Guest guest Posted May 19, 2005 Report Share Posted May 19, 2005 Greetings Members: FYI: If the links below fail to work for you just go here http://www.mercola.com/2005/may/19/index.htm. How Insecticides Harm You Evidence continues to highlight the danger of foods and vegetables made with the help of insecticides, for a study has documented the negative health effects these chemicals have on farmers who grow most of the foods sold in grocery stores. Research found that farmers who used agricultural insecticides experienced increased neurological symptoms -- even after they stopped using the products. And while some insecticides, like DDT, are no longer on the market, others, including organophosphates and organochlorines, still are. Facts Don't Lie A survey that involved some 19,000 farmers in North Carolina and Iowa linked the use of insecticides to reports of reoccurring neurological problems including: headaches, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, hand tremor and numbness. Researchers examined questionnaires completed by farmers on their exposure over a lifetime to herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fumigants, as well as their history of 23 neurological symptoms. Farmers who experienced more than 10 symptoms during the year prior to completing the study questionnaire were classified as having high levels of symptoms. What did researchers find? Nearly 3,000 farmers were considered to have a high lifetime exposure to insecticides -- meaning they used insecticides for more than 500 days in their lives. Nearly 800 of these farmers reported more than 10 neurological symptoms, compared to those using insecticides fewer than 50 days. Researchers did not find a significant association between neurological symptoms and other chemicals (including herbicides or fungicides) and found a weak association between fumigant exposure and neurological symptoms. Moreover, since the farmers had never been previously diagnosed with pesticide poisoning or treated for any exposure to any pesticide before, researchers were led to believe the symptoms were linked to moderate lifetime exposure. Environmental Health Perspectives April 15, 2005 (Free Full-Text Article) Science Blog April 28, 2005Good Health to You Elaine Discover Get on-the-go sports scores, stock quotes, news more. Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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