Pesticides

Children are not simply small versions of adults-they can be affected more easily, and more seriously, by pesticides and other contaminants.

In recent years there has been increasing concern about the health effects of exposure to pesticides, especially in children. This is partly due to the mounting toxicological evidence that children's exposures can be more hazardous than adult exposures, and because of the number of health effects in children that can be attributed to pesticide exposure.

The image of Prince Edward Island as a pastoral paradise is a thing of the past, as agricultural pesticides pollute the rivers of the Maritime province.

by Sharon Labchuk

The carefully constructed image of Prince Edward Island as a pastoral paradise was shattered this summer. Over the course of one month, nine rivers were poisoned by agricultural pesticides. Thousands of fish were found belly-up, and frogs, snakes, worms, slugs and insects were exterminated.

by Paula Linquist

A 1994 BC Ministry of Forests (MoF) Risk Assessment of Gypsy Moth in British Columbia states"... the direct impact of an established gypsy moth population on BC's natural resources would likely be small." Despite this, MoF officials have applied for a Pesticide Use Permit to aerial and ground spray the Burnaby Lake area up to 4 times for gypsy moths. The biocide of choice is a combination of 2.1% live bacteria, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and 97.9% unknown chemicals which are kept hidden by the Trades Secret Act.

Tests commissioned by the Canadian Reforestation and Environmental Workers' Society on polymer-coated loose fertilizer revealed the presence of toxic metals (such as molybdenum and cadmium) not listed on their Material Safety Data Sheets.

by J. Cates

There are two big problems associated with putting chemicals into soil: first, chemicals are no respecters of geographic boundaries, and second, chemicals that are good for trees may not be so good for the people who have to work with them.

People are far ahead of the government in demanding the banning of toxics.

by Ingmar Lee

I've been a professional BC silviculture worker since 1979, and since that time I've planted more than 1,000,000 trees. I'm 40 years old, and in spite of having no history of cancer on either side of my family, I've survived three cancer surgeries so far.

Recently, studies have linked pesticide exposure to leukemia and immune disorders in children as well as liver and kidney damage, reproductive problems and some types of cancer.

Compiled by Delores Broten

When her neighbours sprayed their lawn for dandelions, my sister had to move out of her own home for two days because the spray made her sick. No medical evidence can be cited to back up the experience of thousands of people like her, but now cities and towns in Canada are getting down to the grassroots and dealing with the problem. They are motivated by citizens' concerns about the health of children, pets and the environment.