[Pesticides : what is known or suspected about their harmful effects on health]

WHAT IS KNOWN OR SUSPECTED ABOUT THEIR HARMFUL EFFECTS ON HEALTH Pesticides are molecules of various kinds used to combat harmful organisms (insects, weeds, fungi…). Their non-specificity means that they also have an impact on human health at many levels (cancers, Parkinson's disease, developmental problems in children), as shown by the Inserm expertise on "pesticides and health". Numerous other health events could be associated with their exposure. This highlights the importance of developing complementary research between epidemiology and mechanistic toxicology, of reinforcing studies encompassing the deregulation of ecosystems with those of human health, and of producing new study methodologies enabling the toxicology of molecules recently placed on the market or soon to be placed on the market to be predicted.