration of health inequities, the fact that some health determinants such as housing are not covered, the focus on local residents, and the need to strengthen the tool's "One Health" dimension. This operational tool facilitates the early integration of health into urban decision-making and, once improved, could be systematically integrated into the framework of the second Paris Health and Environment Plan and the Local Bioclimatic Urban Plan.
Hosting mega sporting events (MSEs), such as the Olympic Games, requires host cities and their countries to make considerable investments that are rarely cost-effective in themselves. The benefits for local populations lie mainly in the positive legacy that these investments are intended to leave in the long term, particularly in terms of urban renewal and new infrastructure (facilities, transport, housing, green spaces, etc.). This article explores the links between MSEs and how they can impact health through urban planning, focusing on the most relevant health determinants in this context, such as physical activity and social cohesion. To this end, we have drawn up a logical pathway of the impacts on health and well-being and conducted an analysis of the existing literature. It appears that an intersectoral approach involving different stakeholders and skills is essential, as well as integration into the local environment and partnerships with local actors. Above all, the ambivalent nature of the health impacts identified calls for a clarification of the conceptual framework of "legacy" and how it can be measured.
The topic 'biodiversity and infectious diseases', which has been addressed with ambiguity but is now widely used, gained considerable momentum in France during the COVID-19 pandemic. While this research dates back more than 20 years in the English-speaking world, in France it has become a permanent part of the collective rhetoric, first among scientists and NCO activists, then in the administrations and the various public organisations concerned. Is it just a passing fad, or will this theme and the results it produces influence decision-making in the relevant areas of public and private sectors? In this article, I take a pragmatic yet critical approach to the topic of "biodiversity and infectious diseases", particularly in terms of understanding one of its major results, the dilution effect. I discuss the intellectual misguidedness that prevails under the pretext of developing useful research into nature-based solutions. In particular, this approach stumbles over the very understanding of what constitutes a microbiological hazard, a microbial threat, and an infectious disease risk, with humans marking this semantic transition. Finally, I interpret this knowledge and its potential applicability to agriculture, while considering the halo of uncertainties that surrounds these contributions.
Catching catfish in waters in agricultural areas can lead to health problems related to the pesticides used for to protect crops. However, very few studies address the health problems mentioned by some consumers of catfish. Twelve wild and farmed catfish of marketable size (2.5 kg to 6.5 kg) were collected in Bouafl & eacute;, Soubr & eacute;, Dabou, Aboisso, Al & eacute;p & eacute;, and Abengourou in C & ocirc;te d'Ivoire. Samples of flesh, skin, and brain were taken from each fish. Thirty-two (32) pesticide molecules were searched for and quantified in these samples using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). Nine pesticide molecules were found in the analysed samples, including seven molecules which in the wild catfish samples and five molecules in the farmed catfish samples. The molecules found were mainly herbicides. Flesh and brain samples were more contaminated (33%) than skin samples (25%). The pesticide molecule contamination values of catfish samples are higher than the value of 0.01 mg/kg of the Standard Action Limit for pesticide residues. A risk of chronic intoxication is therefore proven for consumers. The results suggest that farming catfish under secure conditions and a better knowledge of their sanitary quality is essential before being they are put on the market.
Access to water, hygiene, and sanitation (WASH) is essential to the health of populations, particularly in rural areas. In order to assess the level of access to WASH services and the associated sociodemographic factors, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020 among 361 households in the commune of Bonou, a rural commune in Benin. Data were collected using a questionnaire via Kobocollect, followed by descriptive analyses, and a multivariate logistic regression. The results revealed that only 35.5 % of households in our study had access to at least one improved water source, available in all seasons, and located less than 30 minutes from their home (0.8 % had a safely managed service and 34.6 % had a basic service); 19.4 % of households had access to a basic service regarding hygiene and sanitation, and 0.6 % of households had a basic service. The multivariate analysis shows that gender, education level, daily income, and the origin of households are associated with access to improved source water. Although a robust methodology was adopted, the cross-sectional nature and quantitative approach used do not allow for the interpretation of causes, nor the cultural, economic, and institutional barriers that hinder households' access to basic WASH services. Qualitative and longitudinal surveys will provide greater detail on these aspects.
Psychometric fatigue Introduction. The objective of this study is to evaluate the factorial structure and psychometric properties of a climate fatigue scale among the Quebec adult population. This scale is an adaptation of the Pandemic Fatigue Scale. Methodology. A web survey was carried out in October 2021 among 10,368 adult residents of Quebec. The factor structure of the scale and gender invariance were tested using confirmatory factor analyses. Convergent and divergent validity were also assessed. The reliability of the scale scores was estimated from the total and hierarchical omega coefficients. Results. The analyses reveal the presence of a hierarchical structure with two first-order factors, information fatigue and behavioural fatigue, which are linked to a second-order factor, namely a general factor climate fatigue. Measurement invariance is established for the gender of the respondents. The results of convergent and divergent validity support the relevance of the use of this new scale. The composite reliability of the scale is excellent. Conclusion. The results confirm the existence of a second-order hierarchical structure. A high correlation between the two first-order factors, suggests using only the general climate factor in further analyses. All psychometric properties of the scale suggest that its use is appropriate among the Quebec adult population.
Research into health and nutrition converges towards diets that include a reduction in the consumption of ultra-processed foods and meat, as well as a more varied diet, while reducing the environmental footprint of the food we eat. However, this proposal does not take into account the effects of agricultural practices on the environment and on the nutritional density of agricultural products. Thus, for the same dietary composition (carbohydrates, lipids, etc.), sourcing food from conventional or agroecological production methods will lead to different impacts upon environment and health. We summarise the scientific knowledge of agroecological practices based on biodiversity that contribute to "regenerating life", i.e., reducing impacts and providing services to society. We then propose to use the reference "planet-score" framework as a synthetic indicator of these practices. This framework includes four sub-indicators: climate, biodiversity, pesticides, and animal welfare. In this way, the concept of a real, plant-based, and varied diet is enriched with an indicator of "regenerating the living" making it possible to evaluate the environmental impacts of our diets.
The continuous use of veterinary pharmaceuticals can represent diffuse and pseudo-persistent pollution in the environment. This is confirmed by the fact that veterinary pharmaceutical residues (VPRs) have been quantified in natural waters at concentrations ranging from ng/L to mu g/L, thanks to improvements in analytical methods. In order to perform a monitoring study in Brittany, a region subject to high husbandry pressure, a ranking of veterinary pharmaceutical residues was carried out to select the veterinary pharmaceuticals that would be the most likely to reach the aquatic environment. A preliminary list of 70 veterinary drugs was considered based on the results of interviews conducted with veterinarians during the REMEDES project and on the results of the study of the Regional Health and Environment Plan Working Group 2. The ranking methodology developed aims to reflect the potential of VPRs to enter natural waters. Criticality groups have been established on the basis of three criteria: 1) the potential for entry into the environment, divided into animal targets, route of administration and veterinary practices in Brittany; 2) the mobility of molecules from soil to water; and 3) the persistence of compounds in natural waters. Metabolites were integrated when relevant. Fifty-four compounds out of the 70 studied were classified according to this methodology. Establishing a ranking method is currently a complex task for VPRs. There is still a significant lack of experimental data conducted under homogeneous conditions on the environmental fate of these compounds. Some families have been studied in depth, such as antibiotics like sulfonamides and tetracycline families, but data in the literature is scarce for others, such as antiparasitic drugs and anticoccidians, despite the fact that these veterinary drugs are widely used in breeding areas such as Brittany.
Exposure to chemical substances can trigger health adverse effects throughout life. Health agencies assess the risks associated with this exposure for the general population or part of it. Health risk assessments are generally carried out for a single substance, a single route of exposure, and by age group. Our study developed a method for estimating lifetime exposure (dietary and environmental) to a mixture of trace elements. This approach is based on estimating the external lifetime exposure of a fictitious population representative of the French population, taking into account the socio-economic and socio-demographic determinants of exposure. Physiologically-based kinetic models were used to estimate internal exposure throughout life. On the medians, our estimates are consistent with the results from biomonitoring studies of the French population. On the basis of a common effect (i.e. nephrotoxicity), it was therefore possible to characterise the risk associated with exposure to four trace elements throughout life. Our conclusions are that there is a risk that cannot be ruled out throughout life for the mixture of the four trace elements. Estimating internal exposure during specific periods of life, e.g. pregnancy or the post-natal period, are the next objectives of this work.
