Exposure to a group of insecticide chemicals called pyrethroids is increasing, with the insecticides found in two-thirds of adults, children and homes tested, according to a new study led by University of California, Davis, researchers. By Edward Ortiz
The insecticides found in roach sprays, flea bombs, ant traps and pet shampoos persist indoors for years after use and collect in the bodies of both adults and children, for whom they may pose health risks, a new UC Davis study has concluded.
Levels of the insecticides – called pyrethroids – were found in a majority of the 173 children and adults tested from 2007-09 in Northern California. Of those families, 22 hailed from the Sacramento region, with 11 from Sacramento County and five from Yolo County.
Pyrethroids, which are synthetic chemicals, have been linked to respiratory ailments, heart palpitations and nausea in farmworkers and have been identified as an endocrine disruptor in lab animals.
“It’s an important pathway for children,” said Kelly Trunnelle, postdoctoral scholar in environmental toxicology at UC Davis and lead researcher of the study.
She said researchers took wipe samples from floor surfaces of homes and also measured urine levels of mothers as well as children born between 2000 and 2005.
The study found levels of multiple pyrethroids in 50 of 83 children tested, and 58 of the 90 adults tested. Exposure differed between mothers and children, and the study found the levels of the pyrethroids found in the floor samples are statistically related to what was found in the urine levels of the children tested. The same correlation was not found with the mothers, said researcher Deborah Bennett, professor of environmental and occupational health at UC Davis. “That would indicate a child is getting a greater level of pyrethroid exposure from the home environment than the mother,” Bennett said. “The pyrethroid levels in the mothers likely originated from diet or outdoor environmental exposure.”
To date, scant research has been done on pyrethroids, which are commonly used for farming as well as in household products, Bennett said. However, studies on the chemical are increasing, as are concerns about its possible health effects such as endocrine disruption and autism. A 2008 study found that the pyrethroid esfenvalerate delayed the onset of puberty in laboratory rats. A UC Davis study that same year found mothers of autistic children had shampooed their pets with antiflea and antitick shampoos during pregnancy. In that study, the mothers reported they did so twice as much as mothers that gave birth to typically developing children.
Pyrethroids go under other names, including bifenthrin, cypermethrin, and esfenvalerate. The botanical variant is called pyrethrin. Farmers use the chemicals for pest control and they have been linked to respiratory problems in farmworkers, according to the California Department of Public Health. http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article2591827.html#storylink=cpy
…………………………………………………………………………………………………
excellent overviews: http://www.ecochem.com/ENN_mother_child.html and http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/bifen-it-p-226.html which shows how companies sell an EPA restricted-use poison
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
In 2011, the Environmental Protection Agency found that pyrethroids do not pose any significant health risk concerns for children or adults. However, the EPA also found that in some scenarios – with toddlers’ exposure to the insecticide embedded in carpeting, or from frequent fogger use – exposure levels were above the agency’s level of low concern.
Use of pyrethroids has grown since the insecticide chlorpyrifos was phased out in 2001, Trunnelle said. Chlorpyrifos, phased out because of its neurological health effects, was also found inside the homes tested in the study. Because chlorpyrifos was phased out over a decade ago, its presence, however reduced, suggests that use of the chemicals should be closely monitored given their long-lasting nature in the home.
The state Department of Pesticide Regulation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have been reviewing epidemiological studies on chlorpyrifos and are collaborating on a draft risk assessment that may lead to future regulation of the pesticide at the federal level, said Charlotte Fadipe, spokeswoman for the state agency.
In agricultural use, the chemical binds to soil and quickly degrades in the sun. “In an indoor environment you lack the sunlight to break the pesticide down,” Trunnelle said. “The thing to be wary of is that these products, when used inside the home, last a very long time.”
Trunnelle was lead researcher in a 2012 study of agricultural families in Mendota. That study found pyrethroid in 67 percent of household dust. A 2010 study of farmworker families in the Salinas area and urban homes in Oakland found that all household dust tested showed evidence of pyrethroid levels.
More research will be needed to assess the long-term exposure effects of agricultural workers to pyrethroids and what effect the insecticide may have when it is brought into the home, Trunnelle said.
“It’s well-documented that pyrethroids and chlorpyrifos are more persistent in the indoor environment,” Trunnelle said. “Unfortunately, this information may not be widely understood by the general public.” http://www.sacbee.com/news/local/article2591827.html
……………………………………………………..
This is the time of year when pesticides get sprayed on lawns, parks and golf courses. Though the goal may be to make these green spaces more pleasant places to play — fewer bugs, fewer weeds — these treatments may not be as safe as you assume.
Most people are “not aware of the hazards that the unthinking use of pesticides poses to their children,” says Philip Landrigan, dean for global health and a professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. Pesticides include herbicides to kill weeds and insecticides such as those sprayed to manage cockroaches and other pests.
Pound for pound, children receive much higher exposures to these chemicals than adults do, just through normal daily activity, Landrigan says. Because children are growing quickly, “they take into their bodies more of the pesticides that are in the food, water and air,” he says. They also roll around in the grass and put their fingers in their mouths, which greatly increases exposure. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/what-to-know-before-you-spray-your-lawn-with-pesticides/2014/07/07/77d719a2-f63c-11e3-a606-946fd632f9f1_story.html
…………………………………………………………………
- Are there local sources of exposure to pesticides?
- Do people in the neighbourhood routinely apply pesticides to their lawns?
- Have the neighbours nearby recently sprayed pesticides?
Children who play outdoors in summer may have direct exposure to the drift from pesticide spraying, or they may be exposed from playing on pesticide-treated lawns. Pesticide can also be tracked into the home on shoes, feet and paws.
If the child lives in an agricultural community or on a farm, there may be exposure to pesticides used in fields. There may also be contamination of ground water from agricultural run-off. Drift from pesticide spray may also contaminate household gardens.
If the neighbourhood is near a golf course there may also be excess exposure to pesticides.
- Has there been use of pesticides (including bug or weed killers, flea and tick sprays, collars, powder, or shampoos) within the home or on the garden, lawn or pets?
Studies have shown that many commonly used pesticides can be measured in lawns and in house dust long after application.66,67 A metabolite of chlorpyrifos, a common organophosphate insecticide recently given restricted use status by the US EPA, has been measured in the urine of 90% of American children. http://www.cape.ca/children/neuro6.html
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
The health effects associated with pesticide exposure include irritation to the eyes, nose, and throat; damage to the central nervous system and kidneys; and for some, an increased risk of cancer. Exposure to high levels of cyclodiene pesticides, usually due to misapplication, may cause headaches, dizziness, muscle twitching, weakness, tingling sensation, and nausea. Some believe these pesticides might cause long-term damage to the central nervous system and the liver. Since the main ingredients in pesticides can be organic, they can also affect vision and memory. Health effects resulting from exposure to pesticides are product and formulation specific. General use pesticides, available for homeowner indoor use are usually aerosols (spray cans and foggers), ready-to-use (pumps and liquids), pet products (flea and tick shampoos for dogs and cats) and baits (rat and mouse poisons). In order for a toxic effect to occur, exposure (direct contact by mouth, skin or lungs etc.) must occur. Specific “DOs and DON’Ts” for a pesticide product are on the label under the precautionary statement section . Your best protection from exposure is to read and follow the label. Irritation to eyes, nose and throat can occur with the use of aerosols and foggers if the ventilation directions are not followed. In addition, disinfection of bathrooms, especially toilets, can also result in these irritation effects. Overuse (too much of one product, using one product too often or use of several products at the same time) with the all pesticide products may result in an overexposure. https://www.maineindoorair.org/pesticides
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
It is a violation of U.S.Federal law to claim pesticides are “safe when
used as directed” since nothing can assure safety.(2,3,5)
Pesticides drift and settle during application. In the Antarctic ice pack
alone there are 2.4 million pounds of DDT and its metabolites from years
past.(26) Pesticides engulf the home and are easily tracked inside, readily
inhaled and absorbed through the skin. They do harm by attacking the
central nervous system and other essential organs. Symptoms of pesticide
poisoning are often deceptively simple, commonly mis-diagnosed as flu or
allergies. They include, but are not limited to, headaches, nausea, fever,
breathing difficulties, seizures, eye pains, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea,
sore nose, tongue, or throat; burning skin, rashes, coughing, muscle pain,
tissue swelling, blurred vision, numbness and tingling in hands or feet,
incontinence, anxiety, irritability, sleep disorders, hyperactivity,
fatigue, dizziness, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, spontaneous
bleeding, and temporary paralysis. Long-term consequences include lowered
fertility, birth defects, miscarriages, blindness, liver and kidney
dysfunction, neurological damage, heart trouble, stroke, immune system
disorders, menstrual problems, memory loss, suicidal depression, cancer,
and death. The National Academy of Sciences reports that at least one out
of seven people are significantly harmed by pesticide exposure each
year.(3) Increasingly, reports from many people around the country are
“beginning to link feeling terrible with the fact the neighbors had the
lawn sprayed the day before”, notes Catherine Karr, a toxicologist for the
National Coalition Against The Misuse Of Pesticides.(7) Unfortunately,
except for industrial accidents, tests for pesticide poisoning are rarely
performed, partially because they are expensive. Doctors also attribute
them to stress, allergies, influenza, or an overactive imagination.(3)
Many Americans are developing Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), a
bizarre and extremely disabling condition. In 1979, the Surgeon General
issued a report stating “There is virtually no major chronic disease to
which environmental factors do not contribute, directly or indirectly.”
Indeed, people today are exposed to synthetic chemicals at levels unmatched
at any time throughout human history. Washington Post staff writer Michael
Weiskopf noted in a February 10, 1990 article that “hypersensitivity to low
levels of toxic chemicals (MCS) is a serious and growing medical problem,
threatening to cause significant economic consequences by disabling large
numbers of otherwise healthy people.” MCS is a result of the destruction of
the body’s ability to tolerate and synthesize chemicals after exposure to
toxic substances. Victims develop extreme reactions now not only to lawn
pesticides but also hair sprays, perfumes, soaps, formaldehyde, and many
other common household products.(5,36) Many victims include former lawn
pesticide applicators and users, their families, and children. http://www.chem-tox.com/pesticides/pesticidereport.htm
……………………………………………………………………………………………..
Pesticides are a collective term for a wide array of chemicals intended to kill unwanted insects, plants, molds, and rodents. Food, water, and treatment in the home, yard, and school are all potential sources of children’s exposure. Exposures to pesticides may be overt or subacute, and effects range from acute to chronic toxicity. In 2008, pesticides were the ninth most common substance reported to poison control centers, and approximately 45% of all reports of pesticide poisoning were for children. Organophosphate and carbamate poisoning are perhaps the most widely known acute poisoning syndromes, can be diagnosed by depressed red blood cell cholinesterase levels, and have available antidotal therapy. However, numerous other pesticides that may cause acute toxicity, such as pyrethroid and neonicotinoid insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and rodenticides, also have specific toxic effects; recognition of these effects may help identify acute exposures. Evidence is increasingly emerging about chronic health implications from both acute and chronic exposure. A growing body of epidemiological evidence demonstrates associations between parental use of pesticides, particularly insecticides, with acute lymphocytic leukemia and brain tumors. Prenatal, household, and occupational exposures (maternal and paternal) appear to be the largest risks. Prospective cohort studies link early-life exposure to organophosphates and organochlorine pesticides (primarily DDT) with adverse effects on neurodevelopment and behavior. Among the findings associated with increased pesticide levels are poorer mental development by using the Bayley index and increased scores on measures assessing pervasive developmental disorder, inattention, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Related animal toxicology studies provide supportive biological plausibility for these findings. Additional data suggest that there may also be an association between parental pesticide use and adverse birth outcomes including physical birth defects, low birth weight, and fetal death, although the data are less robust than for cancer and neurodevelopmental effects. Children’s exposures to pesticides should be limited as much as possible. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/search?fulltext=pesticide+dangers&submit=yes&x=0&y=0
……………………………………………………………………………………………………..
House dust serves as a reservoir for chemicals either tracked-in or used indoors. Several factors including location of the home (i.e., urban vs. rural/agricultural region and proximity to agricultural fields or industrial facilities) and poor housing quality can influence the amount and types of chemicals found in house dust. Many chemicals found in house dust can persist indoors for a long time because there is no rain, sun, or other environmental elements that help to break down and get rid of these agents.
Infants and young children are particularly vulnerable to chemical exposures from house dust because they frequently tend to place their hands or other objects in their mouths and because they spend a large portion of their time on the floor exploring their environment. http://cerch.org/research-programs/environmental-exposure-studies/exposure-studies-findings/#PesticidesMeasuredinHouseDust
…………………………………………………………
Chemical pesticides are known to pollute the environment. While their intended effects are often short-lived, studies have shown that chemical pesticides linger in the atmosphere, the ground and in our waterways long after the job is over. Chemicals have been used on fields across the world for almost 100 years, creating a buildup of adverse pollution in our environment, which continues to grow with every application.
Unfortunately, when pesticides are applied onto a surface, they travel outside their intended area of use by air, soil or water. This is one common way in which chemical pesticides cause collateral damage, beyond their intended use. The Agricultural MU Guide, Pesticides and the Environment, explains that “for certain pesticides to be effective, they must move within the soil…too much movement can transfer a pesticide away from the target pest. This can lead to reduced pest control, contamination of surface water and groundwater and injury of non-target species, including humans.” http://www.havahart.com/why-organic-harmful-effects-of-chemical-pesticides
…………………………………………………………………..
|
Children are especially vulnerable to the health impacts of pesticides. Health professionals, educators, and public health advocates agree that school pesticide use can grievously affect their immediate and long-term health. Since the pioneering resolution of the California State Parent Teacher Association in 1972, the National Parent Teacher Association, the National Education Association, and many other organizations have joined in its call for reduced school pesticide use.
The California Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, District IX, passed resolutions in 1999 recommending school pest control programs that preclude use of highly toxic pesticides, reduce overall pesticide use, and involve parents in pest management decision-making. (1) As a result of health concerns raised by health professionals across the country, the U.S. EPA has begun assessing pesticides for their health effects on children. The agency recently ordered the phaseout of two popular home and school use pesticidesÑchlorpyrifos (Dursban) and diazinonÑ because of their effects on children’s nervous systems.
Pesticides are linked to a variety of acute and chronic health effects. Acute symptoms include headache, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, skin rash, asthma attack and respiratory irritation. These symptoms often appear similar or identical to illnesses from other causes such as Òthe flu,Ó resulting in frequent misdiagnosis of pesticide-related illness. Chronic effects of pesticides may remain undetected for weeks, months, or even years after exposure. Multiple scientific studies, however, link pesticides to cancer, birth defects, nervous system disorders, and immune deficiency.
Children are not little adults. Children’s vulnerability to pesticide exposure is increased by their greater cell division rates and being in the early stages of organ, nervous, reproductive and immune system development. (2) Pesticide concentrations in their fatty tissues may be greater because their fat as a percentage of total body weight is lower. (3)
A 1993 National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences report shows that children are more susceptible than adults to the health effects from low-level exposures to some pesticides over the long-term. (4) Animal studies also suggest that the young are more vulnerable to the effects of some toxic chemicals. A review of 269 drugs and toxic substances, including a number of pesticides, reveals lower lethal doses in newborn rodents than in adult rodents in 86 percent of cases. (5)
In addition to being more vulnerable to pesticide toxicity, childrenÕs behavior and physiology make them more likely than adults to encounter pesticides. For example, most pesticide exposure is through the skinÑthe largest organÑand children have much more skin surface area for their size than adults. (6) Similarly, their higher respiratory rate means they inhale airborne pesticides at a faster rate. (7)
Children’s characteristic contact with floors, lawns, and playgrounds also increases exposure. Very young children frequently put fingers and other objects in their mouths, risking even greater exposure. The breathing zone for children is closer to the floor, where pesticides reenter the air after floor surfaces are disturbed. Finally, children may bring home more than their homeworkÑthey may track school pesticides into their homes, presenting additional opportunity for exposure.
Childhood Exposures Can Come From Pesticide Residues In Dust And Carpets
Although pesticides contaminate air, soil, food, water and surfaces, studies that examine children’s pesticide exposure indicate that the largest number and highest concentrations of chemicals often accumulate in household dust. (8) Because children’s breathing zones are closer to the ground, they incur greater exposure to pesticides in carpets and dust than adults.
Carpets are long-term reservoirs for pesticides sprayed indoors. (9) Research assessing pesticide exposure from home carpet dust found an average of 12 pesticides in carpet dust samples, compared with 7.5 in air samples from the same residences. Moreover, 13 pesticides found in the carpet dust were not detected in the air. Diazinon appeared in nine of 11 carpets tested. (10) Carpet cleaning may release pesticides into the air, providing another opportunity for inhalation. (11)
School districts frequently attempt to reduce exposure risk by applying pesticides after-hours, while students are not present. However, numerous studies indicate that pesticides may remain potent indoors for days, weeks, even months after application. Sunlight, rain and soil microbes are not present to break down or carry away indoor pesticides, which thus persist much longer than in the outdoor environment. (12) Some pesticides can linger indoors for months and years. Indoor air concentrations of several kinds of pesticides may be more than 10 to 100 times higher than outdoor concentrations. (13) Even non-persistent pesticides last much longer indoors because they are not exposed to sunlight and water. (14) For example, one study detected air levels of diazinon 21 days after application at 20% of levels immediately after application. (15)
Not all indoor dust residues stem from indoor use. One study showed residues of 2,4-D and dicambaÑherbicides used by some California school districtsÑcould be tracked inside on shoes. Untreated areas, including lawn area and carpets, showed levels of 2,4-D, most likely due to spray-drift from nearby applications. Researchers estimated that residues of 2,4-D can persist in household carpet dust as long as one year. (16) Another study showed that after a single spray application in an apartment, chlorpyrifos continued to accumulate on both plush and hard-plastic children’s toys, as well as on surfaces, for two weeks. (17)
When our children’s health is at stake, we had better be safe than sorry. Given the serious health risks of childhood pesticide exposure, many school districts in California and nationwide are adopting least-toxic pest control practices. http://www.pesticidereform.org/article.php?id=139
………………………………………………………
Don’t pesticides go away after they “dry”?
No. Research shows that pesticide residues linger and threaten public health. Nu- merous studies find pesticides persist in dust and air in significant concentrations for months after they are applied, disproving the popular myth that they are not long lasting. A 1996 study finds that 2,4-D can be tracked indoors from lawns, leaving residues in the home. EPA research finds at least five pesticides in indoor air, at levels often 10 times greater than outdoors. Another EPA study finds residues of pesticides in and around structures even when there had been no known use on the premises.
Are children more sensitive to pesticides than adults?
Yes. Children face higher risks than adults from pesticide exposure due to their small size, their tendency to place their hands close to their face or in their mouth, the activities they engage in on or near the ground, their greater intake of air and food relative to body weight, their developing organ systems, and other unique character- istics. In addition, the probability of an effect such as cancer, which requires a period of time to develop after exposure, is enhanced if exposure occurs early in life. http://beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/schools/publications/pesticides-homes-schools-09.pdf
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………
What Are the Long Term Health Risks from Pesticides?
�� Studies link pesticide exposure to cancer, birth defects, stillbirth, infertility, and damage to the brain and nervous system (including Parkinson’s disease).
�� Cancers seen in children include: brain cancer, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and soft tissue sarcoma. The same cancers are found in adults, as well as multiple myeloma, cancer of the pancreas, breast, prostate, kidney/bladder, eye, and colon-rectal cancer. Pesticides can aggravate asthma, allergies, and multiple chemical sensitivity
Why Are Children More Vulnerable to Pesticides?
Children are not mini-adults. They have much more skin surface for their size and take in more breaths per minute than adults. At the same level of exposure, they will absorb more into their bodies.. Children also have less mature defense systems against toxic chemicals. Recent studies show unacceptable levels of exposure to infants and children from pesticide use in the home, on pets, on lawns and in gardens — even when used legally and following the instructions on the label. Children are much more likely to have direct contact with residues on contaminated surfaces such as carpets, pets, lawns, furniture etc. They are m uch mo re likely to be wearing less clothing, be barefoot, fall down, and put things in the their mouths. http://www.pesticides.org/docs/website-home-use.pdf
………………………………………………………….
Health Impacts
Pesticides can cause a wide range of health problems, including acute and persistent injury to the nervous system, injury to reproductive systems, birth defects, and cancer.
Of the 28 pesticides estimated by EPA to be most widely used in agriculture, in and around U.S. homes, and by commercial pesticide applicators, more than 40 percent are classified by EPA as likely, probable, or possible carcinogens, according to a review by the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP). Use of these pesticides totals 350 million pounds per year. An EPA database summarizing studies of 19 of these commonly used pesticides indicates that 18 of the 19 have caused reproductive problems in laboratory tests. Other studies have shown that some pesticides may cause asthma, in addition to triggering asthma symptoms.
Immediate health impacts can include dizziness, headaches, sweating, fatigue, memory impairment, visual disorders and vomiting, as well as skin, eye and respiratory tract irritation.
The health effects from exposure to pesticides vary depending upon the level and duration of exposure. As with most environmental toxins, children are at greater risk from exposure than are adults. Some studies have demonstrated a link between childhood cancers and pesticides http://www.nchh.org/What-We-Do/Health-Hazards–Prevention–and-Solutions/Pesticides.aspx
…………………………………………………………
Pesticides get inside our homes and our bodies
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) follows the concentrations of pesticides and other contaminants in blood and urine. The results of this body burden are found in the “Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals,” updated every few years.
Pesticides in weed and feed also end up inside homes. A study found that the 2,4-D levels inside homes were about ten times higher after it was applied to the lawn than before application. The highest levels were found inside homes with children and a dog, the lowest levels were households where shoes were always removed at the door.
Once weed and bug killers are tracked inside, they last much longer than they would outdoors, because they are not broken down by sunlight and soil organisms. Several studies have found higher levels of pesticides indoors in the carpets and dust than in the soil outdoors. Young children who spend time playing on the floor are at risk from exposure to these chemicals. http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehcsg/weed_feed.html
……………………………….
Your front door. Studies have found higher levels of pesticides inside homes than outdoors—even in homes where pesticides aren’t used—
primarily because people track them in on their shoes. “You get pesticides on the soles of your shoes and then it dissolves in the waxes on your floors and in the fibers of your carpet,” says Porter. Adults who walk around barefoot, or kids who crawl on the floor, may absorb those chemicals through the skin. http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/wellbeing/pesticides-and-cancer
……………………………………………………..
Routes of Exposure There are many sources of exposure to pesticides. The three routes of exposure for pesticides are oral ingestion, dermal absorption, and inhalation. Lawn and garden pesticides are used in homes and gardens, on golf courses, along highways and hydro rights-of-way, and in public parks, exposing people by all three routes. Pesticides can be tracked into homes, or brought home from work on clothing and in vehicles, exposing family members as well. Pesticides are used in pet flea collars, in treatments for scabies and lice, and for home infestations of wasps, cockroaches, and ants. Agricultural pesticides are used on farms, greenhouses, and orchards, and consumers eating produce and other food products ingest them. Pesticides used domestically or in agriculture run off into ground and surface water, exposing entire populations. http://www.unc.edu/courses/2005spring/epid/278/001/PesticideReviewChapter1.pdf
………………………………………………………………………………..
In the study, researchers applied a pesticide formulation containing 2,4-D, dicamba and mecoprop (X-Gro Broadleaf Weed Killer) to sections of a lawn that had not been treated with pesticides for at least 10 years. Participants then walked on the treated plots, staggering their times and walking in different areas so that most of the treated ground was covered. They then either wiped their feet on a mat or walked directly onto indoor carpeting, both of which had never been used before. Researchers analyzed residues tracked onto the carpets as well as levels of turf dislodgeable residues on the lawn.
Use of entryway mats reduced the level of pesticide residues on carpet surfaces by 25 percent and reduced carpet dust residues by 33 percent.
The researchers estimated that 2,4-D residues could remain in household carpet dust for up to one year after turf application at concentrations of approximately 0.3 micrograms/square meter. The authors stated that this level is consistent with levels of 2,4-D that they found in household dust of nine suburban homes.
A range of health and environmental impacts have been associated with exposure to 2,4-D, including endocrine disruption, reproductive effects, cancer and toxicity to birds and fish; impacts associated with exposure to dicamba include neurological effects, non Hodgkins’ lymphoma (cancer) and mutagenicity. http://www.monitor.net/monitor/free2/indoorlawn.html
……………………………………………..
The measurement of pesticide levels in the Ohio houses is the first actual in-home proof that 2,4-D can be tracked into residences up to a week after application to lawns. The scientists had previously predicted the track-in based on simulation studies.
Rooms with carpeted floors, when compared to bare floor areas, generally had higher levels of tracked-in 2,4-D, according to the journal article. In homes with bare floor entryways, the highest levels of the herbicide were found in carpeted living rooms and bedrooms. In homes with carpeted entryways, the levels were higher there than in other parts of the house. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1999/04/990427045111.htm
…………………………………………………….
Numerous pesticides are used in public spaces such as in parks and even on sidewalks. Anyone who walks or plays in such spaces will be exposed to pesticides and will bring the pesticides home on shoes and on clothing. The process by which people bring pesticides into their homes was examined in two research studies. These studies evaluated the spreading of pesticides within the homes of farmers who used pesticides on their farms. They found that when farmers removed their shoes before coming indoors and when they removed their work clothing in an area such as a laundry room, the amount of pesticide residue in their homes was substantially reduced.
We now know that pesticide residue can linger in our homes for many years after the pesticides were used. We also know that pesticides can be brought into our homes on clothing and shoes. However, pesticides also come into our homes through open windows. This happens on farms where pesticides are used, but this also can occur in homes located far from farms. The wind can carry pesticides for miles and enter through open windows and doors http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/we-all-have-pesticides-in-our-homes-even-if-we-dont-use-pesticides/#sthash.8NYEc1H8.dpuf
………………………………………………………….
In addition to the active ingredient, pesticides are also made up of ingredients that are used to carry the active agent. These carrier agents are called “inerts” in pesticides because they are not toxic to the targeted pest; nevertheless, some inerts are capable of causing health problems.http://www2.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/pesticides-impact-indoor-air-quality
…………………………………………………………………………
Epidemiological and laboratory studies contribute to a growing body of evidence linking pesticide exposure to adverse health effects including cancer, birth defects, reproductive harm, neurological and developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, and disruption of the endocrine system.
Based on experiments in laboratory animals, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified at least ninety-six different pesticide active ingredients registered for use that are potential human carcinogens.[6] Studies of human populations, particularly farmers, also demonstrate the carcinogenic potential of certain pesticides. A 1992 National Cancer Institute review of two dozen epidemiological studies found pesticides to be one of five likely suspects explaining why farmers had elevated risks of several forms of cancer including Hodgkin’s disease, multiple myeloma, leukemia, melanoma, and cancers of the lip.[7] There is some evidence that the breakdown product of the organochlorine pesticide DDT, which is now banned but still persists in the environment, may be associated with breast cancer.[8]
Studies demonstrate that in addition to acute poisoning, pesticides can cause long-term damage to the nervous system. Every year, an estimated 300,000 farmworkers are poisoned by pesticides.[9] According to the Office of Technology Assessment, an estimated 4 to 9 percent of agricultural and other workers acutely poisoned by pesticides experience delayed persistent neurological and psychiatric effects including agitation, insomnia, weakness, nervousness, irritation, forgetfulness, confusion, and depression.[10] Additional studies of agricultural workers indicate that pesticide poisoning can lead to poor performance on tests involving intellectual functioning, motor skills, and memory.[11]
Some pesticides are associated with diminishing reproductive capacity and causing birth defects. The state of California maintains a list of reproductive toxins that currently includes fifteen pesticides, ten of which are still in use. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) evaluates pesticides for their potential to cause birth defects and reproductive harm. Of the sixty-three chemicals evaluated by the DPR, fifteen have tested positive for birth defects and twenty-two have tested positive for other reproductive effects in experimental studies.[12]
There is growing awareness in the scientific community that toxic chemicals, including pesticides, can damage the immune system. Laboratory animal studies indicate a variety of immunotoxic effects from exposure to certain pesticides, particularly several organochlorine and organophosphate insecticides.[13] The immune system plays a critical role in helping ward off disease.
Children and infants are uniquely susceptible to the effects of pesticides because of their physiological immaturity and greater exposure to pesticides. Differences in exposure are considered a more important source of differences in risk than age-related differences in toxicological vulnerability. http://www.nrdc.org/health/kids/ocar/chap5.asp
……………………………………………………………….
State health officials have found the chemicals in the bodies of marine mammals and in bird eggs and dead embryos and are concerned that the chemicals will interfere with reproduction, a danger observed in laboratory animals.
The synthetic insecticides, pyrethroids, are used in lawn products, outdoor sprays and on crops, including one called bifenthrin, which has been shown to kill the small crustaceans eaten by fish and amphibians. The state Department of Pesticide Regulation is reviewing documents on hundreds of pyrethrin products to assess their safety. http://www.ncriverwatch.org/wordpress/2007/11/05/chemicals-threaten-wildlife-in-san-francisco-bay-scientists-say/
|
-F. Bacon at Stowe Landscape Garden
balance1010 