Critique of the "Comment" etitled "Pyrethroid exposure: Not so harmless after all" by Demeneix et al. (2020) published in the lancet diabetes endocrinology

Recently, The Lancet published a “Comment” with the title “Pyrethroid exposure: not so harmless after all” (Demeneix et al., 2020). We were surprised to see such a speculative article published by The Lancet. There is no critical evaluation of how the limited number of references (10) cited support – or failed to support - the authors’ unjustified conclusions. The Editor of the Lancet and the manuscript reviewers seem to have made the naive assumption that the mere existence of a putatively hazardous substance in the human body invites restrictive regulation. The article may cause unwarranted public anxiety. Perhaps more importantly, this misguided position fails to satisfy the need for risk assessment which follows hazard identification and is the core of responsible regulatory policy.The Lancet choose not to publish our criticism of their article. Thus, we are glad to have the opportunity to publish it in Toxicology Letters.</div

The EU chemicals strategy for sustainability: in support of the BfR position

The EU chemicals strategy for sustainability (CSS) asserts that both human health and the environment are presently threatened and that further regulation is necessary. In a recent Guest Editorial, members of the German competent authority for risk assessment, the BfR, raised concerns about the scientific justification for this strategy. The complexity and interdependence of the networks of regulation of chemical substances have ensured that public health and wellbeing in the EU have continuously improved. A continuous process of improvement in consumer protection is clearly desirable but any initiative directed towards this objective must be based on scientific knowledge. It must not confound risk with other factors in determining policy. This conclusion is fully supported in the present Commentary including the request to improve both, data collection and the time-consuming and bureaucratic procedures that delay the publication of regulations