Proof Pesticides Cause Cancer | Canadian Cancer Society | Provides Cherry Picked Studies as the cause

People can be exposed to pesticides at home or in the community in several ways:

• through the skin – absorption; passing into the body through the skin
• breathing into the lungs – inhalation
• swallowing – by eating what remains on vegetables and fruit, drinking contaminated water or touching contaminated hands to mouth

In your home

• pesticides used outdoors on lawns and gardens
• insect repellents – for example, for mosquitoes
• pesticides used indoors – for example, for ants, termites and cockroaches
• pesticides carried into the home from outdoors – for example, people working with pesticides who bring what remains on their clothing into the home

In your community

• pesticides carried in the air, water or soil contaminated by a nearby treated area – for example, drift from a farm or a neighbour’s lawn
• public health and safety use – for example, community spraying to control mosquitoes
• pesticides used in parks, recreational areas and other community settings

In your diet

• small amounts of pesticides on your vegetables and fruit left behind from growing, storage or transport
• drinking water contaminated by pesticides – for example, because of drift from a treated area

At your job

• pesticides used to protect growing crops, stored crops and livestock from damage on farms
• pesticides used to preserve foods for transport
• pesticides used on green spaces for recreation or sports – for example, on golf courses
• making or transporting pesticides

Pesticides and children
Children are at risk of being exposed to higher levels of pesticides than adults because:

• Some activities increase their exposure – such as crawling and playing in grass or gardens treated with pesticides or putting contaminated objects in their mouth.
• Pesticides can be absorbed through their skin more easily.
• They take in more air, water and food relative to their body weight compared to adults, which increases their total exposure.

Pesticide exposure may do more harm to children because their bodies are still developing and may not be able to deal with these substances.

Children can also be exposed to potentially harmful pesticides through their parents. For example, there is evidence that children whose parents work with pesticides are at increased risk of exposure to pesticides in the home. Another possible type of exposure is prenatal (before birth). Some studies suggest that the timing of exposure, such as prenatal exposure to pesticides may be important, but more research is needed to know how this may affect cancer risk in children.