Pesticides are toxic by design, and are produced and released intentionally into the environment. Whether they are meant to kill weeds (herbicides), insects (insecticides), rodents (rodenticides) or any other organism, humans are not impervious to the properties that render them toxic. In fact, many insecticides act as direct neurotoxicants, as they are designed to disable the nervous systems of insects through mechanisms directly relevant to human physiology.
Humans are exposed to pesticides through contamination of drinking water, air, and house dust, residues on fruits and vegetables, and consumption of fatty tissue of exposed animals and their byproducts (i.e., meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products). Young children are particularly vulnerable to the neurological impacts of pesticides, and exposure may produce developmental delays, hyperactivity, behavioral, and cognitive deficits.
Pesticide regulation has relied heavily on the Endangered Species Act (ESA), as many species are adversely impacted by pesticide application and run-off. However, the current administration is attempting to seriously undermine ESA provisions. In the interest of public health as well as biodiversity it is critical that we tighten, not weaken, restrictions on toxic chemicals.
Additional Resources:
National Resources Defense Council
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides
Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility
"Environmental Toxicants and Developmental Disabilities: A Challenge for Psychologists" by S. M. Koger, T. Schettler, and B. Weiss (American Psychologist, April 2005, 60, 243-255.)