All throughout my childhood as far back as the 1950s, my favorite part of going to a shore town like Atlantic City or Wildwood was not the endless sand, loads of needless souvenirs, or the fast food we’d buy on the boardwalk.
My most popular spots were the fruit and vegetable stores on the White Horse Pike we’d encounter on the drive home–the enormous ears of corn, the juicy, red tomatoes, ripe peaches and nectarines, and so much more.
When we arrived home, we could barely fit everything in the refrigerator, but my mother moved everything around until the produce fit. That process was lengthy because in those days, refrigerators were small, but somehow we achieved the nearly impossible. Important caveat: The fruits and vegetables were raised with pesticides, and we didn’t care because we didn’t know. Aah! Ignorance was indeed bliss.Â
I had my stroke and subsequent brain injury decades later, but it turned out that pesticides can cause significant brain injury all by themselves through several processes. Studies show that many pesticides target the nervous system of insects, and because of the similarity of neurochemical mechanisms, these aggregates are also likely to be brain-toxic to humans NCBIBiomedcentral.
So the growing human brain of a child is much more susceptible to injury Potential developmental neurotoxicity of pesticides used in Europe – PMC from pesticide exposure compared to adult brains. This increased vulnerability makes children especially at risk from pesticide trappings.
Several types of brain injuries and neurological conditions have been associated to pesticide exposure:
Studies show that pesticides can disturb the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in certain kinds of fish and induce brain inflammation primarily by compelling chemical changes in proteins Pesticides at brain borders: Impact on the blood-brain barrier, neuroinflammation, and neurological risk trajectories – ScienceDirect. This BBB disruption permits harmful material to enter brain tissue more readily.
Several classes of pesticides, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, have been exposed Association of Pesticide Exposure with Neurologic Dysfunction and Disease – PMC in increased Parkinson’s risk. Recent studies have also identified 10 pesticides that were directly toxic to neurons Researchers identify 10 pesticides toxic to neurons involved in Parkinson’s | UCLA Health involved in Parkinson’s disease evolvement.
Studies also indicate pesticides can cause cognitive and memory issues. The central nervous system undergoes injury from pesticide residues that add up in the body ultimately. Exposure during critical developmental periods can cause lasting brain damage, affecting behavior, learning, and motor function.
Pesticide-induced brain injury include direct effects on brain cells, inflammation of nervous tissue, and oxidative stress damage. Agricultural workers, children living near farms, and people eating foods with pesticide residues confront the highest exposure risks. The long-term effects of pesticide exposure on brain health remain an active area of scientific studies and public health consideration.
