I had the opportunity to study the toxicological properties of pesticides, as part of my biology degree. Children are more prone than adults to pesticide poisoning. A child's immune system is less developed, making it more difficult to fight off toxins. Children absorb greater concentrations of pesticides per pound of body weight through inhalation, ingestion and dermally. Children may not read or understand warning signs.
Children are more likely to play on treated grounds.
Unwashed hands can allow pesticides onto toys and food, eventually finding their way into the mouth. Developing cells are more easily damaged than cells that have finished developing. For instance, childhood is characterised by a rapid growth phase in which cells dividing quickly make it more likely that a cell mutation will reproduce, initiating cancer. Children are extremely vulnerable to classes of synthetic pesticides that mimic natural hormones. Pesticides are everywhere.