Are children at greater risk from pesticide poisoning than adults?
You decide. * Children absorb greater concentrations of pesticides (poisons) per pound of body weight through inhalation, ingestion and contact with the skin. * Children are more likely to play on treated floors and grounds. Unwashed hands often find their way to the mouth or to unwrapped snacks. * Because many pesticides (poisons) are heavier than air, children’s breathing areas are likely to have higher pesticide (poison) concentrations. * Children may not read, understand or pay attention to warning signs. * A child’s biology is different. Their immune system is less developed and may be less protective. * Children are extremely vulnerable to classes of synthetic pesticides (poisons) that mimic naturally occurring hormones or enzymes. * Developing cells are more easily damaged than cells that have completed development. During the rapid growth period of childhood, cells divide very quickly, making it more likely that a cellular mutation will be reproduced, thus initiating cancer. *
