Topic: Malathion and ADHD

[Nichi]

Pesticides in kids linked to ADHD
Researcher advises parents to buy organic, wash produce

By JoNel Aleccia, Health writer
msnbc.com
updated 8:43 a.m. ET, Mon., May 17, 2010
 
 
Exposure to pesticides used on common kid-friendly foods — including frozen blueberries, fresh strawberries and celery — appears to boost the chances that children will be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, new research shows.

Youngsters with high levels of pesticide residue in their urine, particularly from widely used types of insecticide such as malathion, were more likely to have ADHD, the behavior disorder that often disrupts school and social life, scientists in the United States and Canada found.

Kids with higher-than-average levels of one pesticide marker were nearly twice as likely to be diagnosed with ADHD as children who showed no traces of the poison.

“I think it's fairly significant. A doubling is a strong effect,” said Maryse F. Bouchard, a researcher at the University of Montreal in Quebec and lead author of the study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics.

The take-home message for parents, according to Bouchard:  “I would say buy organic as much as possible,” she said. “I would also recommend washing fruits and vegetables as much as possible.”

Diet is a major source of pesticide exposure in children, according to the National Academy of Sciences, and much of that exposure comes from favorite fruits and vegetables. In 2008, detectable concentrations of malathion were found in 28 percent of frozen blueberry samples, 25 percent of fresh strawberry samples and 19 percent of celery samples, a government report found.

ADHD affects 4.5 million U.S. kids

Bouchard’s study is the largest to date to look at the effect of pesticides on child development and behavior, including ADHD, which affects an estimated 4.5 million U.S. children. About 2.5 million kids take medication for the condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Bouchard and her colleagues measured levels of six pesticide metabolites in the urine of 1,139 children ages 8 to 15 selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2000 and 2004. The study included 119 children who were diagnosed with ADHD.

Unlike other studies of pesticides’ impact, Bouchard’s sample provided a glimpse into average insecticide exposure in the general population of children, not a specialized group, such as children of farmworkers. Because certain pesticides leave the body after three to six days, the presence of residue shows that exposure is likely constant, Bouchard said.

She found that kids with a 10-fold increase in the kind of metabolites left in the body after malathion exposure were 55 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. Because the researchers didn't review the kids' diets, they couldn't say why some children had such high levels of pesticide residue. Children are at greater risk from pesticides because their young bodies are still developing and may not metabolize chemicals as well as adults'.

The most alarming finding was a near-doubling in odds of ADHD diagnoses among kids with higher-than-average levels of the most common of the six metabolites detected. Kids with high levels of dimethyl thiophosphate were 93 percent more likely to have the disorder than children with with undetectable levels of the marker.

The research may add to anxiety about ADHD, which has no known cause, said Dr. Andrew Adesman, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York.

“It does seem to suggest that at non-extreme or more typical levels, there does seem to be some increased risk,” said Adesman, who is on the professional advisory board for Children and Adults with ADHD, an advocacy group.

Pesticides prey on nervous system

Boucher studied organophosphate pesticides, which account for as much as 70 percent of the pesticide use in the U.S. They work by interfering with the nervous systems of insects, but have a similar effect in mammals, including humans. Most people in the U.S. have residues of the products in their urine.

Cheminova, the Danish firm that is the leading manufacturer of malathion in the world, declined to comment on the conclusions of the new research. Diane Allemang, vice president for global regulatory affairs, said she hadn’t seen the study.

Is it worth it to buy organic?

Before you hit the grocery store or farmers market, find out when it's worth spending the extra money for organic fruits and vegetables, and when to scrimp.
 
Parents of children with ADHD, however, said Bouchard’s work will give them one more than thing to worry about.

“We’re all completely obsessed with food,” said Jamie Norman, 32, of Freeburg, Ill., whose 6-year-old son, Aidan, was diagnosed with ADHD six months ago.

The stimulant medication Aidan takes, Adderall XR, depresses his appetite, so Norman said she’s always trying to find good foods that he’ll want to eat. Other parents of kids with ADHD choose to use diet, not medication, to control the disorder and they’re constantly monitoring food, too.

News that some of the best foods for kids might be tainted with something linked to ADHD is worrisome, Norman said.

“I’ve known for some time that strawberries, in particular, contain high levels of pesticide, but as far as frozen fruit, I don’t give that a second thought,” she said.

Buy organic, make sure to wash

The best advice for parents — and anyone who wants to avoid pesticides — is to choose foods least likely to contain them. The Environmental Working Group, a consumer advocacy organization, advises shoppers to buy organic versions of a dozen fruits and vegetables that grow in the ground or are commonly eaten with the skin, because they’re most likely to be contaminated.

Make sure to wash all fruits and vegetables under cold running tap water and scrub firm-skinned produce with a brush. Be sure to rinse frozen fruits and vegetables, too.

But don’t wash produce with soap. The Food and Drug Administration says that could leave behind residues of detergent, yet more chemicals that everyone would do best to avoid.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37156010/ns/health-kids_and_parenting/

[Ke-ke wan]

I thought malathion was no longer considered safe for human consumption...

[Ke-ke wan]

I thought malathion was no longer considered safe for human consumption...

Apparently I'm quite wrong  here it's still being used but really shouldn't be.

Malathion's Chemical Name is
Dimethoxy Phosphino Thioyl Thio Butanedioic Acid Diethyl Ester


This link gives lots of info on malathion  exposure and poisoning
http://www.chem-tox.com/malathion/research/

Wildlife Photos - Photos of animals killed, organs damaged & mutations from malathion
Human Deaths from Malathion - 5 die and 2,800 poisoned after spraying in Pakistan

Intestinal Disorders in Children - Take Note! this research does show significant public health problems after aerial spraying
Intestinal Disorders in Test Animals - more evidence supporting intestinal defects in children from malathion
Leukemia - Child leukemias develop after homes sprayed
Kidney Damage- Physician finds kidney damage after patient sprays home
Human Birth Defect - suspected from exposure to malathion lice shampoo
Brain Damage - for unknown reasons malathion causes far more damage in older brains
Chromosome Defects - found in human blood cells
Gene Loss - malathion is able to literally "knock-off" genes from our DNA molecule
Review of Malathion Genetic Studies - technically oriented - recommended for health professionals
Health Disorders found in Second Generation Offspring - evidence for harmful effects appearing in future generations
Lung Damage - unusual effect from malathion ingredient - not found in other pesticides
Birth Defects - occurs in hens after malathion feeding
Impurities in Malathion - highly toxic compounds increase during storage due to time and heat
Immune System Weakening - thereby increasing risk of bacteria or viral infections (2 studies)
Sunlight Makes Toxic - malathion reacts with ultraviolet light to become more toxic
Impurities Weaken Detoxification - impurities found to weaken ability of liver to detoxify
Breakdown of Malathion - time periods for malathion breakdown in soil - forming of malaoxon
Fish Heart Defects - heart defects appear in exposed fish
Fish Gill Damage - low levels of malathion cause deterioration of Blue Fish gills
Turtle Birth Defects - turtles unusually sensitive to birth defects
Frog/Tadpole Mutations - evidence of genetic damage
Shrimp Effects - malathion at low levels affects a shrimp's ability to locate food
Lizard Organ Damage - small lizards suffer internal organ damage
Unknown Risks of Malathion - Surprising information about what we do not know

[Nichi]

Now I'm wondering how to find organic celery. Don't believe I've ever even seen it in the stores. Strawberries and blueberries are relatively easy to avoid: I do use celery a lot. Bell peppers are also on the malathion list - I use those a lot too. Bummer.

[Ke-ke wan]

Now I'm wondering how to find organic celery

I buy it all the time,  it's easy to find even here in TBay where Organic foods are not popular or easy to get.  And celery is actually one vegetable that's very easy to grow... anywhere!

[Michael]

I have some Malathion in the shed - it's used for something we did in the past. I can't recall now.

[Ke-ke wan]

I have some Malathion in the shed - it's used for something we did in the past. I can't recall now.

I think my grandparents used to sprinkle it on the garden,  esp radishes and green onions to keep the crawly critters away.  For aphids, too I think.

[Michael]

I think I might have used it to wash and kill the maggots off my dog, before we had to knock him off. He was very old, and had lost control of his bladder, so flies and maggots - if we hadn't washed him they would have eaten into him.

I put him in the bath to wash him and although he was very old and feeble, he still had the spirit to resist and even bite me! He was a great dog. We had to send him off to sleep a day later.

So we still have the malathion, but not the dog... except in dreams - we still meet there.