HEALTH ISSUE: Children Attention

Low attention span in kids 

linked to pesticides 

Chicago: A new analysis of US health data links children's attention-deficit disorder with exposure to common pesticides used on fruits and vegetables.

        

           While the study couldn't prove that pesticides used in agriculture contribute to childhood learning problems, experts said the research is persuasive. "I would take it quite seriously." said Virginia Rauh of Columbia University, who has studied prenatal exposure to pesticides and wasn't involved in the new study. Children may be especially prone to the health risks of pesticides as they're still growing and they may consume more pesticide residue than adults relative to their body weight.

          In the body, pesticides break down into compounds that can be measured in urine. The study found detectable levels: The compounds turned up in the urine of 94% of the children. The kids with higher levels had increased chances of having ADHD, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, a common problem that causes students to have trouble in school.

         The kids may have eaten food treated with pesticides, breathed it in the air or swallowed it in drinking water. Experts said it's likely kids who don't live near farms are exposed through what they eat.