Common Pesticides Might Be Turning Kids Into Tiny Terrors
Raising kids to not be little terrors who then ultimately turn into adult terrors is a difficult job on its own, so we imagine parents aren't going to be happy about a new study from researchers in Quebec. According to their report, kids can have behavioral problems simply by existing, because we use so many insecticides.
The Quebec study is one of the first of its kind. The team looked into how — if at all — common pesticides impact people's behaviors. The study looked specifically at the use of something called "pyrethroids," which are found in over 3,000 commercially available products, from flea sprays to ant spray. You've likely been using this chemical and not even realizing it. The chemical is known to be toxic to fish and bees and other insects, but until now no one has investigated if the chemicals impact humans.
In the study, the team analyzed a lot of pee. Hey, it was certainly gross, but it appears to have been helpful. The team used urine samples from 779 Canadian children, ages 6 to 11. They had the pee tested and had their parents fill out forms describing their children's behaviors. Overall, almost 100 percent of the children had traces of pyrethroid in their urine. Those kids that had the most in their bodies were likely to have scored high on the parent behavior forms, which cited behaviors associated with ADHD.
Widespread Exposure
Nearly 100% of tested Canadian children aged 6-11 had detectable pyrethroid metabolites in their urine, with higher levels linked to increased behavioral problems.
"Children are at greatest risk from pesticide toxicity because the developing brain is more susceptible to neurotoxicants and they interact with their environment in particular ways such as frequent hand-to-mouth behavior and outside play," the authors of the study explained in their report.
"Children are at greatest risk from pesticide toxicity because the developing brain is more susceptible to neurotoxicants and they interact with their environment in particular ways such as frequent hand-to-mouth behavior and outside play."
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Another study, this time conducted in New York City, found that children who had been exposed to pyrethroids while in the womb had lower developmental scores than those children who had not been exposed. And yet another report showed that the chemical impacted some animals nervous system.
Because of the abundance of the chemical, it's tough to avoid it. However, this connection might be enough to scare some parents into using natural remedies to kill bugs. At the very least, this study will lead to more studies, and that's a very good thing.
[Image via Flickr - Gary Cycles]
