E-mail on protect California's toddlers from pesticides

Hi Janice,

Children are especially susceptible to the effects of toxics, and
exposure to products like pesticides have been shown to have fatal or
irreversible effects, including the development of asthma or cancer. Despite
this reality, tests show that pesticides are found in higher
concentrations at preschools and day care facilities than in the average home.

To protect California's toddlers from pesticides, Environment
California is working with Asm. Alberto Torrico (Fremont) to pass the Healthy
Day Cares bill (AB 2865). This bill would expand the Healthy Schools Act,
which Environment California helped to pass in 2000, by encouraging day
cares to use alternatives to pesticides and requiring parental
notification when a school is planning to use pesticides.

Help us build support in the Legislature for this bill by asking your
assemblymember to co-author the Healthy Day Cares bill. Then ask your
family and friends to do the same.

To take action, click on the link below or paste it into your web
browser:

http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/environmentalhealth/healthydaycares


Background

Sixty-five percent of California's children (ages 0 to 5) receive
non-parental child care, the majority in a structured setting such as a day
care or preschool. This is especially true in working families where 83
percent of children regularly spend an average of 35 hours per week in
day care.

Unfortunately, tests conducted by the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) show that pesticides are pervasive in day care facilities. The
EPA's tests looked for pesticides in the air, in floor dust samples and on
surfaces. One type of common insecticide, organochlorine pesticides
(the most famous example of this type of pesticide is DDT), was found in
nearly 100 percent of the indoor air samples, over 85 percent of the
floor dust samples and 56 percent of surface wipe samples.

Another common pesticide, pyrethroid pesticide, was found in 100
percent of the floor dust samples, 82 percent of dermal wipe samples and over
69 percent of surface wipe samples. Overall, levels of pesticides found
in dust were significantly higher in day care settings than in
residential homes.

There is particular reason for alarm because children's exposure to
pesticides during critical stages of development may have permanent
effects. Factors such as immature developing body systems, rapid physical
development, hand to mouth behavior, and a reduced ability to detoxify
toxic substances all make children more vulnerable to the toxic effects of
pesticides.

Several studies have confirmed this concern and show a strong link
between pesticide exposure and serious and chronic illness. One California
study found that children exposed to any pesticide or herbicide in
their first year of life were more than twice as likely to suffer from
persistent asthma before the age of five. Another study found that the risk
of childhood leukemia increased more than six times when garden
pesticides were used at least once per month. Other studies have shown that
pesticides can interact with endocrine systems to produce a range of
adverse developmental effects such as altered social skills, learning
disabilities, developmental delays, and hyperactivity.

To protect California's young children, Environment California is
working with Asm. Alberto Torrico (Fremont) to pass the Healthy Day Cares
bill (AB 2865). The bill amends the term "schoolsite" in the Healthy
Schools Act of 2000 to include licensed day cares. The extension of the
Healthy Schools Act to day cares would require such facilities to notify
parents about pesticide applications and to post notices in areas
treated with pesticides. The bill also would provide day care providers
with information and trainings on least-toxic Integrated Pest Management
(IPM) techniques to help them create a safer environment in which to
care for our most vulnerable population.

Help us build support in the Legislature for this bill by asking your
assemblymember to co-author the Healthy Day Cares bill. Then ask your
family and friends to do the same.

To take action, click on the link below or paste it into your web
browser:

http://www.environmentcalifornia.org/action/environmentalhealth/healthydaycares


Sincerely,

Dan Jacobson
Environment California Legislative Director
DanJ@environmentcalifornia.org
http://www.EnvironmentCalifornia.org

P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this
e-mail with your family and friends.