This is a first in France. A major study is launched by ATMO Occitanie, the regional air quality observatory. It concerns the detection of endocrine disruptors in the air we breathe. A study which will be carried out over 3 years in 5 sites in the Occitanie region. A first step, an exploratory study launched in March, has already revealed some data: phthalates, alkyphenols, PAHs, are very present in the air of Occitanie.
The presence of endocrine disruptors has never been studied in the air. The presence of these substances of chemical or natural origin capable of disrupting the normal hormonal functioning of living beings has been studied in water but never in the “air compartment”.
ATMO Occitanie is conducting the first large-scale study on the subject. For three years the air of the two metropolises Toulouse and Montpellier will be analyzed, like that of agricultural areas in Aude and Haute Garonne. The scope of the study will also look at the air of Alès, a town in Gard with an industrial past. Pfas, these persistent pollutants found in many everyday objects such as stoves, will be researched in parallel.
ATMO Occitanie, the air quality observatory has sensors on different sites in the region.
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© ATMO Occitanie website screen capture
A year of work was necessary in collaboration with the Sorbonne to establish a protocol. “We first had to define the air capture method. We chose a neutral resin cartridge capable of capturing particles and gases. This would be followed in the laboratory by an identification and analysis of the molecules.”specifies Dominique Tilak, general director of ATMO Occitanie.
Launched last March, the exploratory study delivers its first results. It is difficult at the moment to specify the proven effects on health, but out of 56 molecules searched, 46 were found in the air.
“We placed the sensors 4 to 5 meters high, to be as close as possible to the air breathed by the population. There are certain molecules that we did not expect to find in the outside air”explains Dominique Tilak.
Phthalates for example. These substances found in cosmetics, household products and vinyl floors are indeed present in the air. “Six out of 7 types of phthalates are present in 80% of samples with a cumulative concentration of 278 nanograms per m3. This figure is an average”reveals the general director of ATMO.
PAHs were also captured by the sensors in 80% of the samples. These are substances resulting from the combustion of wood and oil. “We find larger quantities in winter. But these substances are present throughout the year”explains the director of ATMO.
More surprisingly, insecticides were found and not just any insecticides. Lindane is present in all samples. It is an insecticide used since the 1930s in agriculture and in the treatment of lice and scabies in humans. This product, the use of which has been banned since 1998, is still present in our air. First lesson for Dominique Tilak: “This shows the persistence of the products. We can clearly see that despite a ban for more than 20 years, lindane is still present. It is the same thing with PCBs, although they have been banned since 1987”. What impact on health? It is impossible to determine this at the moment according to ATMO Occitanie which took part last March in international air and health meetings.
Less surprising is the presence of Musk, used in perfumes or soaps. “Almost everyone wears perfume, no wonder we find it in the air!”
After this exploratory study phase, the sensors installed on the 5 sites in Occitanie will therefore scan the air in Occitanie for 3 years. Atmo specifies that studies on the “air compartment” have been rarer than those on water concerning endocrine disruptors. “It has never been done and we have little perspective on endocrine disruptors in the air and few analyzes of their effects on health. So the challenge for us is effectively to bank, produce data so that health agencies can use it to know how to answer the question: is there an issue or not from a health point of view on the air we breathe?, concludes Dominique Tilak. A major issue, every day a healthy adult breathes 15,000 liters of air.
