2010 — Spring of Pesticide Awareness — 3 Reports of Interest
Three recent scientific reports link pesticides to serious health problems in people.
Pesticides as a group as well as the chemical classes of organophosphates and organochlorines have been linked to:
1) Cancer,
2) Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and to
3) Alzheimer disease (AD)
Report #1:
The President’s Cancer Panel Report — released 2010
Some cancers, particularly those in children have become increasingly common.
The proliferation of chemicals in water, foods, air and household products is suspected as a factor, according to the Report. Among the Panel’s recommendations for cancer prevention is “Give preference to food grown without pesticides, chemical fertilizers and growth hormones,” (2008-2009 Annual Report, “Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now,” President’s Cancer Panel). Contact RCC for a copy of the report.
Report #2:
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Linked To Organophosphates
Background: Previous studies found that “exposure to organophosphate (OP) insecticides has been associated with adverse effects on neurodevelopement, such as with behavior problems and lower cognitive function. [These] studies have focused, however, on populations with high levels of exposure, relative to the general population.” (Bouchard, M.F., et al, “Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder and Urinary Metabolites of Organophosphate Pesticides,” Pediatrics, v125#6, June 2010, pp 1270-1277).
Information from the Bouchard et al study, released in May 2010, was based on a population of 1139 children, aged from 8 to 15 years who were representative of the U.S. population. The new findings showed that children with higher levels of urinary organophosphate (OP) metabolites were more likely than those with lower levels to meet the diagnostic criteria for ADHA. These findings support the hypothesis that OP exposure, at levels common among U.S. children, may contribute to ADHD,
Report #3:
Pesticides in general (and organophosphates and organochlorines to a lesser degree) linked to Alzheimer disease (AD)
A recently published report (Hayden, K.M., et al, “Occupational exposure to pesticides increases the risk of incident AD: The Cache County Study,” Neurology, 2010;74;1524-1530) links pesticide exposure to AD. The authors of this study state, “Pesticide exposure may increase the risk of dementia and Alzheimer disease later in life.” The authors found a stronger risk for dementia with any individuals that had pesticide exposure in general, than for exposure to specific types of pesticides. Two classes of pesticides, organophosphates and organochlorines were also associated with an increased risk of dementia and more specifically AD, although the associations were only marginal.
The authors concluded: “These findings add to a small, but growing literature suggesting that exposure to pesticides may have adverse, long term effects on the nervous system, thereby increasing the risk of AD in late life.” (Hayden, K.M., et al, 2010)
RCC Conclusions:
Based on the three citations linking Cancer, ADHD, and AD with pesticide exposure, as well as the information reported in RCC’s, “Issues and Impacts 2009,” linking pesticide exposure with Parkinson’s disease, autism, and asthma, we urge action by individuals and organizations to help the public become aware of these potential dangers. Further, local communities should consider eliminating the cosmetic use of chemical pesticides. We recommend, as well, that families adopt alternative methods of dealing with pests such as those found in RCC’s publication, “Low Risk Pest Management.” As always RCC is available to help answer specific questions and provide additional information.
Dr. Diana Post, President
Rachel Carson Council
May 21, 2010
RCC’s phone number is 301-593-7507