New study links ADHD in children to fruit and vegetable pesticide exposure

Researchers warn parents to wash produce, buy organic.

Jupiter Images UnlimitedFruits and vegetables are part of a healthy diet.Children who have been exposed to higher levels of the pesticide found on commercially grown fruit and vegetables are more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, ADHD, than children who have had less exposure, a new study suggests.

Pesticide byproducts levels were measured in the urine of 1,139 children throughout the United States. Children who had above average levels of a common byproduct were two times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, according to the study which now appears in the Pediatrics journal.

Exposure to pesticides have been linked to both behavioral and cognitive problems in children in previous studies, but those focused on those children who lived near farms. This current study is the first to examine pesticide’s exposure on the population at large.

Pesticides act on the set of brain chemicals that are related to those involved in ADHD, Maryse Bouchard, Ph.D., a researcher in the department of environmental and occupational health at University of Montreal, told CNN.

The pesticides have a toxic effect on the nervous system, which is how they work to kill pests.

The Environmental Protection Agency has eliminated most home uses for pesticides such as lawn care or termite extermination. The next largest source for pesticides is believed to be food, especially commercial grown produce.

In a recent test, 28 percent of frozen blueberries, 20 percent of celery and 25 percent of strawberries contained certain pesticides that can be linked to ADHD development.

Adults do not appear to be as sensitive to pesticide exposure as children.

Bouchard says that pesticide exposure can be halted by buying organic produce whenever possible since organic produce does not have as many pesticides used during its growth.

Here's what's being said about the recent study:

»MSNBC: Researcher advises parents to buy organic, wash produce

»LA Times: Study links pesticides to ADHD in children

»TIME: Study: A Link Between Pesticides and ADHD

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