Toxic Pesticide-ADHD Linked by New Study.Healthy, children friendly fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables carry pesticide contamination that is linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity DisorderA study conducted by the University of Montreal in Quebec, under the leadership of Maryse F. Bouchard, PhD, tested for levels of six pesticide metabolites in the urine of 1,139 children aged 8 to 15 selected from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2000 and 2004, including 119 children who were previously diagnosed with ADHD.Ongoing Repeated Childhood Toxic Pesticide Exposure from Fruits and VegetablesThis study provides a glimpse into insecticide exposure in the general population of children and not a specialized group such as the children of farm workers. This study was based on short term sampling, not long-term monitoring. Because certain pesticides leave the body after three to six days, the presence of residue shows that recent exposure was likely.Of the almost 900 pesticides that can be used in the United States 37 are classified as organophosphates. The chemicals in this class kill insects by disrupting the function of the key enzyme cholinesterase in their neurological system. Organophosphates also disrupt the proper function of cholinesterase in human brains.There are almost 900 different pesticides that can be legally used in America, 37 of those are classified as organophosphates. The 37 organophosphates account for nearly 70% of pesticide use. All organophosphates are highly toxic. The effects of organophosphate exposure are dependent on the type, concentration, length and chemical form of exposure a person experiences.Toxic Organophosphate poisoning occurs by:- ingestion- inhalation- dermal contactThe higher the concentration of the toxin and the longer the exposure the more destructive the results; up to and including death.Organophosphate Pesticide Developed as a Nazi Chemical Warfare NeurotoxinOrganophosphate poisons were developed in Germany under the direction of Adolph Hitler as weapons of chemical warfare. These neurotoxins include TEPP (tetraethyl pyrophosphate, developed as a nicotine substitute), Tabun (dimethyl phosphoroamidocyanidate) and Sarin (isopropyl methylphosphono fluoridate).I. G. Farben confirmed lethality by testing Tabun on prisoners at Aushwitz. The OPO4 poisons used as organophosphate pesticides such as chlorpyrifos and Diazinon became direct descendants of these nerve gas agents.These are the chemical "nerve gases" that were employed by Saddam Hussein in warfare against the Iraqi people.Low dose toxic exposure damages the human body in various ways; the most destructive is typically by disruption of the endocrine system.Endocrine glands, including the pituitary, thyroid, adrenal, thymus, pancreas, ovaries, and testes release carefully measured amounts of hormones into the bloodstream that act as natural chemical messengers, to different parts of the body in order to control and adjust many life functions, including growth, development, and maturation. The endocrine system controls the way various organs, including the brain form, grow and operate.Children with high levels of toxic pesticide residue in their urine, especially from widely used insecticides such as Malathion, were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD.Organophosphates are often derived from petrochemicals. Organophosphates can be found in a variety of products from automotive brake fluid to pesticides and plastics.2.5 million American Children are on Medication for ADHDADHD affects an estimated 4.5 million American children. The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention lists about 2.5 million American children as taking medication for the condition."I think it"s fairly significant. A doubling is a strong effect", said Maryse F. Bouchard, PhD, a University of Montreal in Quebec research professor and lead author of the study published in the Journal Pediatrics of May 17, 2010.The study did not monitor childrens" diets so the sources of the chemical contamination are unclear.Organophosphate pesticides are used on fresh and frozen foods such as: plums, apples, peaches, pears, strawberries and blueberries, celery and spinach.the National Academy of Sciences conducted a study in 2008 and found detectable concentrations of Malathion in 28 percent of frozen blueberry samples, 25 percent of fresh strawberry samples and 19 percent of celery samples.Organophosphates Accumulate as Toxins in our Environment and Contaminate our FoodAll too often American children, and adults, are continuously ingesting organophosphate based insecticides by eating such foods as apples that have been sprayed with an organophosphate insecticide. Many endocrine disruptors are persistent in the environment and accumulate in fat, so exposures can also come from eating avocados, fatty meats and fish from contaminated water.Bouchard found that children with a high level of metabolites left in the body after Malathion exposure were 55 percent more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. Because the researchers didn"t review the childrens" diets, they couldn"t say why some children had such high levels of pesticide residue. Children are at greater risk from pesticides because their young bodies are still developing and may not metabolize chemicals as well as adults.Wash Fresh and Frozen Fruits and Vegetables to Remove Toxic Pesticide ContaminationBouchard advises parents, "I would say buy organic as much as possible, I would also recommend washing fruits and vegetables as much as possible."The U.S. FDA recommends against using soaps because detergent residues are chemicals that everyone should avoid eating.Dr. Lockwood a professor of neurology at the Jacobs Neurological Institute, a pollution-related disease expert and past President of Physicians for Social Responsibility has commented on the report and recommends, "Doing like they tell you on the labels in the store. We advise you to wash all your produce before you consume it. You can also buy organic fruits and vegetables. They still have very small concentrations of pesticide residues in them, but they"re much, much lower than produce that"s raised conventionally", explained Dr. Lockwood."Rinsing produce under running tap water significantly reduces the amount of pesticides, and the special products don"t really improve on that. The only thing that seems to be better is spraying with diluted vinegar, and then rinsing. That also reduces bacteria very effectively."Because eating vegetables with their skin on or grown in contact with the soil is the most likely pathway of toxic pesticide poisoning, the Environmental Working Group has compiled a list of 12 fruits and vegetables that consumers should buy organically grown.

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