Pesticide Lawsuit | Attorney
Wide Range of Diseases linked to Pesticides
Pesticide exposure has been linked with many common diseases, including asthma, autism and learning disabilities, birth defects, reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and several types of cancer. Though it can be difficult to link one of these diseases to a particular pesticide in a court of law, our firm is investigating potential cases for people who developed one of these diseases as a result of pesticide exposure.
Matthews & Associates Law Firm is investigating injuries for a potential pesticide lawsuit. If you believed you or someone you love has been injured by pesticide exposure, contact our firm for a free legal consultation regarding a potential pesticide lawsuit.
Elevated Rates of Chronic Diseases linked with Pesticides
The scientific literature shows elevated rates of chronic diseases among people exposed to pesticides. An increasing number of studies associate pesticides with both specific illnesses and a range of illnesses.
Pesticide-linked Diseases include:
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Asthma
- Autism
- Diabetes
- Lymphoma
- Prostate Cancer
- Developmental and Learning Disorders
Beyond Agricultural Pesticide Exposure
According to Beyondpesticides.org:
* 28 of the 40 most commonly used pesticides in schools are known to cause cancer
* 14 are linked to endocrine disruption
* 26 can adversely affect reproduction
* 26 are nervous system poisons
* 13 can cause birth defects.
Of the 30 most popular used lawn pesticides:
* 19 can cause cancer
* 13 are linked to birth defects
* 21 can affect reproduction
* 15 are nervous system toxicants
Several published studies using animal toxicity data and human cells/ tissue laboratory data also show pesticides linked to several major public health problems.
Pesticides and Public Health Problems
Parkinson’s Disease
Parkinson’s disease (PD) occurs when nerve cells in the substantia nigra region of the brain are damaged or destroyed and can no longer produce dopamine, a nerve signaling molecule that helps control muscle movement. At least one million Americans have PD and about 50,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. With less than one percent of cases caused by genetics, researchers have been looking for the potential risk factors for developing Parkinson’s disease (PD). The epidemiological and toxicological evidence is repeatedly identifying exposure to pesticides, as well as specific gene-pesticide interactions, as significant adverse risk factors that contribute to PD.
Lymphoma
The Beyond Pesticides.org database lists 46 studies linking pesticides to lymphoma. According to the Lymphoma Foundation of America, 75 out of all 99 epidemiologic studies conducted on lymphoma and pesticides find a link between the two. The report states that National Cancer Institute data shows that people develop lymphoma often in states and locations with the highest pesticide use. The report finds that farmers are at the highest risk for lymphoma. Dozens of studies in the database confirm the risk to farmers and other pesticide applicators.
Asthma
Around 16 million people in the U.S. suffer from asthma, where rates in the U.S. have skyrocketed to epidemic levels since the mid 1980s, especially in young children. Asthma is a serious chronic disorder that can be life-threatening. It strikes the lungs and is characterized by recurrent attacks of bronchial constriction that causes breathlessness, wheezing, and coughing. Researchers have found pesticide exposure can induce a poisoning effect linked to asthma. Low-income populations, people of color, and children living in inner cities experience disproportionately high morbidity and mortality due to asthma.
Diabetes
Six studies link pesticides to diabetes. Several studies show pesticides and other pollutants can elevate the risk of type 2 diabetes by 20% to more than 100%. A study by NIH finds pesticide applicators with regular exposure to pesticides are at greater risk for type 2 diabetes. Applicators who had used certain insecticides more than 100 lifetime days nearly doubled their diabetes risk.
Reproductive Health Effects
The BeyondPesticides.org database lists 22 studies linking pesticides to reproductive health effects. These include decreased fertility in both males and females, antiandrogenic (demasculinizing) effects, increased rates of miscarriage, altered sex ratios and altered maturity. A 2006 study published in the journal Epidemiology found inverse associations between pesticides and male testosterone levels. The study found that high levels of the urinary metabolites of chlorpyrifos (TCPY) and carbaryl and naphthalene (1N) correlate directly with low levels of testosterone in male subjects. Several epidemiological studies and animal laboratory experiments that show strong associations or linkages between infertility rates and exposure to pesticides support the conclusions of this study. View Beyond Pesticides’ full Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database at www.beyondpesticides.org/health.
Developmental and Learning Disorders
Approximately one in six U.S. children has one or more developmental disabilities ranging from a learning problem to a serious behavioral or emotional disorder. Scientists believe toxic chemicals in the environment cause developmental and neurological damage. These toxins contribute to the increase in physical and mental problems seen in more and more children.
Children’s developing organs are especially vulnerable to injuries from pesticide exposure. Pesticide testing in the U.S. for potential developmental and learning disorders in children is woeful. And scientists know that compared to adult brains, developing brains are much more susceptible to chemicals’ toxic effects. A developing brain undergoes a highly complex series of processes in particular time frames. Toxic substances can interfere with or disrupt these processes in ways that can cause permanent damage. That vulnerability extends from fetal development all the way into adolescence. Research has shown that environmental toxicants like pesticides – even at low levels of exposure – can trigger subclinical effects. Though these effects may not be readily visible, they are nevertheless important adverse effects, such as decreases in intelligence or behavior changes.
Beyond Pesticides lists the 10 most common and concerning chemicals for human health:
- 2.4-D (Herbicide)
- Atrazine (Herbicide)
- Carbaryl (Insecticide)
- Dicamba (Herbicide)
- Glyphosate (Herbicide)
- Mecoprop (Herbicide)
- Malathion (Insecticide)
- Permethrin (Insecticide)
- Thiophanate methyl (Fungicide)
- Trichlorfon (Insecticide)
Free Legal Consultation
Matthews & Associates Law Firm is investigating injuries for potential pesticide lawsuits. If you believed you or someone you love has been injured by pesticide exposure, contact our firm for a free legal consultation regarding a potential pesticide lawsuit.
