Neurological Effects of Farm Chemicals

We often assume that the food we eat is safe, but some of what we consume may be a veritable chemical cocktail. Industrial farming practices that engage in liberal use of pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals pose serious risk to human neurological health. Such chemicals can also be harmful to farm workers who are exposed to them on the job.

Long-Term Effects

• According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, insecticides and herbicides can make the early development of Parkinson's disease four times as likely. Other studies have indicated that exposure to certain pesticides impairs attention span and memory. Organophosphate pesticides are particularly harmful to neurology. They impair a nerve-impulse transmitter and alter the number of receptors for the transmitter.

Fetal Development

• Pregnant women exposed to farm chemicals, through work or food consumption, have an increased risk of harming their fetus. Animal studies have shown that pesticides can interfere with fetal cellular division. Babies exposed to farm chemicals in the womb may be born with learning impairment, damaged motor skills and other neurological problems.

Children

• Children are especially vulnerable to the ill effects of chemicals. Children exposed to farm chemicals tend to exhibit decreased hand-eye coordination, short-term memory problems and difficulty drawing. Farm chemicals have also been linked to aggression and anti-social behavior.

Miscellaneous Studies

• The Pesticide Education Center has completed studies on a range of chemicals and their health impact. Studies of agricultural workers in Michigan and Wisconsin showed a link between pesticide exposure and Parkinson's disease. In Costa Rica, workers developed impaired visuomotor skills and language problems. And in Poland, a study of female greenhouse workers who worked with pesticides showed that many developed problems with "reaction times," "motor steadiness" and "tension, depression and fatigue."