Most children in the US are exposed to a wide variety of pesticides, both prenatally and after birth. Pesticides and their residues are in foods, water, rain, fog, interiors of many homes, gardens, lawns, workplaces, farms - basically everywhere. A recent study of children found that an average of 31 pesticides were found in the urine of each child (infants and toddlers).
In the study 438 urine samples collected from 187 children were analyzed for the presence of pesticide residues. A total of 215 pesticides were identified in the urine samples, with 51 pesticides detected in at least 20% of the samples. Sixteen pesticides were identified as highly detected ones - they were found in over 60% of the samples. On average, there were 31 pesticides per child - with children ranging from 21 to 50 compounds per sample.
At this time, it is unknown what constant low level exposure to mixtures of pesticides does to a person long-term, but studies done so far are finding harmful health effects. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticides. Unfortunately, when the EPA looks at pesticide exposure, it only looks at one pesticide at a time - not at mixtures.
Health effects: Some pesticides are more hazardous than others, including effects such as endocrine disrupting effects, neurological damage, reproductive effects, and increased risk of cancer. Many scientists suspect that chronic low-level pesticide exposure may even be contributing to the year by year drop in sperm numbers and fertility problems.
Bottom line: Try to lower pesticide exposure by eating organic foods, not using pesticides routinely in yards and in homes (instead use organic products or least toxic IPM), and avoiding antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-odor products. [More tips.]
From Environmental Health News (EHN):
A recent study published in Environment and Health found that young children are exposed to a wide range of pesticides during key periods of growth and development.
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- Residues of 215 different pesticides were found in the urine samples from 187 U.S. infants and young children.
- Individual children’s samples contained an average of 31 different pesticides, with some samples containing as many as 50.
- Sixteen pesticides were detected in over 60% of children sampled.
Key quote:
“Accumulating evidence has associated chronic low-dose pesticide exposure with a range of adverse health outcomes, including cancer, diabetes, reproductive disorders, and impaired neurodevelopment.“
Why this matters:
Individuals around the globe are constantly exposed to a wide variety of chemicals - including insecticides, fungicides, and other forms of synthetic pesticides - through interactions with the environment, consumer products, and even their food and water supply.
Children are especially vulnerable to harm from environmental exposures because their bodies and brains are still developing. Exposure to toxic chemicals early in life have been shown to harm children's neurodevelopment, growth, and cognitive, metabolic and reproductive health, resulting in long-term health implications. Research has shown that regulatory and policy interventions are an effective strategy for reducing public exposure to toxic chemicals.