What is it about?
Pesticides are commonly used in tropical regions such as the Caribbean for both household and agricultural purposes. Of particular concern is exposure during pregnancy, as these compounds can cross the placental barrier and interfere with fetal development. This study confirmed that prenatal exposures to many neurotoxic and developmental toxicants are taking place throughout the Caribbean region
Featured Image
Photo by Andrew Seaman on Unsplash
Why is it important?
This bio-monitoring study underscores the need for Caribbean public health authorities to encourage their populations, and in particular pregnant women, to become more aware of the potential routes of exposure to pesticides and to utilise these chemicals more cautiously given the possible adverse effects such exposures can have on their unborn children and infants.
Perspectives
I hope this article stimulates and motivates the policy and decision makers in the Caribbean to take seriously their role to monitor and control the types and quantities that are used in this region of the world.
Dr. Martin S Forde
St. George's University, Grenada
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Evaluation of exposure to organophosphate, carbamate, phenoxy acid, and chlorophenol pesticides in pregnant women from 10 Caribbean countries, Environmental Science Processes & Impacts, January 2015, Royal Society of Chemistry,
DOI: 10.1039/c5em00247h.
You can read the full text:
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
