Pesticides: Danger for agricultural and garden workers
Pesticides pose a greater health risk than thought. Farmers and young children are particularly at risk.
The study "Pesticides and our health - concern is growing" by the environmental organization Greenpeace fuels fears that pesticides pose a greater risk to health than expected.
According to the study, two groups of people are particularly at risk: Firstly, people who are often exposed to high doses of pesticides due to their profession - this includes, for example, employees in agriculture or horticulture. In some cases, high levels of herbicides and fungicides can be detected in their hair - even if they protect themselves in accordance with regulations. Farmers' families are also more exposed than others thanks to their place of residence. High exposure to pesticides has been linked to various cancers, and can also damage the nervous system. This increases the risk of diseases such as Parkinson's or ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and long-term neurological disorders can also occur.
The second group is no more exposed to pesticides than others, but is particularly sensitive to them: babies and young children. Exposure begins in the womb and can lead to birth defects, impaired mental development and infantile leukemia.
Greenpeace calls for the abandonment of the use of synthetic pesticides in agriculture. To this end, regulations should be tightened and research shifted to organic farming.
