FIFRA defines the term ”unreasonable adverse effects on the environment” to mean: ”(1) any unreasonable risk to man or the environment, taking into account the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of the use of any pesticide, or (2) a human dietary risk from residues that result from a use of a pesticide in or on any food inconsistent with the standard under section 408 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics, in a landmark report on children and pesticide use, wrote, “Children encounter pesticides daily and have unique susceptibilities to their potential toxicity. Acute poisoning risks are clear, and understanding of chronic health implications from both acute and chronic exposure are emerging. Epidemiologic evidence demonstrates associations between early life exposure to pesticides and pediatric cancers, decreased cognitive function, and behavioral problems.”  The body of evidence in the scientific literature shows that pesticide exposure can adversely affect a child’s neurological, respiratory, immune, and endocrine system, even at low exposure levels. Several pesticide families, such as synthetic pyrethroids, organophosphates, and carbamates, are also known to cause or exacerbate respiratory symptoms like asthma. See the scientific references on why Children and Pesticides Don’t Mix!

Pesticide Use at Schools Pesticide poisoning of student and school staff is not uncommon. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) in 1999 documented over 2,300 reported pesticide poisonings in schools between 1993 and 1996.5 Because most of the symptoms of pesticide exposure, from respiratory distress to difficulty in concentration, are com- Pesticides and You A quarterly publication of Beyond Pesticides Page 10 Vol. 29, No. 3, Fall 2009 mon in school children and may be assumed to have other causes, it is suspected that pesticide-related illness is highly prevalent. A 2005 study published by researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and state health department, printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association, found that students and school employees are being poisoned by pesticide use at schools and from drift off of neighboring farmlands after analyzing 2593 poisonings from 1998 to 2002.6 The authors state that the study omits incidents for which medical attention is not sought or reported. A 2008 review of pesticide poisoning complaints in Oregon reveals an on-going pattern of pesticide exposure to school children in classrooms, on playgrounds, on ballfields and at school bus stops.

The vast majority of pesticide products registered for use by EPA and state governments have never been fully tested for the full range of potential human health effects. Pesticides can be registered even when they have been shown to cause adverse health problems. The regulatory system justifies allowable risks by characterizing them as de minimis, even though deficiencies and uncertainties in the review protocol are well-documented. Due to the numerous pesticide formulations on the market, the lack of disclosure requirements, insufficient data requirements, and inadequate testing, it is impossible to accurately estimate the hazards of pesticide products, much less lifetime exposure or risk. There is no way to predict the effects in children solely based on toxicity testing in adult or even adolescent laboratory animals, which is EPA’s procedure for evaluating adverse effects.

What can parents do to protect their children from pests and pesticides in the school? First, talk with the principal and the children’s teacher about what is being done to control pests in the school. Second, find other parents who share concerns about pests and pesticide exposure. Third, form a school IPM advisory committee with the school’s administration. Parents must work with educators to change the way pest management is performed.The issues associated with pests and pesticide use in schools are quite complex. Both pests and pesticides can harm children. Parents can help protect the health of children by working to establish integrated pest management in their schools.