Thu, 28 Apr 2005

Bug killers making farmers buggy

Well, doh! I'd say there'd be more reason to report on folks who spend weeks inhaling organophosphates and don't get sick! Just by way of clarification, for weed control we use goats, sheep and vinegar, and for rodent control we have cats. The llama and the cattle keep larger predators (coyotes) pretty much at bay, but we're still armed humans, and have proven to be pretty deadly ourselves to things that view our livestock as a cafeteria... and so far none of our weed or pest control efforts have poisoned us! Go figure!

New research shows that farmers who used agricultural insecticides experienced increased neurological symptoms, even when they were no longer using the products. Data from 18,782 North Carolina and Iowa farmers linked use of insecticides, including organophosphates and organochlorines, to reports of reoccurring headaches, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, nausea, hand tremors, numbness and other neurological symptoms. Some of the insecticides addressed by the study are still on the market, but some, including DDT, have been banned or restricted.

(link) [Science Blog]

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