Environmental and occupational health: 42 research projects funded in 2024
ANSES has published the list of research projects selected following the call for proposals of the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health, issued in late 2023. The projects will receive a total of €7.78 million in funding. This research seeks to provide new knowledge on environmental risks to human health in the general or occupational populations, as well as on risks to ecosystems.
Forty-two projects have been selected from the 255 proposals received in response to the two calls issued by the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health (PNR EST) in late 2023: the first on a general theme and the second devoted to "radiofrequencies and health". These projects were chosen after a transparent selection process involving assessments by scientific committees made up of experts from outside ANSES.
This research will contribute to the knowledge required for expert appraisals in the fields of environmental and occupational health.
Projects selected on a range of themes
These projects concern a variety of themes relating to health risks for the general and occupational populations, and risks to ecosystems or the quality of different environments.
- Twenty-seven projects focus on the health effects of chemicals, including endocrine disruptors and plant protection products. Three of these are dedicated to PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances),
- Six projects are on radiofrequencies, in particular on the biological effects of 5G frequencies, and include projects on co-exposure with UV rays, on the characterisation of exposure and on possible interference between pacemakers and electric vehicle charging stations,
- Two projects focus on noise: one related to air traffic and the other in hospitals,
- Five projects concern biological agents, including three on bacteria that are pathogenic to humans, in particular micro-organisms found in the French overseas territories, and another on the effect of endocrine disruptors on the bacterium responsible for Legionnaires' disease.
They concern all types of environments, particularly the workplace, and include studies on the health of carers and farmers, on air quality including indoor air, on the aquatic environment, and on taking the impact of climate change into account.
Some of these projects link environmental exposure to diseases such as cancer, infectious diseases and respiratory disorders. Two projects in particular concern the French overseas territories.
"The calls for proposals encouraged applications from multidisciplinary teams, and this is reflected in the projects selected for 2024", explained Aurélie Desbrée, Head of the Research Funding Unit.
Funding
Thirty-six of these projects will be financed by ANSES from budgets delegated by the Ministries responsible for the Environment, Labour, Health and Agriculture (€6.8M), three will be supported by the Aviesan alliance's multi-agency thematic institute for cancer as part of the national Cancer Plan (€0.4M), one by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME) (€0.2M) and two others as part of the Ecophyto plan (€0.4M). Specific budgets are supporting projects on endocrine disruptors and atmospheric pollution.