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Children are exposed to higher risks of pesticide poisoning |
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Tuesday, 22 April 2008 |
 Lintoxication by pesticides is a serious problem that affects the health of fawn disproportionate infants and children according to the United Nations report released this week Genve which aims to provide information to facilitate awareness and take action concrtes. The number of children by the phnomne concerns is not known but on the basis of experience of many countries, it is certainly important. The report highlights both the lampleur problem that the need to accrotre efforts to better reach and support rural dsavantages the most affected.
Pesticide poisoning
According to the report, it is estimated that the annual number of pesticide poisonings is between 1 and 5 million, of which several thousand deaths.
The report adds that most of poisoning in rural areas of countries dveloppement o protective measures are often inadquates or lacking altogether. The dveloppement countries that use only 25% of pesticide products in the world, registering 99% of this type due dcs dintoxication.Lenfant is a risk exhibitions lev more because it can be more sensitive or more than ladulte exhibitions. The behavior of children, which seeks to play and ignore the danger, entrane an increased risk exposure. In addition, malnutrition and dshydratation increase sensitivity to pesticides and currently approximately 200 million children are malnourished.
Lintoxication by pesticides is a breathing, drinking or eating, or through the skin or mucous membranes. The symptmes may range from fatigue and dizziness, loss dquilibre, nauses and vomiting or even respiratory and neurological effects fatal. Chronic exposure and even at low pesticide binds cancer, malformations in the new-n and lsions nervous and endocrine system.
Sources exposure
The rgime food can be a major source exposure for children. As they grow, children drink and eat proportionately more than ladulte. The pesticide residues in water and food products can therefore be a source of chronic exposure low or greater.Growing food on contaminated soil or local media, and use contaminates water for irrigating fields or washing products constitute a particular risk to the people and especially for children.
When a pregnant woman is exposed to pesticides, which covers children is also expos said before his birth. The young child may also be in contact with pesticides persistent and bio-accumulative through breast milk. It is therefore essential to protect pregnant women and the dam is breastfeeding from exposure of toxic contaminants.
Pesticides used in the fields or homes are often entreposs without prcaution particular lagriculteur in or around his home and his family members have easy access. These toxic substances can contaminate food or water and cause air pollution. Sometimes, rcipients empty pesticide containers are rutiliss to store water and food.
The young child is always attir by its immediate environment, play close to the ground and has a tendency to put things in their mouths. It may therefore not dabsorber doses ngligeables pesticides from the soil, the dust or contaminated objects quon located in rural areas, home or garden.
The poverty factor
The poverty may accrotre the risks to which children are exposed. In poor families, children are often calls to work in the fields by the family cultivs o pesticides are used. The prposs lpandage which are sometimes teenagers do not have equipment such as gloves and goggles and do reoivent any training. It happens often that pesticides are used by way and without protection by young people.
In many countries dveloppement, marketing of pesticides and the publicity concerning the subject are often daucune regulations. Products tickets poorly or not tickets, including solutions prtes employment places in minrale bottled water or beverages or in other common types of rcipients are sold on the public highway. Prices in detail shortly levs promote employment of pesticides while the laws are not very stringent and lorsquelles exist are not always applied, it does not reduce the risks.
Rduire risks
To reduce pesticide poisoning, FAO, UNEP and lOMS prconisent:
Dliminer and to reduce possible sources of exposure to pesticides children home and at work;
To keep pesticides out door children and store them in place sr rcipients properly tickets quun child could not open;
Reduce employment of pesticides in agriculture by applying the intgre pest management (IPM);
To train health care reconnatre and take charge of pesticide poisoning;
Train people judicious employment of pesticides and prvenir lexposition;
Campaigns of information and education by lintermdiaire of radio and the tlvision;
To reduce the risks of pesticides associate employment by an approach considering all aspects of pesticide management of manufacturing employment or until llimination accordance with the International Code of Conduct on the Distribution and employment of pesticides, FAO;
Two key international conventions aimed reduce the effects of pesticides on health and the environment: the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) tablie to reduce liminer 12 and 9 POPs are pesticides, and the Rotterdam Convention on the procedure consent prior informed consent applicable certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides that are subject to international trade. This facilitates lchange information about a wide ventail of potentially hazardous chemicals and gives importing countries the power to decide if they want to receive or not the future imports of certain chemicals.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 30 June 2008 )
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