Brussels, 17/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - From a high mortality rate in bees to potential damage to the human brain. Two neonicotinoid insecticides - acetamiprid and imidacloprid - may affect the developing human nervous system, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) states in an opinion published on 17 December. According to EFSA, the two neonicotinoids in question may adversely affect the development of neurons and brain structures associated with functions such as learning and memory. EFSA therefore concludes that some current guidance levels for acceptable exposure to acetamiprid and imidacloprid may not be protective enough, and that complementary research should be carried out to provide more reliable data on developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). The opinion was prepared by the EFSA scientific panel on plant protection products and their residues (PPR), at the request of the European Commission.
Experts recommend that criteria be defined at EU level to trigger submission of mandatory DNT studies as part of the pesticide authorisation process. This could include the development of a comprehensive testing strategy to evaluate the DNT potential of substances, including all neonicotinoids. The EFSA scientific opinion takes account of recent research by Kimura-Kuroda and existing data on the potential of acetamiprid and imidacloprid to damage the developing human nervous system, in particular the brain. (AN/transl.jl)