Are pesticides really harmful?
Here's what the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says: "By their very nature, most pesticides create some risk of harm. Pesticides can cause harm to humans, animals, or the environment because they are designed to kill or otherwise adversely affect living organisms."
A scan of the research on the chemicals most commonly used against insects, rodents, fungi, weeds, and disease leaves no question that these substances cause adverse effects, from cancer and neurological problems to nervous system damage and birth defects.
Some research has even indicated a possible association between pesticide use and obesity and insulin resistance.
SOURCES:
1. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. What is a Pesticide? http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/index.htm (accessed 5/09).
2. Pesticide Action Network Pesticide Database. http://pesticideinfo.org/ (accessed 05/09).
3. Lim, Soo, Sun Young Ahn, In Chan Song, Myung Hee Chung, Hak Chul Jang, Kyong Soo Park, Ki-Up Lee, Youngmi Kim Pak, and Hong Kyu Lee. 2009. Chronic Exposure to the Herbicide, Atrazine, Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Insulin Resistance. PLoS One 4, no. 4. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2664469&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract (accessed 05/09).
1. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. What is a Pesticide? http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/index.htm (accessed 5/09).
2. Pesticide Action Network Pesticide Database. http://pesticideinfo.org/ (accessed 05/09).
3. Lim, Soo, Sun Young Ahn, In Chan Song, Myung Hee Chung, Hak Chul Jang, Kyong Soo Park, Ki-Up Lee, Youngmi Kim Pak, and Hong Kyu Lee. 2009. Chronic Exposure to the Herbicide, Atrazine, Causes Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Insulin Resistance. PLoS One 4, no. 4. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=2664469&tool=pmcentrez&rendertype=abstract (accessed 05/09).
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