Stop Pesticide Study on Kids

Using funds from industry lobbyists, the American Chemistry Council (ACC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to go ahead with a study exposing children to pesticides and other household chemicals. The Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study (CHEERS) will see how children up to the age of three ingest, inhale and absorb known toxic chemicals. Outraged responses in newspapers, from the Environmental Working Group, and even from EPA's own scientists, according to the Washington Post, have temporarily suspended the study, but EPA still plans to carry on with it in early 2005 following a final review. Though the EPA says the study poses no risks to participants, it calls for continued pesticide and household cleaner use for the two-year period during which children's exposures will be monitored, despite the fact that health threats to children of these chemicals are already well-known. The Organic Consumers Association points out that the study period is too short to show the long-term health effects of such exposures. As they've done before, the ACC could use a lack of negative results to lobby against pesticide regulation, making their $2 million dollar contribution to the study money well spent. Furthermore, CHEERS targets children of low-income families in Duval County, Florida, exposing those most unlikely to have adequate medical coverage or information, and least likely to challenge the EPA or the chemical industry should health problems arise in the long-term.

Take Action

Tell the EPA to a put a quick, permanent halt to this unethical study before it starts. Sign the Organic Consumer's Association petition calling on Mike Leavitt, EPA Administrator, to end the CHEERS study. To sign, click here for the OCA's web petition.

More Resources

Environmental Working Group's page on Pesticide Testing on Humans

EPA's page on CHEERS

Center for Health, Environment and Justice CHEERS protest page