| Children's Environmental Exposure Research Study |
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The study took place in Duval County, Florida , a region chosen for its year round use of pesticides and for its high concentration of pesticides. To qualify, the family had to have a confirmed history of residential pesticide use, a child under the age of 13 months, and agree to continue to residential use of pesticides. Participating families were promised monetary compensation (up to $970), a study t-shirt, a framed Certificate of Appreciation, a study bib for the baby, a calendar, a study newsletter, and a Camcorder . CONTROVERSY $2 million of the $9 million for the CHEERS study was supplied by the American Chemistry Council , a Lobbying group that represents chemical makers. Because the results could directly affect rules for chemical manufacturers, this was interpreted by organizations such as the Environmental Working Group as a Conflict Of Interest . EPA recruiting information for CHEERS claimed that participation in the study presented "no risk" to the study subjects or their families. Critics contend that the state of knowledge about pesticide exposure risks to infants and children is imprecise, but suggests that residential pesticide exposures pose developmental risks to infants and children. CHEERS protocols may provided for intervention with subjects where technicians discovered use of pesticides inconsistent with product label directions, although {Link without Title} has never publicly produced the research protocol submitted to an Institutional Review Board (IRB). However, EPA has cancelled residential use of some of the pesticides CHEERS was to study based on potential harm to infants and children. CHEERS made no provision for informing subjects of risks associated with continued residential use of those pesticides. Critics contended that CHEERS would have paid families to expose their children to pesticides. EPA denies this, contending that because CHEERS would have only examined families who used pesticides prior to the study, CHEERS would not have increased the subject families' exposure to pesticides. The study was also criticized for using disproportionately black, lower-income families as subjects. REFERENCES |
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