Advocate to Reduce Pesticide Exposure
Research increasingly shows that a number pesticides and classes of pesticides negatively impact human health 1. There is emerging evidence that chronic low-level exposure to certain pesticides, including organophosphate pesticides, may adversely effect both psycho-motor and mental development in more highly exposed children 2. Additionally, a number of research studies have demonstrated a link between chronic exposure to organophosphate pesticides and the incidence of pediatric asthma, cancer, and birth defects 3. Oregonians are commonly exposed to pesticides through fruit and vegetable consumption, contacting pesticide-contaminated surfaces, breathing air near pesticide applications (both indoors and outdoors), and drinking pesticide-contaminated water. Pesticides are found in our lawns, gardens, parks, workplaces, schools, homes, in the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe. To reduce pesticide exposures in Oregon, a number of policies should be considered:
Support and implement Integrated Pest Management at all Oregon schools, childcare facilities, and public parks. Safer pest management strategies, such as Integrated Pest Management (IPM), use alternatives to chemical-intensive practices. IPM is a systems approach to pest management based on an understanding of pest ecology. It begins with steps to accurately diagnose the nature and source of pest problems, and then relies on a range of preventive tactics and biological controls to keep pest populations within acceptable limits. Reduced-risk pesticides are used as a last resort if other tactics have not been effective, with care to minimize risks.
Support the continuation of Oregon’s Pesticide Use Reporting System (PURS). PURS provides information on all pesticide use in the state. It requires businesses to report annual pesticide use while personal home use is evaluated through surveys. The goal of the program is to collect information that will lead to a better understanding of pesticide use in Oregon and its effect on public and environmental health. The statute authorizing PURS is set to expire December 2009.
Require full disclosure of all product ingredients on pesticide labels. Nearly every one of the over 20,000 pesticide products in the United States contains ingredients that are called "inert." Inert substances, sometimes comprising up to 99.9% of a pesticide product, are used to make these products more potent or easier to use. The name does not mean they are biologically, chemically, or toxicologically inert. In fact, many inert threaten human and environmental health (Marquardt, Cox, & Knight, 1998). Currently inert ingredients are not required to be listed on pesticide labels. This means we don’t know the chemicals we are being exposed to and are unable to find out.
Support and fund pesticide stewardship programs. In 1999 Oregon DEQ implemented a Pesticide Stewardship Partnership (PSP) to identify problems and improve water quality associated with pesticide use. The PSP approach encourages and supports voluntary changes that can result in measurable environmental improvements. In the past four years, pilot projects in the Columbia Gorge have shown substantial improvements in water quality associated with measurable changes in pesticide management (Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, 2007). Continued funding of this innovative, collaborative program can provide an effective alternative to traditional regulatory approaches.
1 Ma et al., 2002; Sanborn, 2004; Zahm & Ward, 1998
2 Rauh et al., 2006; Eskenazi et al., 2007
3 Hoppin et al, 2006; Salam, Li, Langholz, & Gilliland, 2004; Abdollahi et al., 2004; Zahm & Ward, 1998; Naterlack, 2006; Garcia, 1998; Shaw et al., 1999
