European Union health authorities on Tuesday warned that two products from a widely used class of insecticides may be toxic to the developing human brain and should be more strictly controlled to reduce their exposure to the public. The warning is the latest blow to a relatively new group of insecticides, called neonicotinoids, which have become more widely used in recent years because the chemicals were believed to be safer than older alternatives. One of the products, imidacloprid—made primarily by chemical company Bayer AG was until recently the world's top-selling insecticide. But this year, the EU banned many uses of imidacloprid and two other neonicotinoids for two years because of concerns that they are contributing to mass deaths of honey bees. The assessment released Tuesday by the European Food Safety Authority applies to acetamiprid, sold by DuPont and Bayer, and imidacloprid. The manufacturers of the three insecticides dispute the link between their chemicals and bee deaths. Bayer and Syngenta AG in August brought a complaint against the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, saying the restrictions are based on faulty science.
An EFSA scientific panel "found that acetamiprid and imidacloprid may adversely affect the development of neurons and brain structures associated with functions such as learning and memory," it said on Tuesday.
"It concluded that some current guidance levels for acceptable exposure to acetamiprid and imidacloprid may not be protective enough to safeguard against developmental neurotoxicity and should be reduced."
The EFSA panel also called for all neonicotinoid insecticides to be tested for neurotoxic effects in the developing brain.
Source:
The Wall Street Journal, 17 December 2013
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB100014240527023044038045792638611…
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