Surprise! Studies show pesticides cause ADHD

Proving once again how stupid it is that we use millions of pounds of pesticides to "cleanse" our crops of insects and other pests, several new studies have found a link between a class of chemicals called organophosphates and ADHD:

Organophosphates are a set of common pesticides that work by attacking the nervous systems of insects. When people are exposed to high levels of the chemicals, they can develop anxiety, confusion impaired concentration, and other serious symptoms. More recently, scientists have started to wonder how chronic exposure at low levels might be affecting people, especially kids, whose nervous systems are still developing.

To find out, Eskenazi and colleagues followed up on a long-term study that has tracked more than 300 Mexican-American women in an agriculturally intensive region of California since they first became pregnant in 1999 or 2000. When the women were pregnant, the researchers measured levels of pesticide breakdown products in their urine. More recently, they collected urine samples from the kids and evaluated measures of attention.

Here's what they found:

By age five, the team reported in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, kids who had been exposed to higher levels of OP pesticides in the womb were five times more likely to have an attention deficit disorder. The finding was stronger for boys.

We already know that drugs and alcohol can seriously interfere with a pregnancy... but people don't seem to appreciate that toxic chemicals are likewise toxic and not appropriate for consumption by anybody, let alone pregnant women. That's probably because we don't see the chemicals. But they're still there.

If I went into a grocery store and slapped toxicity stickers on all of the produce that came from fields sprayed with pesticides, I'm willing to wager that sales of such produce would dwindle to almost nothing. Most people would opt to buy organically grown produce, even if it costs more. (They might eat less as a consequence, but that might not be a bad thing, either).

Because pesticide residue lingers on fruits and vegetables, the findings suggest that people either buy organic or take the time to wash their produce well.

Washing "conventionally grown" produce throughly can help remove pesticide residue on the surface of fruits and vegetables, but it doesn't eliminate systemic pesticides, which are contained within the plant.

That's why it's important to buy organic, locally-grown food whenever possible, either through a farmer's market, or from a store like PCC. (PCC maintains a handy chart depicting when local, organic produce is in season).

We in the Pacific Northwest are lucky to have several terrific organizations working to promote and strengthen sustainable agriculture, particularly the Oregon and Washington Tilth Associations. Follow the links to their websites to learn more about gardening and farming naturally.