Pesticides Pesticides are chemical compounds that have been formulated to kill, control, or repel a pest. Pests come in many forms: weeds, insects, rodents, and microbes, including bacteria. As is true of all potentially hazardous chemicals, the resulting effects are dependent on the dose. Pesticides are associated with a host of health risks, including cancer and acute and chronic injuries to the respiratory, nervous, reproductive, immune, and endocrine systems.[26] Some pesticides are formulated to biodegrade, but many persist in our environments. Children are particularly susceptible to pesticide exposure for all of the reasons that children are more vulnerable to all environmental exposures: Their "dose" per body weight is likely to be much higher, they consume more fruits and fruit juices (that may have pesticide residues), their metabolic rate is higher than adults', and they are more like to be on the ground (floors and lawns) where pesticides are likely to have been applied.[26] There is a growing body of scientific data about the harmful effects that pesticides have on children's health, both acute and chronic. Routes of exposure to pesticides include inhalation, ingestion, and dermal penetration. Eighty percent of exposures to pesticides occur indoors; measurable levels of up to a dozen pesticides have been found in the air inside of homes.[27] Acute effects of exposure include eye and throat irritation, skin rashes, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, flu-like symptoms, upper respiratory distress, and, in extreme cases, death. Chronic effects, ie, those that appear long after exposure, include an increased risk of some types of cancer, reproductive impairment, and neurologic damage.[26] Several studies have noted the relationship between childhood cancers (brain cancer, Ewing's sarcoma, Wilm's tumor, acute lymphoblastic leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) and pesticide exposures.[28-32] The potential risks illustrated by these studies suggest a need for a precautionary approach when dealing with pesticide exposures generally, but especially with children. The EPA is responsible for registering all pesticides and is currently conducting a review of older pesticides to ensure adherence to current scientific standards under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA). FQPA, signed into law in 1996, sets a tougher standard for pesticide use on food, with a focus on children's environmental health. There are more than 20,000 registered pesticide products, each formulated for a specific use or uses. In fact, the biocides that are now included in many hand-cleaning products are registered pesticides. Instead of using pesticides, follow these tips to ward off insects and other pests in the home: Clean up spills and crumbs right away; Keep food in sealed containers; Eat at the table instead of walking around with food; Clean dirty dishes right away and drain the dishwater; Keep a tight lid on trash and empty it often; Don't leave pet food out overnight; Wipe water off counters and fix leaky faucets; Check boxes and bags for insects before bringing them into the house; Get rid of stacks of paper; Caulk cracks or openings around baseboards and behind the kitchen and bathroom counters. References for this (excerpted) article: 26. United States Environmental Protection Agency: Region 8. Pesticides, toxic chemicals & children. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/Region8/humanhealth/ children/pesticides/pesticides.html 27. United States Environmental Protection Agency. The inside story: a guide to indoor air quality. Washington, DC: Office of Air and Radiation, EPA; 1988. 28. McBride M. Childhood cancer and environmental contaminants. Can J Public Health. 1998;89:53-62. 29. Daniels J, Olshan A, Savitz D. Pesticides and childhood cancers. Environ Health Perspect. 1997;105:1068-1077. 30. Buckley J, Meadows A, Kadin M, Le Beau M, Siegel S, Robison L. Pesticide exposures in children with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Cancer. 2000;89: 2315-2312. 31. Meinert R, Schuz J, Kalersch U, Kaatsch P, Michaelis J. Leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in childhood and exposure to pesticides: results of a register-based case-control study in Germany. Am J Epidemiol. 2000;151: 639-646. 32. Infante-Rivard C, Labuda D, Krajinovic M, Sinnett D. Risk of childhood leukemia associated with exposure to pesticides and gene polymorphisms. Epidemiology. 1999;10:481-487. Source: The American Nurses Association Posted, 11/03 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.