Children and Pesticides-- A Walk Upstream

By Laurine Brown, PhD, MPH

As spring's buds burst from their winter hiding places, our children emerge to frolic in the greening grass. Close behind are chemical lawn trucks poised to round-up uninvited weeds and brighten dull blades, and garden stores stockpiling bags of lawn chemicals for do-it-yourselfers. These chemically-weeded lawns may please us. But are they safe for our youngsters?

Maybe not. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, there may be no safe exposure of pesticides (insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.) for children. Our inadequate federal standards, set to protect "typical" adults, fail to consider children's small size and exquisite vulnerabilities. Nevertheless, we still use pesticides a lot-- 90% of children surveyed show pesticide residues in their urine. How do pesticides get inside our bodies? We swallow them, inhale them, and absorb them through our skin.

Childhood cancers, like leukemia and brain tumors, are disturbingly on the rise, as are learning disabilities. We've developed sophisticated treatments to heal our children's cancers, and help them calm and focus. But what's causing the suffering? Could our zealous use of pesticides be contributing? Perhaps.

Drawing of a Person	Studies suggest that: Children in families that use pesticides are at higher risk for childhood cancers. Common insecticides can reduce the number of brain cells in children. Children exposed to agricultural pesticides show impaired stamina, coordination, memory, and drawings of familiar objects (see figure 1); 72% of US produce has detectable pesticide residues. Fetal pesticide exposure on a critical day in early pregnancy can cause hyperactivity and permanent changes in brain neurotransmitters; 80% of families report using pesticides during pregnancy. Weedkillers are linked to rising rates of lymphoma (cancer of lymph) in 75 of 99 human studies (plus 1 dog study).
by Yaqui children (by age & gender)
Study by EA Guillette, PhD, of AZ on Mexican Yaqui Indian children
"In Harm's Way," GBPSR, May 2000

In Living Downstream, Sandra Steingraber narrates a fable about a village along a river. The villagers noticed drowning people in the river's swift current. They became so preoccupied with heroic rescue and treatment that they never thought to look upstream to see who was pushing the victims in.

You'd do anything to keep your children from becoming downstream victims. If evidence suggests pesticides are harming kids, shouldn't we try to stop using them? Fortunately you can take steps to protect your children's health. Walk upstream. Avoid using pesticides in your yard and home and choose organic foods.

Safer Lawn Care

Chemically addicted lawns may look good on top, but lack deep roots (essential during drought) and soil organisms needed for nutrients and aeration. Using common sense tips you can have a gorgeous lawn that's truly healthier, with minimal use of pesticides (check libraries resources)

• Feed soil naturally with organic fertilizers and compost instead of synthetic ammonia-based products that kill aerating worms and microorganisms (see www.GardensAlive.com, 812/535-8650). Seed with low-maintenance white clover, a natural fertilizer that stays green even in droughts.
• Mow high and often using sharp blades to prevent "shocking" grass.
• A weedy lawn is sickly. Quick-fix chemicals only treat symptoms. Fix the cause (soil, mowing method, grass type). Next, forget weed free. It's unnatural. Handweed those you can't tolerate.
• Use IPM (Integrated Pest Management) for harmful bugs, using least harmful solutions first, with pesticides as last resort (call Master Gardeners, 309/663-8306; also www.beyondpesticides.org).
• Replace some grass with low-maintenance native plants.
• Weaning off lawn chemicals? Consult Eco-Lawn 309/451-1441.

  Safer Home (and School) Care

  Before using chemicals, ask "which poses more risk to my child, the ant or the chemical?" Eliminate pests' food, water and habitat. Clean up, seal food, cover garbage, plug holes, screen windows. If you use pesticide services, ask for IPM-- least-toxic pesticides are used only after pest identification, hole plugging, sticky traps, boric acid, etc.

• Ventilate when using chemicals.
• Leave shoes at the door to avoid tracking in pollutants that linger in carpets. Or use a thick doormat and clean it often.
• Ask your child's school if they use IPM (now required by Illinois State Law). If not have them contact Safer Pest Control Project 312/641-5575, www.spcpweb.org.

  Safer Food

• Choose organic foods, which are virtually free of pesticides. Ask your grocer to carry them.
• Purchase locally-grown when possible. Join "Community Supported Agriculture" like Henry's Farm CSA, www.henrysfarm.com, 309/965-2304.
• Wash produce in dilute dishwashing liquid, rinsing with a strong flow of water (reduces pesticide residues by 30-100% with peeling, removing outer leaves).

  More Information

• Children's Health and Environmental Network, www.checnet.org, 609/252-1915. Many solutions for healthy homes.
• Ecology Action Center and LIVING upstream, 309/454-3169. Both groups offer information on safer homes-yards.
• Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov. Guides on pesticides and protecting children.

 March 2002