Children living near traditional plantations in Costa Rica are exposed to twice as much of the insecticide chlorpyrifos compared to children living near organic plantations, a study reports.
More than half of the 140 studied children — mostly indigenous Ngäbe and Bribri — had higher daily exposures than what is considered safe by U.S. standards.
Residential use of the pesticide, which has been linked to neurological effects in children, is banned in the United States, although it is still permitted on some crops. Costa Rica’s banana and plantain plantations export products to U.S. and European markets.
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