What Research Says
The effects of pesticide exposure on children's health are becoming increasingly clear. The comprehensive CHAMACOS study, conducted in California's agricultural Salinas Valley, found that pesticide residues were found in the air, water, and indoor surfaces of children from farmworker families, and that these children experienced learning disabilities, asthma, and behavioral disorders. The same study found that children of mothers exposed to high levels of pesticides during pregnancy suffered from lower IQ, poor memory, and attention span. Research conducted by Columbia University has shown that prenatal exposure to chlorpyrifos causes brain disorders and mental retardation in children. However, pesticides not only affect cognitive development but also pose a risk for disorders such as autism and ADHD. The University of California has shown that pregnant women living near pesticide-treated areas have a 60% higher risk of having autistic children. Similarly, early exposure has also been shown to be associated with ADHD.
Furthermore, a French ELFE (National Study of Childbirth-From-Birth) study supports these findings, emphasizing that organophosphates are a significant source of exposure through fruits, grains, and bread. These contaminated foods enter the child's metabolism even through maternal consumption during pregnancy. Hair samples from 222 3.5-year-old children revealed 50-100% exposure to bisphenols, organochlorines, and organophosphates, depending on their type, demonstrating that the situation is significant even in Europe.
The World's Children Are Being Poisoned
Pesticide and pesticide use in Turkey has increased rapidly in recent years, reaching tens of thousands of tons annually. The amount of pesticide per cultivated area is far above the European Union average, a concern for public health. Due to this increased use, pesticide exposure is observed in large segments of society, particularly among children and agricultural workers.
In a biomonitoring study conducted in Ankara and Mersin in 2023, urine samples from preschool children aged 3-6 were tested for pesticides and metabolites were analyzed. The 3-PBA metabolite, used for pyrethoids, was detected in 87% of children, while the TCPY metabolite, specific to organophosphates, was detected in 60%. Our recent memories are filled with bad experiences with pesticides. In 2019, a 4-year-old girl, Saliha Çakır, died in Kayseri after eating a pesticide-contaminated pomegranate. An autopsy revealed lethal pesticide residues (likely chlorpyrifos), highlighting the deficiencies in oversight, prohibited substance use, and regulatory oversight.
The dangers of these pesticides for children are repeatedly highlighted by tragic experiences such as the deaths of 6-year-old Karya and 6-month-old Uraz Sandık in Bodrum, Muğla, in 2023, and the death of 1-year-old Altay Toprak Kınalı in Izmir in 2024. In both cases, the extensive use of insecticides quickly poisoned the children in the home to fatal levels. Again in 2023, two of the 13 people poisoned by pesticides in Keçiören, Ankara, lost their lives, and one of them was a child.
Awareness and a Call to Action
Decades of rigorous research supports the fact that pesticide exposure is far more detrimental to children's health and development. While pesticides are seen as a way to ensure food safety, their excessive and careless use poses a clear and present danger to our most vulnerable population: our children. Parents, caregivers, educators, and policymakers all have a role to play. From making safer consumer choices to advocating for better regulations, awareness must translate into action.
The economic success of the food supply should not come at the expense of children's health. The goal is not fear, but conscious attention and a commitment to creating safer environments for future generations to grow, learn, and develop.
Source:
About the Columbia University Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935122006752
CHAMACOS Study Information: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10259762 , https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4314248
Pesticide and Brain Damage in Children: https://www.diken.com.tr/pestisitler-cocuklarin-beyninde-hasarlara-yol-aciyor
DHA news report on Kayra and Uraz Sandık: https://www.dha.com.tr/gundem/uraz-bebek-ve-ablasi-kayranin-olumunde-saniga-7-yil-9-ay-hapis-kararinin-gerekcesi-gelecegine-etkisi-2419836
TRT News, Saliha Çakır news report: https://www.trthaber.com/haber/turkiye/nardan-olumun-sebebi-kesinlesti-tarim-ilaci-salihayi-zehirlemis-608730.html
