The Dangers of Pesticides and the EPAs Harrowing Plan to Test Them on Kids
Pesticides are a ubiquitous toxin in our environment. We spray them liberally on ants and spiders in our homes, use them in our gardens and on our lawns, fog our streets with them to kill mosquitoes-even spread them on our own bodies to keep bugs away.
Farmers use 1.5 billion pounds of pesticides every year-and most have been found by the EPA to be carcinogenic.
But that's not all. American farmers use 1.5 billion pounds of pesticides each year-that's 1.5 billion pounds of pesticides sprayed onto the food that we, and our children, eat. And it's not just fruits and vegetables; meats contain pesticides too because the animals eat feed that has been heavily sprayed.
Plus, pesticides are used in many consumer products, including paints, cosmetics, food packaging, fabrics, carpets and exercise mats. And they're used extensively in parks and other recreational areas-golf courses are some of the biggest offenders; in one year they use seven or eight times the pesticides used on a comparable sized area of agricultural land.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered close to 900 pesticides, which are formulated into over 20,000 products, according to the Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides.
Some 60 percent of herbicides, 90 percent of fungicides and 30 percent of insecticides are known to be carcinogenic, says the EPA, and these pesticides contaminate our groundwater, our air and the very food we eat.
What Are the Health Effects of All These Pesticides?
Animal and human studies on individual pesticides have shown that they contribute to an alarming number of health problems like:
* Cancer
* Fertility problems
* Brain tumors
* Childhood leukemia
* Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
* Birth defects
* Irritation to skin and eyes
* Hormone or endocrine system problems
* Nervous system damage
Children are especially at risk from the toxic effects of pesticides. Their bodies are still developing and immature, making them susceptible to such damage. In fact, studies by the National Academy of Sciences and the Environmental Working Group have found that children exposed to carcinogenic pesticides are at a high risk of future cancer and other studies determined that pesticide use was associated with an increased risk of childhood malignancies.
Knowing this information, think, then, just how outrageous it is that we shampoo our children with pesticides to kill head lice.
But all of these negative effects have been found largely from studies that typically focus on one individual pesticide. Who, then, is studying the cumulative effects on the body of all the various pesticides we're exposed to, and that we consume, over years?
The EPA's Testing Pesticides on Kids?
That kids are so vulnerable to pesticide exposure is precisely why the EPA chose them to study, and back in October 2004, they were given $2.1 million to do just that. Who were the granters of this large sum? The American Chemistry Council, a chemical industry front group with such big wigs as Monsanto, Exxon and Dow.
The two-year study-called the Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS)-would monitor infants in low-income families to determine how chemicals can be ingested, inhaled or absorbed by babies to children up to age 3, as well as the health effects they would cause.
Families in the EPA's CHEERS pesticide study would receive a t-shirt, video camcorder, bib, calendar, framed certificate, newsletter and $970.
Surprisingly, the EPA chose to name the entirely serious study a flippant "CHEERS." Study participants would receive $970, a t-shirt, a bib for their baby, a calendar, a newsletter, a framed certificate of appreciation and a video camcorder.
While the study does not require participants to change the level of pesticides in their home, nor does it expose them to any additional chemicals, it does require that they demonstrate a use of these toxic products in their home. Opponents are concerned that low-income families will up their pesticides use just to be involved in the study.
They also noted that since the study is partially industry-funded, it represents a conflict of interest. Most effects of pesticides are seen in the long-term, so it is unlikely that adverse effects will be seen during the short-term study. The result would be that the chemical industry could then claim an EPA study found their pesticides safe and push for looser regulations for their use.
Said EPA Pesticide Scientist Troy Pierce, "This does sound like it goes against everything we recommend at EPA concerning use of [pesticides] related to children. Paying families in Florida to have their homes routinely treated with pesticides is very sad when we at EPA know that [pesticide management] should always be used to protect children."
In November 2004 the study was postponed, largely because of the public controversy that arose around it, for a "final review" but is scheduled to resume in spring 2005.
It is certainly a step in the right direction that the EPA is taking strides to study the effects of pesticides that we're all exposed to. However, their proposed "compensation" for participating in this very serious study includes some gimmicky items: a free t-shirt, bib and calendar? And it even has a gimmicky name (CHEERS?), which may explain why the public was so alarmed when it appeared an industry-funded study was seeking to draw in low-income families to monitor their use of chemicals that the government already knows are toxic.
What's the Good News?
There is good news in all of this, and that is: It is possible to reduce your exposure to pesticides (though, admittedly, you probably can't reduce it to zero). The top ways to do this include:
*
Buy certified organic fruits, vegetables and meats (be sure to wash produce, particularly commercially grown produce, thoroughly before eating using a diluted soap solution)
*
Avoid the use of toxic pesticides in your home and yard (opt for natural pesticides that you can find in your local health food store instead)
*
Don't use pesticides for aesthetic purposes like dandelions in your lawn
* Don't use chemical bug repellants or lice shampoos
From the FREE SixWise.com e-newsletter, the Web's #1 most read newsletter with original articles in all 6 areas of life leading to complete wellness.
 Google News Updated : Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:13:38 GMT My Super Sweet 16: The Miley Cyrus Edition - E! Online
E! Online - Miley Cyrus is about to show up all those spoiled brats on My Super Sweet 16 who think they're cool being flown to their party by helicopter or when they're carried in like a princess by a group of hot dudes. Miley Cyrus to Celebrate Turning 16 at Disneyland Miley Cyrus Sweet 16 Publ.Date : Thu, 21 Aug 2008 20:21:48 GMT Marlins let one slip away in San Francisco - Sports Network
Sports Network - San Francisco, CA (Sports Network) - Marlins reliever Kevin Gregg's wild pitch in bottom of the ninth inning scored Emmanuel Burriss to send San Francisco past Florida, 4-3, in the finale of a three-game series. Giants walk off on Gregg's wild pitch Giants beat Marlins on wild pitch in 9th inning Publ.Date : Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:33:45 GMT GM to Invest $500 Million To Build Chevy Cruze - Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal - By KATHY SHWIFF General Motors Corp. will spend more than $500 million in the US to build the Chevrolet Cruze, a next-generation compact car. GM announces $500M investment for small car GM to invest $500 million in small car plant Publ.Date : Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:10:12 GMT IAC Officially Breaks Up - Wall Street Journal
Wall Street Journal - By DAVID BENOIT and KATHY SHWIFF IAC is left as a collection of more than 35 Internet companies -- including search engine Ask.com, dating site Match. IAC: And Then There Were Five Diller's IAC Split May Fail to Boost Investor Returns (Update2) Publ.Date : Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:17:40 GMT Microsoft's Photosynth wilts under pressure - Computerworld
Computerworld - By Gregg Keizer August 21, 2008 (Computerworld) Within hours of its launch, Microsoft Corp.'s new photo-stitching service went dark, overwhelmed by demand, the company said Thursday afternoon. New Microsoft photo site spends first day offline New Microsoft Tech Converts Photo Soup Into 3-D Image Publ.Date : Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:28:59 GMT UPDATE 1-Microsoft enlists Seinfeld for ad campaign--source - Reuters Reuters - By Steve Gorman LOS ANGELES, Aug 21 (Reuters) - Comedian Jerry Seinfeld will star in a $300 million marketing campaign for Microsoft Corp aimed at burnishing the image of its computer operating system, a person familiar with the effort said on Thursday ... Jerry Seinfeld and Bill Gates to star in anti-Apple ads Seinfeld to be pitchman for Microsoft Publ.Date : Thu, 21 Aug 2008 21:27:28 GMT Hillary Clinton's Staff Looking to Avoid Embarrassing Anti-Obama ... - FOXNews
FOXNews - Hillary Clinton's staff is trying to avoid an embarrassing anti-Obama demonstration by her supporters during the floor vote at next week's Democratic convention in Denver. Clinton Will Attend Fund-Raiser for Towns Clinton for VP? She Says Ask the Obama Campaign Publ.Date : Thu, 21 Aug 2008 23:15:16 GMT Amazon Associate Store |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Paint is one of the most affordable and easiest ways... Read More Are you looking for something different for your house? Maybe... Read More In bathroom terms at least, bigger doesn't have to be... Read More When you add up all the money that you can... Read More Above ground pools are beloved by many and have gained... Read More If you are tired of replacing your mailbox every few... Read More Power tools are one of the greatest conveniences for getting... Read More A ceiling fan consists of three basic parts, namely the... Read More VANCOUVER, CANADA. Many homeowners, landlords, renters, property managers, business owners,... Read More Buying a new mattress is a daunting task that few... Read More Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the... Read More Have you been considering selling your home in the near... Read More If you are looking to warm your floors with a... Read More High quality residential and commercial mailboxes are available in styles... Read More Thread count is the most widely referred to term when... Read More Paint is one of the most affordable and easiest ways... Read More To make your home more energy efficient, you need to... Read More With a little bit of creativity and some imagination you... Read More Electric radiant floor heating systems are heating systems designed for... Read More Commercial steel buildings are prefabricated and custom-designed for use as... Read More (This is the first in a series of three articles... Read More Would you steel your appliances? That is a question many... Read More A clock is simply a device that measures time. Typical... Read More Stress is all around us, from the office to the... Read More Do you need a patio awning for your lovely patio... Read More
Adsense
websites
Tips For Breaking Away From White Wall Paint
Bamboo Flooring Is Taking The Design World By Storm
Making the Most of a Small Bathroom
Buying Home Appliances The Smart Way
Pool Decks ? Add Ambiance to Your Above Ground Pool
Buyers Guide To Heavy-Built Mailboxes
Electrical Safety and Power Tools
Ceiling Fan Blades
How to Use Do-It-Yourself Toxic Mold Test Kits
The Top 10 Mistakes to Avoid When Shopping for a Mattress
Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter
Get Your Home Ready To Sell
Which Type of Radiant Floor Heating is Best For Me?
What To Look For In USPS Mailboxes
Luxury Bedding is More Than Just Thread Count
Breaking Away from White Wall Paint
A Few Simple Facts About Gas And Electric Heating Systems
Ladder Décor ? the Possibilities Are Endless
Electric Radiant Floor Heating
A Guide to Commercial Steel Buildings
The Organized Move: Preparing Your Home for the Publics Eye
Would You Steel Your Household Appliances
Where Did We Get Clocks From Anyway?
Hammocks Create a Stress Free Zone
Add A Room To Your Home With A Patio Awning
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
A Well Chosen Bathroom Vanity Will Make Your Bathroom Look Great!
A bathroom vanity is the centerpiece of your bathroom. Regardless... Read More
From Toss Out to Sensational Keeper - Lamp Re-Make
When the old lamp from my children's room was turning... Read More
Reuse Works for the Workshop
The workshop is a great place for reusing items formally... Read More
Choosing a Vinyl Replacement Window Contractor
Whenever I write an article, it's usually tailored to the... Read More
Clearing the Air on What to Look for in an Air Purifier
If you are dedicated to improving the indoor air quality... Read More
The Benifits of Home Ventilation
The purpose of a home ventilation system is to maintain... Read More
Stair Railings Styles
The stair railing at home is more than a simple... Read More
Duct Cleaning - Proper Principals and Practices
As a qualified duct cleaning contractor I have discovered that... Read More
The Advantages of Steel Buildings
Use of steel as a construction material has seen phenomenal... Read More
Single Pane Window Glass Repair in an Aluminum Frame
Let's suppose you still have those old aluminum single pane... Read More
Hand Stripping Furniture
Directions for HAND Stripping.Work with plenty of ventilation, safety goggles... Read More
The Benefits of Steel Storage Buildings
Steel is gaining in popularity as a building material due... Read More
10 Things To Consider Before Planning And Installing A New Bathroom
Whether you want to install a new bathroom or make... Read More
How to Collect Physical Mold Growth Samples for Low-Cost Mold Laboratory Identification of Mold Spec
How to Collect Physical Mold Growth Samples for Low-Cost Mold... Read More
New Jersey Home Remodeling
The U.S. state of New Jersey lies on the Eastern... Read More
10 Common Uses for Baking Soda
Baking soda is a great household cleaner. Here are ten... Read More
Here Comes The Sun: Solar Energy is Becoming More Attractive for Mainstream Consumers
The price of a barrel of oil has never been... Read More
Protecting Yourself from Miter Saw Hazards
A miter saw, also known as a "chop saw," is... Read More
Operation Closet
When the wife comes to you one fine day and... Read More
Prepare for Winter Before It Arrives
Even though we are still enjoying warm weather and winter... Read More
Marble Information
Marble is any limestone or dolomite that can take a... Read More
Kitchen Remodeling Guide
A kitchen can make or ruin a family life. A... Read More
Planning Permission Tips UK - Trees and How They Can Affect Development when Applying for Planning
Like most folk, I believe that more can be achieved... Read More
How I Got A Robot To Vacuum The House
Like most people I really hated to vacuum the house.... Read More
Window Dressing from the Outside Looking In
Window coverings are important to the overall look and feel... Read More
Home Improvement |