Despite legal protections that exist to regulate pesticides, the safeguards are woefully inadequate. People living on or near farms are not fully protected from harmful pesticide exposures. Pesticides can have long term effects on children’s health, particularly when exposed in the womb or early life.
Studies of children living in agricultural areas confirm the links between pesticide exposure and birth defects, developmental delays, ADHD-like symptoms and cancer.
Sierra Club fights for restrictions on harmful chemicals and supports the “Organic for All” campaign, which prioritizes access, equity, and affordability of pesticide-free food. Our program advocates for the government to regulate these toxics and shift the responsibility of avoiding pesticides off of people and onto pesticide manufacturers..
For more information see our Grassroots Network Pesticides site:
http://content.sierraclub.org/grassrootsnetwork/teams/helpful-resources-pesticides
Pesticides Reports & Resources: Kids and Chlorpyrifos
Despite research showing the dangers of Chlorpyrifos, the most commonly used food pesticide, EPA Administrator Pruitt sided with Dow Chemicals over his own scientists to continue use of the neurotoxin on fruits and vegetables, putting kids at risk.