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Washington DC. [USA]: According to a recent study, prenatal exposure to widely used insecticides, called organophosphorus, exposes children to a risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Following the findings published in PLOS Medicine, the researchers called on the government for immediate action to eliminate all organophosphates.
"There is compelling evidence that the exposure of pregnant women to very low levels of organophosphate pesticides is associated with low IQ and learning, memory or attention difficulties in their children. "said Irva Hertz-Picciotto, lead author of the study. "Although only one organophosphate, chlorpyrifos, has been in the limelight, our review involves the full class of these compounds," he added.
Originally developed as nerve gas and weapons of war, organophosphates are now used to control insects on farms, golf courses, shopping malls and schools. They kill parasites by blocking nerve signaling.
People can come into contact with these chemicals through the foods they consume, the water they drink and the air they breathe. As a result, organophosphate pesticides are detected in the vast majority of US residents, according to Hertz-Picciotto.
Although existing limitations on organophosphates have reduced exposures, the review authors stated that this was not enough. Based on more than 30 epidemiological studies and numerous experimental studies on animals and cell cultures, they believe that the evidence is clear: exposure to organophosphorus before birth, even at levels currently considered safe, is associated with poorer cognitive, behavioral, and social development.
"It should not be surprising that studies confirm that these chemicals impair brain development since they were originally designed to negatively affect the central nervous system," said Hertz-Picciotto.
Despite mounting evidence of harm and recommendations from US Environmental Protection Agency scientists and scientists, many organophosphates remain in use. This may be partly due to the fact that low-level permanent exposures generally do not cause clinically visible symptoms in the short term, leading to the mistaken assumption that these exposures are unimportant, according to Hertz- Picciotto.
"Acute intoxications are tragic, although the studies we examined suggest that low-intensity chronic exposures to brain function persist throughout childhood and up to adolescence and early childhood. can last a lifetime, which is tragic, "said Hertz-Picciotto.
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