Since it's winter time and the rain has been almost non-stop here in northern California for the past 2 weeks the war against the ants has started in my office. One morning I find ants overrunning my desk very excited about an unfinished cookie left on my desk from the day before. We used Windex to dissolve the ant trail and naturally disposed of the cookie but the question turns to what to do about the multitude of ants that we deal with every winter when it rains and every summer when the weather gets too hot.
In our office we use ant traps that seems to be relatively effective and throw away anything that seems to even remotely resemble food. Our battle with the prolific ants have gone on for years as I am sure you have or had a similar problems with ants, mosquitoes and other bugs. Pesticides are used very liberally in many household environments and parents trying to get pregnant and who have young children should know about the relationship between childhood cancers such as acute leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and the use of pesticides.
It seems that household exposure to pesticides in one French study performed between 2003 and 2004 significantly increases the risk of children developing either acute leukemia or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This study considered the use of household sprays both indoor and outdoor by both the mother and the father of the child. A child is about twice as likely to get acute leukemia or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma if the parent was exposed to pesticides during pregnancy.
The study did not track pesticide consumption of the parent which are quite abundant in foods. We have learned in past posts here on Green Health Spot that pesticides have been related to type 2 diabetes and almost 90% of pesticide exposure from non-organic fruits and vegetables can be related to the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables. Also children living near vineyards and other agricultural communities where pesticides and herbicides are frequently used will likely be more at risk for these childhood cancers as well. Keep yourself posted about possible exposure to pesticides for the health of yourself as well as your family.
Households with indoor/outdoor pets will find that dogs and cats can track in pesticides sprayed around your home. You and your kids can track in pesticides from the yard on your shoes as well. Training yourself and your kids to remove your shoes at the door can help reduce the indoor contamination of pesticides and other environmental toxins.
Wow! I had no idea that "pesticides have been related to type 2 diabetes and almost 90% of pesticide exposure from non-organic fruits and vegetables can be related to the top 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables."
Makes me more inclined to spend the extra money on organics because I hate scrubbing fruits and veggies with all that veg wash stuff.
Posted by: Stephanie Quilao | February 01, 2008 at 12:56 PM