Chemical manufacturers have conducted testing of insecticides, rodenticides, and fungicides on humans in the past, often with lax testing procedures and misleading consent procedures. Participants are typically young, healthy adults who are paid to participate in the study.
While the manufacturers say human tests are necessary to show their products' safety, critics say pesticides can cause an array of adverse effects in humans ranging from nausea and uncontrollable drooling to muscle tremors, slowed heart rates and even death.
The Village Voice July 9, 2003
Great, now the FDA and EPA are authorizing pesticide testing on humans. These tests are designed to find out how much orange juice and bug spray a person can drink before becoming deathly ill, and are considered a glowing success only when this does not happen.
Today, big chemical companies are fans of human research because it encourages less stringent standards. This translates directly into several billion dollars for the pesticide industry, which annually sells nearly 4.5 billion pounds of chemicals--at a profit of more than $6 billion.
This is tragic because pesticides should be avoided for a number of reasons. They are anti-life and have been clearly associated with a number of problems such as:
Pesticides are particularly toxic to pregnant women--the toxins kill 20,000 fetuses every year. Pregnant women must avoid pesticides because they can cause miscarriages and infertility problems for the baby later in life, and exposure to pesticides is associated with premature births.
This includes spraying insect repellants, especially those that contain DEET, on your body. A safe alternative that will allow you to enjoy the outdoors and stay healthy is neem-based Botanical Outdoor Gel. It's free from toxic chemicals, so it's safe for infants, children and adults with the most sensitive skin.
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Alternatives to Using Pesticides
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Pesticides Linked to Stillbirths
Pesticides Targeting West Nile-Carrying Mosquitoes May be a Thyroid Danger