Pesticides Are Affecting Our F Essay -- essays research papers fc

INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill, control, or repel insects, plant diseases, weeds, rodents, and germs. (Most pesticides are used in agriculture production, to killing pests found on hundreds of different crops including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cereal grains.) All these foods form a good majority of North America’s diet, and the majority of these foods consumed contain pesticide residues. Pesticides are also used to get rid of unwanted pests in homes, schools, and parks. All of these chemicals are especially harmful to children because they can routinely come in contact with various pesticides through their distinctive diet and play activities. Water and apple juice are proven to contain various harmful chemicals. In the surroundings children experience, the food they eat, and the liquids they drink are all contaminated by pesticides. According to the Natural Resources Defence Council, â€Å"pesticide exposure to adverse health effects inclu ding cancer, birth defects, reproductive harm, neurological and development toxicity, immunotoxicity, and disruption of the endocrine system.† Children are more likely to be affected by pesticides than adults because, they are strange eaters, they breath at a higher rate, and tend to spend more time on the ground were chemicals may settle and then enter a child’s body through breathing, orally, by touching something with a residue and then putting their fingers in their mouth, and through a child’s skin. Pesticides will drastically damage the future health of our children if people don’t act now. CHILDREN’S HEALTH IS AT RISK THROUGH THE FOOD THEY EAT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every year, tens of millions of pounds of carcinogenic, neurotoxic, immunotoxic, and otherwise hazardous pesticides are thrown onto foods that infants and children eat greater quantities than the average adult. These pesticides have been shown to cause reproductive defects in test animals, which cause poorly understood immune system responses, and others may effect the endocrine system. Pesticides have been widely used for years without any consideration of our environment and health. Today, we are using more pesticides than ever, so that we can have the perfect fruit or vegetable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pesticides are everywhere in the food children eat and the levels of toxicity ... ...il, â€Å"Our Children At Risk,† 1997, http://www.nrdc.org Environmental Working Group, â€Å"Overexposed,† 1998, http://ewg.org Aaron Derfel, â€Å"Farm runoff contaminating drinking water study finds,† THE GAZETTE, 17 May 1996. Richard Wiles and Christopher Campbell, Pesticides in Children’s Food (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Working Group/The Tides Foundation, 1993) Ken MaqQueen , â€Å"Toxic Herbicide Found in Well,† Vancouver Sun, 5 October 1990. Sharon Begley and Mary Hager, :Better Watch Those Fresh Fruits,† Newsweek, 5 July 1993. Grant Heilman, â€Å"Pesticides and Kids’ Risks†, Newsweek, 5 July 1993. Children’s Health Environmental Coalition Network, â€Å"Children are not Miniature Adults†, 1996, www.CHECNet.org Pesticide Action Network, â€Å"Herbicides Linked to Infant Health Problems†, 1998, www.panna.org Associate Commitee on Scientific Criteria for Environmental Quality, â€Å"Epidemiologic Evidence of the Effects of Pesticides on Human Health in Canada†, 1985. United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Drinkning Water Health Advisories, â€Å"Drinking Water Health Advisory : Pesticides†, 1989. World Health Organization, â€Å"Public Health Impact of Pesticides used in Agriculture†, 1990. Pesticides Are Affecting Our F Essay -- essays research papers fc INTRODUCTION   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pesticides are chemicals designed to kill, control, or repel insects, plant diseases, weeds, rodents, and germs. (Most pesticides are used in agriculture production, to killing pests found on hundreds of different crops including fruits, vegetables, nuts, and cereal grains.) All these foods form a good majority of North America’s diet, and the majority of these foods consumed contain pesticide residues. Pesticides are also used to get rid of unwanted pests in homes, schools, and parks. All of these chemicals are especially harmful to children because they can routinely come in contact with various pesticides through their distinctive diet and play activities. Water and apple juice are proven to contain various harmful chemicals. In the surroundings children experience, the food they eat, and the liquids they drink are all contaminated by pesticides. According to the Natural Resources Defence Council, â€Å"pesticide exposure to adverse health effects inclu ding cancer, birth defects, reproductive harm, neurological and development toxicity, immunotoxicity, and disruption of the endocrine system.† Children are more likely to be affected by pesticides than adults because, they are strange eaters, they breath at a higher rate, and tend to spend more time on the ground were chemicals may settle and then enter a child’s body through breathing, orally, by touching something with a residue and then putting their fingers in their mouth, and through a child’s skin. Pesticides will drastically damage the future health of our children if people don’t act now. CHILDREN’S HEALTH IS AT RISK THROUGH THE FOOD THEY EAT   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every year, tens of millions of pounds of carcinogenic, neurotoxic, immunotoxic, and otherwise hazardous pesticides are thrown onto foods that infants and children eat greater quantities than the average adult. These pesticides have been shown to cause reproductive defects in test animals, which cause poorly understood immune system responses, and others may effect the endocrine system. Pesticides have been widely used for years without any consideration of our environment and health. Today, we are using more pesticides than ever, so that we can have the perfect fruit or vegetable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pesticides are everywhere in the food children eat and the levels of toxicity ... ...il, â€Å"Our Children At Risk,† 1997, http://www.nrdc.org Environmental Working Group, â€Å"Overexposed,† 1998, http://ewg.org Aaron Derfel, â€Å"Farm runoff contaminating drinking water study finds,† THE GAZETTE, 17 May 1996. Richard Wiles and Christopher Campbell, Pesticides in Children’s Food (Washington, D.C.: Environmental Working Group/The Tides Foundation, 1993) Ken MaqQueen , â€Å"Toxic Herbicide Found in Well,† Vancouver Sun, 5 October 1990. Sharon Begley and Mary Hager, :Better Watch Those Fresh Fruits,† Newsweek, 5 July 1993. Grant Heilman, â€Å"Pesticides and Kids’ Risks†, Newsweek, 5 July 1993. Children’s Health Environmental Coalition Network, â€Å"Children are not Miniature Adults†, 1996, www.CHECNet.org Pesticide Action Network, â€Å"Herbicides Linked to Infant Health Problems†, 1998, www.panna.org Associate Commitee on Scientific Criteria for Environmental Quality, â€Å"Epidemiologic Evidence of the Effects of Pesticides on Human Health in Canada†, 1985. United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Drinkning Water Health Advisories, â€Å"Drinking Water Health Advisory : Pesticides†, 1989. World Health Organization, â€Å"Public Health Impact of Pesticides used in Agriculture†, 1990.