An abstract of the report, “Acute Illnesses Associated With Pesticide Exposure at Schools,” is available from the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Pesticide exposure and related illnesses among schoolchildren increased between 1998 and 2002, concludes a study by Dr. Walter A. Alarcon of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
The study, which appeared in the July 27 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association, examines data collected on nearly 528 adults and 1,980 K-12 children with pesticide-related illnesses who were exposed to the chemicals at school. In 1998, there were 284 cases of pesticide-related illnesses for every million schoolchildren; by 2002, that number had increased to 437. Pesticide-related illnesses reported for adults who work at schools decreased slightly during that period, to 27 cases per million.
