Pesticides are Affecting our Future
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, "pesticide exposure to adverse health effects including 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
Pesticides are occasionally used in our children's school's to contend with cockroaches and ants in cafeterias, classrooms, and rodents in waste storage areas. While at school, children come in contact with dust particles and surfaces such as carpets, books, and plastics that could have pesticide residues. This means that even if pesticides are sprayed after school hours, children are still at great health risk. In the following two cases such an event has become reality. "In 1993, chlorpyrifos and dichlorvos were applied for ant control in North Powellhurst School in Oregon. Soon after, at least sixty-five individuals, including infants, children, pregnant teenagers, teachers, and school staff reported nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, massive headaches, rashes, dizziness, itching eyes, sore throats, and other symptoms. The school was closed, cleaned and reopened, and eventually closed early because students and staff continued to experience health effects." In 1992 the second case involved "children, teachers, and staff at New York's Eastchester High School suffered headaches, eye and respiratory irritation, and nausea following their return to school after it had been sprayed for roach control with pesticides chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and resmethrin. The school was forced to close for three weeks to clean up the pesticide residues." It is obvious that our children are at risk and will continue to be if people don't smarten-up. Children's Health Environmental Coalition Network, "Children are not Miniature Adults", 1996, www.CHECNet.org Water and apple juice are two major liquids children drink, and both may be contaminated, and if contaminated, pose a big threat to the health of children. Even though governments have made rules and regulations,
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Approximate Word count = 2787
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page double spaced)
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