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Agricultural Pesticides Are Dangerousfor You, Your Family, and Your Neighbors

Asthma. Pesticide exposure can both cause asthmaand make it worse. The Association o Occupationaland Environmental Clinics lists organophosphorusand carbamate insecticides, umigants like methylbromide and MITC, and many herbicides like 2,4-Dand atrazine as compounds that can cause asthma.

Cancer. Farmers appear to experience elevated ratesor several cancers: leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lym-phoma, multiple myeloma, sot-tissue sarcoma, andcancers o the skin, lip, stomach, brain, and prostate.

Prostate Cancer. Prostate cancer is higher amongarm workers with higher levels o organochlorinepesticides (lindane and hepatachlor), organophos-phate pesticides (dichlorvos), umigants (methyl bro-mide), or triazine herbicides (simazine) compared toworkers with lower levels.

Lung Cancer. Lung cancer has been shown to behigher among pesticide applicators exposed to chlor-pyrios (Dursban).

Childhood Cancer. Pesticides are a risk actor or sev-eral types o cancer in children. Risk actors includeparents’ home use, which can increase the risk o leukemia by 11 times and brain cancer by ten times.Living on a arm increases the risk o bone cancerand leukemia, and having parents who are armers orarmworkers increases a child’s risk o bone cancer,brain cancer, sot tissue sarcoma, and Wilm’s tumor.

Nervous System Disorders. In one study pesticideapplicators were 2.5 times more likely to have neurolog-

ical symptoms (symptoms aecting the nervous system)associated with pesticides than non-applicators.

Parkinson’s Disease. Strong evidence linksParkinson’s disease to pesticide exposure. Most stud-ies are o work-related exposures to herbicides. Thereis also evidence o increased risk o Parkinson’s romexposure to pesticides in the home, living in a ruralarea, and using well water.

Birth Defects. Children born to women who livein a high pesticide use area while pregnant have anincreased risk o various birth deects, including cletlip/palate, limb reduction deects and neural tube

deects.Low Sperm Counts. A 1992 study documented a40% decline in sperm count worldwide over the past50 years. Some studies have linked pesticide expo-sure with decreased sperm quality and number. Thelist o associated pesticidces includes widely used car-bamates such as aldicarb and carbaryl and commonorganophosphorus pesticides.

Roundup Toxicity. Although the glyphosate-basedherbicide Roundup is generally thought to be less

toxic to the ecosystem than other pesticides, con-cerns about its eects on human reproductionpersist. In one study, exposure o male armers toglyphosate-based herbicides was associated with anincrease in miscarriage and premature birth in armamilies.

Sources: 1) Blair, A and SH Zahm. 1995. Env Hlth Persp 103(Suppl 8):00-00. 2) Bonn, D. 2005. Env Hlth Pers 113:716-720 (2005). 3) Hunting, K and S McDonald. 2006.

Assoc Occup & Env Clinics (http://www.aoec.org/aoeccode.htm). 4) Kamel, F, et al. 2005. Env Hlth Persp 113:877-882. 5) Lee WJ, et al. 2004. Natl Cancer Inst. 2004

Dec 1;96(23):1781-9. 6) Mills, PK and R Yang. 2003. J Occup Environ Med. 45(3):249-58. 7) Schafer, K, et al. 2004. Chemical Trespass: Pesticides in our bodies and corporate 

accountability. Pesticide Action Network, San Francisco, CA.

Health Effects Associated with Pesticides

Californians for Pesticide Reform, 415-981-3939, www.PesticideReform.org May 2007

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Recent Pesticide Exposure Incidents(Summary with excerpts, Bakersfeld Caliornian, September 18, 2005, Page A8)

Following are some recent high-profle pesticide exposure incidents in Caliornia’s Central Valley.Most pesticide exposures aren’t reported, but these got the attention o regulators, the media, or both.

Ë Earlimart, November 1999 At least 170 Tulare

county residents were exposed to metam-sodium, acarcinogen and reproductive toxin. The company responsible paid a $150,000 fne.

Ë Terra Bella, June 2000 “Twenty-our womenworking in a Tulare County vineyard were sent to thehospital with complaints o nausea, eye irritation andsore throats, saying a helicopter sprayed them withpesticides being applied to an adjacent feld.” Inves-tigators ound traces o pesticides on the women’sclothing and fned the pilot and his employer.

Ë Arvin, June 2002 The state fned a company 

$15,000 or exposing 137 vineyard workers tometam-sodium applied to a nearby feld.

Ë Arvin, July 2002 “More than 250 residents weresickened by drited metam-sodium. The applicator… agreed to pay $50,000 in fnes to the state and$10,000 to reimburse Kern County or investigatingthe incident.”

Ë Lamont, Oct. 3, 2003 “Roughly 40 people liv-ing near Weedpatch Highway and Sunset Boulevardelt sick with headaches, vomiting, burning eyes andother symptoms. They called 911, but when emer-

gency responders arrived the smell o the soil umi-gant chloropicrin had dissipated and victims weretold to go home.”

Ë Lamont, Oct. 4, 2003 The same neighborhoodwas hit with another gust o chloropicrin sickeningmore than 100 people. This time the incident got theattention o pesticide regulators. Ater an investiga-tion the company responsible paid $75,500 in fnes,and was suspended rom operating in Kern or 60days.

Ë Arvin, May 2004 “Nineteen arm workers were

exposed to a highly toxic insecticide, methamido-phos, sending them coughing, gagging, vomitingand, in some cases, losing consciousness. Thirteenworkers went to the hospital.” Kern’s District Attor-ney’s ofce is handling the case against the Bakersfeldpesticide applicator accused o illegally handling thepesticide.

Ë Arvin, May 2005 Twenty-three emale workerswere taken to the hospital or exposure to the insec-ticide Baythroid 2, a skin and eye irritant. Four menwere also exposed. Kern’s District Attorney’s ofce

assessed a $75,000 fne which is being appealed by the pesticide application company.

Ë Shafter, May 2005 “A cloud o ertilizer hit abackyard birthday party and nearby homes, aect-ing 24 people. The ertilizer was determined to below toxicity, and the agricultural commissionerdid not investigate because ertilizers are not in hisjurisdiction.”

Ë Shafter, July 2005 Three oil employees workingnear an almond orchard were allegedly sprayed withpesticides rom a plane. The agricultural commission-er’s investigated the case. At the time o preparing this

summary we did not know the outcome.Ë Mettler, August 2005 Drit rom a metam sodium

sprinkler application aected at least 42 workers inan adjacent vineyard and one o these workers wenton to develop a serious orm o pneumonia. KernCounty fned the grower who applied the metamsodium $23,500 or application saety violations.

Ë Patterson, September 2005 A woman was inher yard when she elt drenched with the insecti-cides dimethoate and cyhalothrin rom a helicopterapplication to a bordering feld. She was taken to

the hospital and treated or breathing difculties andorganophosphate poisoning and continues to haverespiratory problems. Stanislaus County investigatedand issued a $5,000 fne which was upheld by theSuperior Court. The applicator has appealed thisruling.

Ë Tulare, May 2006 Three people were exposed tothe insecticide chlorpyrios when it drited over theirproperty rom a nearby walnut orchard. A licensedpesticide applicator is acing possible civil penalties.

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49 Powell Street, Suite 530San Francisco, CA 94102 USA415.981.3939www.PesticideReform.org