Most people don't understand just how problematic synthetic pesticides are not just for the environment and farm workers, but our entire society. Did you know that one of the most popular families of pesticides used in conventional agriculture, organophosphates, has been widely implicated in severe developmental neurotoxicity issues in children? As these studies showcase, these pesticides, found in normal amounts in children, not children with high exposure, are implicated in reduced IQ and cognitive abilities:
Take a few minutes to ponder the ramifications; the food we eat may literally be making us dumber. And yes, food is a major pesticide source despite what industry might claim: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18414640. Continuing on, the most important enzyme responsible for breaking down these pesticides in the human body is called serum paraoxanase. Some people have a lot of paraoxanase activity and are able to break down the pesticides really fast. Guess which subpopulation scientists are beginning to find has significantly reduced paraoxanase activity? People with autism: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16297937 -- and this year a large study found associations between organophosphates and autism: http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/newsroom/8978. More work needs to be done on this front, but the early findings are concerning to say the least.
The data against organophosphates continues to pile up and has resulted in the thousands of scientists represented by the Union of Concerned Scientists wanting organophosphates banned. Unfortunately, politics wins at the EPA: http://www.ucsusa.org/our-work/center-science-and-democracy/promoting-scientific-integrity/epa-and-pesticides.html
There will be a time when society looks back in shame on its use of synthetic pesticides. But make no mistake, the greed of chemical manufacturers and the cognitive dissonance of those who utilize these pesticides will result in unquantifiable damage before we get to that point. Educate yourself and do what you can to protect your family in the meantime. A good advocacy group is www.beyondpesticides.org