Tuesday, July 26, 2005

CHICAGO, Jul 26, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Researchers say the rate of new illnesses associated with pesticide exposure in schools increased significantly in children from 1998 to 2002. 

According to an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association, pesticide exposure in school environments is a health risk facing both children and school employees.

Study leader Dr. Walter Alarcon of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and colleagues examined 1998-2002 data from 2,593 people with acute pesticide-related illnesses associated with school exposure.

The overall annual rates of new cases for 1998-2002 was 7.4 cases per million children, and 27.3 cases per million for school employees. "These findings indicate that pesticide exposures at schools continue to produce acute illnesses among school employees and students ... albeit mainly of low severity and with relatively low incidence rates," the authors wrote. They called for implementation of integrated pest management programs, practices to reduce pesticide drift and adoption of pesticide spray buffer zones around schools.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International.