Incidence of Adverse Health Effects Attributable to Pesticides: A Study of Farm and Non-farm Children. L. M. Barraj, E. A. Julien, and M. Kelley, Novigen Sciences, Inc., Washington DC
The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has petitioned the EPA to "find that farm children are a major identifiable subgroup and must be protected under FQPA when setting allowable levels of pesticide residues in food" (NRDC, 1998). The petition used the term "farm children" to refer to all children living on and near farms, and all children of farmers, farm workers, and others who handle pesticides professionally. Novigen Sciences, Inc., has analyzed data from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (US DHHS NCHS, 1996) to determine if there is evidence of increased adverse health effects in farm children. Children included by the NHANES III survey were classified as "farm" or "non-farm" children depending on the head of household type of business or type of work. Several measures of adverse health effects that could be attributed to potential pesticide exposures were used in the assessment, including two associated with peripheral nervous system function, and two cognition tests. In addition, measures of respiratory health were included as well as indicators of overall health. Potential confounding factors that can cause or mimic effects from exposure to pesticides were also investigated. Based on these analyses of the NHANES III data, we conclude that there is no evidence of increased adverse health effects among farm children.
Work supported, in part, by ACPA.
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