Pesticides in Child Care Initiative 2010 Staten Island Pilot Project

Abstract

It is well known that infants and small children are among the most likely groups to suffer long-term health effects from exposure to chemical pesticides. There are two main reasons for this: higher exposure risk and greater vulnerability. The youngest children are often the most vulnerable to pesticide exposure, because their small bodies are undergoing rapid growth and development of vital organs and complex systems. Early exposure to pesticides and other toxic pollutants and exposure to low-levels of pesticides in utero or during early childhood has been linked to increased risk for many health problems. In an attempt to evaluate the potential exposure of children to pesticides in child care settings, in December 2009 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 launched the “Pesticides in Child Care Initiative”. Given the large universe of child care centers, the Staten Island Pilot Project was conducted in 2010 focusing on identifying the manner, type and frequency of pesticides being applied in child care centers in a target environmental justice area of Staten Island, N.Y. The initiative’s main premise was that children ages 0-6 may be potentially exposed to pesticides from indoor and/or outdoor pesticide applications in the childcare setting. In addition the pilot project was expected to help the EPA identify strategies needed to reduce the overall use of pesticides being applied in child care centers.