The sign of the times
Your Pooch, Pesticides And Parkinson's
by Victoria
Marsha Morgan, a researcher at the EPA's National Exposure
Research Laboratory at North Carolina published the
findings of a recent study she performed a few months ago.
Morgan was comparing the levels of pesticides in freshly
treated lawns to indoor levels. She found that a family
of four with a dog had 50 times higher levels of diazinon
inside the house and in the carpet than the outside
levels. The pesticide residues on the paws of the dog
were 55 to 250 times higher than levels found in the home
than that found in the yard. The dogs are tracking the
pesticides from the yard right into the house.
Think about all the chemicals that we and the dogs are
carrying into our homes. Our exposure to pesticides has
never been greater and just small amounts of these deadly
chemicals can cause great problems in the body.
Parkinson's has been linked to pesticides and this disease
is becoming more and more common.
A study from Denmark showed that individuals working in
agriculture and horticulture had a high risk of developing
Parkinson's disease.
Another study linked the use of herbicides and pesticides
in California to an increased risk of Parkinson's Disease.
California uses 250 million pounds of pesticides annually
and this is about one-fourth of all the pesticides used in
the U.S. Researchers have concluded that the incidence of
Parkinson's was significantly greater in countries where
chemicals are being used.
There are other studies that have confirmed that
pesticides are directly related to Parkinson's.
The bottom line is this: When you expose yourself to
pesticides, whether in your garden or by tracking them
into your home, you increase your risk of disease.
One more reason to use organic gardening methods and
especially to eat organic foods. The next time you think
you cannot afford the extra money for organic, think
again.
Posted by yesmamm
at 11:11 AM PST