Agricultural workers exposed to high levels of pesticides have a raised risk of brain tumours, research suggests.
The French study also indicated a possible higher risk among people who used pesticides on houseplants.
All agricultural workers exposed to pesticides had a slightly elevated brain tumour risk, it suggested.
But the Occupational and Environmental Medicine study found the risk was more than doubled for those exposed to the highest levels.
The risk of a type of central nervous system tumour known as a glioma was particularly heightened among this group – more than three times the risk in the general population.
Gliomas are more common in men than women, and the researchers speculate that part of the reason might be that men are more often exposed to pesticides.
However, the overall risk of developing a brain tumour remained very low.
UK experts said the findings were inconclusive.
The findings were based on an analysis of 221 cases of brain tumours by the French Institute of Public Health, Epidemiology and Development.
