June 5, 1998
Pesticide Exposure May Impair Children's Brain Function
Dramatic deficits in brain function are seen in rural
children with long-term exposure to pesticides compared with
children not similarly exposed, according to a recent study
in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study compared two
groups of four- and five-year-old children in the Yaqui
Valley of Sonora, Mexico, a region and population that
allowed researchers to compare groups of children who are
very similar except in their levels of pesticide exposure.
The children share a genetic and cultural background, eat the
same foods and drink the same water.
Thirty three of those studied live in the valley, a farming
area where pesticide use is relatively intense. Farmers
reported that two crops a year may be planted, with up to 45
pesticide applications per crop. Organophosphates,
organochlorines and pyrethroids are among the chemicals used,
according to the study. In addition, household insecticides
are usually applied each day throughout the year.
Contamination of the local population has been documented,
with women's breast milk containing concentrations of
lindane, heptachlor, benzene hexachloride, aldrin and endrin
all above limits established by the UN Food and Agricultural
Organization.
The second study group (17 children) live in the foothills,
where most families are involved in ranching and pesticide
use is minimal. Foothill residents use traditional methods of
intercropping for pest control in gardens and rarely use
insecticides indoors. Residents stated that their only
exposure to pesticides is annual government spraying of DDT
to combat malaria (this program is also carried out in the
valley).
Using a variety of games and tests, researchers evaluated
gross motor coordination, stamina, spacial perception, short-
term memory and fine eye-hand and motor coordination.
Children who live in the valley had significantly less
stamina and hand-eye coordination, poorer short-term memory
and were less adept at drawing a person than were children in
the foothills. For example, valley children were so much less
capable of drawing a person than were foothill children that
researchers investigated the possibility that the two groups
had different levels of access to drawing materials or
opportunities. Access was reported to be similar with the two
groups -- some valley mothers stressed their own frustration
in trying to teach their child how to draw.
According to pediatrician Philip Landrigan of Mount Sinai
Medical Center, the study raises "very important concerns
about the toxic effects of pesticides on children's nervous
systems." Bernard Weiss of the Department of Environmental
Medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine
and Dentistry stated that the study highlights the need for
more research. "It doesn't seem a surprise that you would see
an effect, knowing what we know about pesticides and the
elevated vulnerabilty of the developing brain."
In carrying out the study, researchers used "rapid
assessment" techniques, a method intended to determine fairly
quickly whether a problem exists and to suggest possible
avenues for further research. According to the study, the
findings suggest that environmental factors have placed
children of the agricultural area of the Yaqui Valley at a
disadvantage for participating in normal childhood
activities. The researchers recommend further study on a
range of physiological and other questions regarding the
health of Yaqui valley residents, and suggest that "rapid
assessment" techniques proved valuable in making
determinations without spending much time or money.
Source: "An Anthropological Approach to the Evaluation of
Preschool Children Exposed to Pesticides in Mexico."
Environmental Health Perspectives, Volume 106, Number 6, June
1998.
Contact: PANNA.
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