mississippi warnings label expert off bug spray

States and local jurisdictions play a major role in regulating the use of chemicals on lawns. “These delicate developmental processes are easily disrupted by very small doses of toxic chemicals that would be virtually harmless for an adult,” Landrigan says. Researchers are learning a great deal about how vulnerable children’s brains are to pesticides during fetal and early childhood development.

They also roll around in the grass and put their fingers in their mouths, which greatly increases exposure. Because children are growing quickly, “they take into their bodies more of the pesticides that are in the food, water and air,” he says. Pound for pound, children receive much higher exposures to these chemicals than adults do, just through normal daily activity, Landrigan says. Pesticides include herbicides to kill weeds and insecticides such as those sprayed to manage cockroaches and other pests. Most people are “not aware of the hazards that the unthinking use of pesticides poses to their children,” says Philip Landrigan, dean for global health and a professor of pediatrics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Though the goal may be to make these green spaces more pleasant places to play - fewer bugs, fewer weeds - these treatments may not be as safe as you assume. This is the time of year when pesticides get sprayed on lawns, parks and golf courses.

Mississippi warnings label expert off bug spray