A 20 year <a href="http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1307450/">study</a>, published this fall by the National Institute for Health (NIH), suggests that farmers who use pesticides are at an increased risk of clinical depression. This new report adds to the growing number of studies that note the neurological risks associated with pesticide exposure, including Parkinson’s disease and various developmental disorders.

<img class="size-medium wp-image-1672 alignright" src="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/crop-spraying-2-300x214.jpg" alt="crop spraying 2" width="300" height="214" />The NIH interviewed 21,208 male farmers in Iowa and North Carolina twice between the early 1990s and 2010 regarding their health and their farms’ pesticide reliance. Researchers found that exposure to one of two pesticide classes, organochlorine insecticides or fumigants, increased farmers' risk of clinical depression by 80% and 90% respectively. Most organochlorine insecticides, including DDT and dieldrin, have been banned in the United States, but some are still legally permitted for use on agricultural fields, such as organophosphates diazinon, malthion, and.

The NIH’s study adds to a pool of evidence connecting pesticide exposure to diminished neurological health. Exposure to certain herbicides and insecticides, including organophosphates, has been linked to Parkinson’s disease, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia.. While organophosphates are predominantly applied on croplands, homeowners and lawn care managers are also exposed to neurologically damaging pesticides. Of the 30 most commonly used lawn pesticides, <a href="http://www.beyondpesticides.org/lawn/factsheets/30health.pdf">14 have been known to cause neurological conditions</a>.

Children, in particular, are more likely to experience the developmental effects of pesticide exposure, as their organs are still developing. Scientists have linked the rising rates in autism and ADHD diagnoses among children with exposure to industrial chemicals, including pesticides.

In the 1990’s, the chemical industry maintained the position that pesticides pose no significant threat to human health if applied correctly. Yet most farmers who applied pesticides to their fields in the 1990s are suffering serious health effects now, 20 years later. Chemical companies give these same assurances to farmers and homeowners today. To ensure that a scientific study conducted on homeowners 20 years from now does not find the same result as the NIH in 2014, we need to stop using pesticides on our lawns, gardens, and public spaces.

Midwest Pesticide Action Center strives to ensure that we are all protected from these health threats by educating the public and advocating for more natural, sustainable lawn care practices. You can protect yourself by implementing a Natural Lawn Care routine and  encouraging your neighbors and communities to transition away from pesticides. For more information about the health and environmental effects of pesticides, and to learn more about what you can do right now, check out our <a href="http://midwestpesticideaction.org/what-you-can-do/all-resources/">resources page</a>.