A 1999 U.S. General Accounting Office report on school pesticide use indicated
that, from 1993 to 1996, there were 2,300 instances in which children were
affected by pesticide exposure at school. Medical care, including hospitalization,
was necessary in over 300 cases. Although pesticide use is strictly regulated
by the EPA, residues may not dissipate to safe levels indoors. There have
been incidences in which pesticides were improperly applied in schools, causing
severe allergic reactions. Pesticide opponents support Integrated Pest Management
which advocates non-toxic pest prevention measures and the use of safer chemicals.
For more information, contact Pesticide Watch at www.pesticidewatch.org.
Office
of School Health
University of Colorado Denver
Campus Box F-541 P.O. Box 6508,
Aurora, CO 80045
303-724-0644
• http://www.uchsc.edu/schoolhealth
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