Invisible killers: organophosphates threaten our children

Terrible fact: only 10% of the 35,000 pesticides used since 1945 have been tested for harmful effects on the human body.

Intensive chemicalization of world agriculture causes a large number of various chemicals, including pesticides, enter the planet’s biosphere every year. Therefore, the problem of environmental protection from chemical pollutants has become of global importance.

The damaging effects of pesticides, cause serious environmental and health effects. Approximately half a million people are exposed to pesticides annually, and there are about ten thousand deaths worldwide. Here are some facts that speak about the dangers of using different pesticides.

They contaminate the meat and milk of domestic animals, cause the destruction of the fertile soil layer, as well as chronic diseases, such as allergies or cancer. Pesticides also pollute groundwater.

Organophosphates are the most common pesticides, but their use has been significantly reduced in response to numerous reports of poisoning from agricultural workers.

In addition, a significant dose of these substances entails tragic consequences, which ultimately affect us as well. The increased content of these substances, for example in drinking water, dramatically increases the incidence of cancers, miscarriages and other pathologies during pregnancy and childbirth. Children are born with physical and mental disorders.

Organophosphates have been proven to be a dangerous threat. Among the many side effects, these compounds are capable of damaging a child’s brain, causing low IQ and difficulties with learning.

Researchers also found the following dependence: an increase in the dose of organophosphates for every 10 points leads to a decrease in lung function by 8%. This is akin to passive smoking. Thus, organophosphate pesticides pose a threat to pregnant women and their children.

We should be aware of regular pesticide application to many of our schoolyards as well. Pesticides have a long list of related exposure problems including acute and long-term risks. The most common of these is chlorpyrifos.

Chlorpyrifos pollutes drinking water. It is because of the strong toxic effects on the children's body, chlorpyrifos was banned for use on private land more than ten years ago. However, today this pesticide is still widely used in agriculture.

Insecticides are especially dangerous because of their ability to spread very far from the place of spraying. They can remain on plants for two weeks and accumulate largely in fish and various cultures.

Children and developing embryos are most susceptible to the toxic effects of chlorpyrifos, which sometimes leads to horrific, irreparable consequences. Its impact on the unborn child’s body is widely studied. In the course of the recent studies, scientists came to a conclusion that the use of pesticides causes brain damage in newborns.

Fortunately, many experts understand the seriousness of the situation and their number is growing. They understand the enormous threat and call for a total ban on chemicals. The main reason for this is children that are at significant risk of having developmental disorders.

A year ago, a group of researchers from the University of California published an article that described the dangers of organophosphorus compounds and required immediate reaction from the government. The article states: "There is convincing evidence that the effect of organophosphate pesticides on pregnant women is associated with poor memory, low IQ and difficulties with learning in their children."

Reviewers claim that organophosphorus compounds are extremely dangerous, even in very small quantities. The effects of organophosphates before birth are associated with poor social, behavioral, and cognitive development in children.

There are numerous alternative approaches to treating your lawns and gardens, and instead of pesticides, you can seek to create the optimum growing conditions for plants and natural predators, and unfavorable conditions for pests. You can widely use mechanical pests control methods, such as hand weeding and hand-peeking pests from the plants Beneficial organisms such as certain insects or fungi can help control pests naturally, as well.

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“Swallows have disappeared, bees are dying out because of pesticides that should have been banned long ago - it's a scandal.” Brigitte Bardot