I was contaminated': study reveals how hard it is to avoid pesticide exposure

"Wesselius and his wife are one step closer to understanding the consequences of living among chemical-sprayed fields of seed potato, sugar beet, wheat, rye and onion. We were shocked, said Wesselius, a retired provincial government worker, who had exposure to eight different pesticides through his skin, with even more chemicals found through tests of his blood, urine and stool. I was contaminated by 11 sorts of pesticides. My wife, who is more strict in her organic nourishment, had seven sorts of pesticides."

"but little attention has been paid to the effects of breathing them in or absorbing them through the skin. According to a new study, even people who live far from farms are exposed to several different types of pesticides from non-dietary sources including banned substances. What's most surprising is that we cannot avoid exposure to pesticides: they are in our direct environment and our study indicates direct contact, said Paul Scheepers, a molecular epidemiologist at Radboud University and co-author of the study."

"The researchers got 641 participants in 10 European countries to wear silicone wristbands continuously for one week to capture external exposure to 193 pesticides. In laboratory tests, they detected 173 of the substances they tested for, with pesticides found in every wristband and an average of 20 substances for every person who took part. Non-organic farmers had the highest number of pesticides in their wristbands, with a median of 36, followed by organic farmers a"

Residents reported smelling pesticides during spraying and biomonitoring revealed multiple pesticides in skin, blood, urine and stool. Volunteers across ten European countries wore silicone wristbands for one week to measure external exposure to 193 pesticides; 173 substances were detected and every wristband contained pesticides, with an average of 20 substances per person. Non-organic farmers had the highest median wristband counts (36), followed by organic farmers. Regulatory focus on dietary intake overlooks inhalation and dermal absorption, exposing people, including those far from farms, to multiple and sometimes banned pesticides.

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