Submit your claim details for a free, no obligation case review
Get Started:
Many Americans carry toxic pesticides in their bodies at rates above government assessed "acceptable" levels, says a report released today by Pesticide Action Network North America (PAN). The report is the first publicly available analysis of pesticide-related data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during a study of the chemical levels in almost 10,000 people nationwide.
"None of us choose to have hazardous pesticides in our bodies," said Kristin Schafer, PAN Program Coordinator and lead author of the report. "Yet CDC found pesticides in 100% of the people who had both blood and urine tested. The average person in this group carried a toxic cocktail of 13 of the 23 pesticides we analyzed."
The report shows that children, women, and Mexican Americans are exposed to the highest levels of toxins. Children, who are already the most vulnerable to the damaging effects of pesticides, are exposed to the highest levels of organophosphorous (OP) pesticides. According to CDC data, the average 6 to 11 year old in the sample encounters the OP pesticide chlorpyrifos at four times the level the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers "acceptable" for long-term exposure. Chlorpyrifos, manufactured principally by Dow Chemical Corporation and a component of a number of products, is designed to kill insects by disrupting the nervous system. The pesticide is also a nerve poison in humans, and has been shown to disrupt hormones and interfere with normal development of the nervous system in laboratory animals. Although the pesticide is restricted by the EPA for most residential purposes, it is stilly widely used in agriculture and other settings.
Many of the pesticides found in the persons tested have been linked to serious health effects such as infertility, birth defects and cancers in both children and adults. One cause for concern, according to PAN is that the health effects of these chemicals are considered separately, but not in combinations.
"While the government develops safety levels for each chemical separately, this study shows that in the real world we are exposed to multiple chemicals simultaneously," explained Margaret Reeves, PhD, Senior Scientist at PAN. "The synergistic effects of multiple exposures are unknown, but a growing body of research suggests that even at very low levels, the combination of these chemicals can be harmful to our health."
According to the report, women have significantly higher levels of three of the six organochlorine (OC) pesticides evaluated. This class of pesticides is known to have multiple harmful effects when they cross the placenta during pregnancy, resulting in reduced infant birth weight and/or disruption of brain development, which can lead to learning disabilities and other neurobehavioral problems.
Another group disproportionately represented in this report is the Mexican American population. Mexican Americans carry dramatically higher amounts of five of the 17 evaluated pesticides in urine samples, including evidence of heightened exposure to methyl parathion, a neurotoxic, endocrine-disrupting insecticide.
The report maintains that pesticide manufacturers hold the primary responsibility for these problems. "The pesticides we carry in our bodies are made and aggressively promoted by agrochemical companies," stated Skip Spitzer, Corporate Accountability Program Coordinator at PAN. "These companies also spend millions on political influence to block or undermine regulatory measures designed to protect public health and the environment."
Copyright © 2001 - 2012 Online Lawyer Source
ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT—Thank you for your visit. The content published on this website was not written by medical professionals and should not, at any point, be mistaken for medical advice. Furthermore, the information on this site is intended for educational purposes only and should never interfere with a patient/site visitor and his or her healthcare provider. In addition, viewing the content on this website, requesting additional information, or transmitting information through a contact form should never be considered the formation of an attorney-client relationship. The material published on this site is general and may not apply to your specific circumstances. Every case comes with its own set of unique circumstances; past success discussed on this site does not guarantee future performance. Information found on this website should not be used as incentive to act without seeking counsel from a professional. For more information, please read our disclaimer.