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More Pesticides, Lower IQs

Kids who live on or near farms – and are therefore exposed to high levels of pesticides – score lower on IQ tests than their peers, according to a new study by the National Institutes of Health.

Farm children in North Dakota scored an average of five points lower on the intelligence tests than those who lived farther away from pesticide use, according to the study. The kids who were chronically exposed to pesticides scored lower on verbal comprehension, visual perceptual reasoning, memory, and mental processing speed.

The research, which is ongoing, will now look at whether there is a direct link between the level of pesticides measured in the blood and urine of exposed children and how well they perform on memory, intelligence, and other cognitive functions. It is the first U.S. study to specifically examine levels of pesticide exposure and the cognitive impact on school-aged children.

Other studies have shown that children living near pesticide use scored lower on mental performance tests. However, that research did not measure specific levels of exposure.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org