Briefing

How pesticides impact human health and ecosystems in Europe

Briefing Published 26 Apr 2023 Last modified 28 Apr 2023

37 min read

Photo: © Evangelija Ivanoska, Well with Nature /EEA

Food production systems in Europe rely on chemical pesticides to maintain crop yields. However, widespread pesticide use is a major source of pollution — contaminating water, soil and air, driving biodiversity loss, and leading to pest resistance. Human exposure to chemical pesticides is linked to chronic illnesses such as cancer, and heart, respiratory and neurological diseases. This briefing summarises the latest knowledge on how chemical pesticides impact human health and the environment, and presents good practices to reduce their use and risk across Europe.

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Disclaimer

The country assessments are the sole responsibility of the EEA member and cooperating countries supported by the EEA through guidance, translation and editing.

For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/how-pesticides-impact-human-health/how-pesticides-impact-human-health or scan the QR code.

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