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A pesticide linked to potentially irreversible neurological impairments in children had the highest readings of all the overused chemicals on the island, the authorities have confirmed. The contentious insecticide, called chlorpyrifos, was thrust into the intMost overused pesticide linked to brain conditions in children
A pesticide linked to potentially irreversible neurological impairments in children had the highest readings of all the overused chemicals on the island, the authorities have confirmed. The contentious insecticide, called chlorpyrifos, was thrust into the international spotlight in recent days after a group of eight US attorney generals last week won a last-ditch appeal to ban its use following growing public health concerns. Chlorpyrifos, a pesticide used widely on food crops in Malta, has repeatedly been shown to negatively impact proper development and functioning of the central nervous system and brain following prenatal exposure. In 2014, a pesticide awareness group conducted tests to establish whether residential proximity to the agricultural pesticide during pregnancy was associated with autism spectrum disorders or developmental delay. It found about one in three pregnant women who lived within 1.5 kilometres of a farm spraying the chemical had an increased risk of bearing a child with some form of autism or developmental disorder. Read: Maltese fruit and veg top EU pesticides list The Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority, responsible for local pesticide... Read more