Tuesday, May 18, 2010

ADHD Significantly Correlated with Pesticide Exposure

Previous research has established clear correlations between lead exposure and ADHD and pre-natal exposure to cigarette smoke and ADHD.

New research establishes clear correlations between ADHD and pesticide exposure in children.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE64G41R20100517

In my recent book, Governing Childhood: Biopolitical Technologies of Childhood Management and Education, I critique the popular and scientific community for defining ADHD primarily and sometimes exclusively as a genetically heritable disorder.

Obviously there is more money to be gained by patenting supposed ADHD genes than there is to be found in exploring how environmental pollutants hurt our children.

I am so grateful for the unappreciated and often unfunded work of epidemiologists whose efforts reveal how environmental "insults" injure our children.

In the wake of this research and the President's panel on environmental causes of cancer (see previous post), the time has come to DEMAND that companies producing, selling and using toxic chemicals be extensively regulated for the well-being of our populace.

The current laws regulating chemical testing and use must be updated. US laws do not require all, or even most, chemicals to be tested for safety. http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/laws/tsca.html
The European Union's REACH framework offers a good benchmark.

Additionally, citizens need to be educated on the dangers of commonly used chemicals such as Round Up in order to minimize their use!

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for posting! I've always thought that this was the deal. These illnesses or diseases didn't exist before the global food supply was improved with all these different poisonous chemicals it might affect kids with adhd.

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