The effects of pesticides on your health

Pesticides are poisons and harm more than just the “pests” at which they are targeted, including humans. Exposure to pesticides has been been linked to a wide range of serious illnesses and diseases, from respiratory problems to cancer.

Physiological factors increase the vulnerability of women and children to harm from pesticide exposure. Breastfeeding and expectant mothers are particularly at risk.

Children, meanwhile, have higher exposure rates than adults since they tend to spend more time in places such as parks that may have been sprayed and are more likely to crawl around on the ground or put contaminated objects in their mouth. They also absorb pesticides more easily through their skin and take in more air, water and food relative to their body weight compared to adults, which increases their total exposure.

The systems that our bodies use to deal with toxins are not as developed in children which can make them less able to cope with these substances than adults. As they grow, children’s brains and bodies undergo complex changes that effect tissue growth and organ development — these developmental processes can be irreversibly altered by exposure to pesticides.