Studies have shown that children traced with pesticides on their urine can have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or ADHD. A study conducted in Canada shows that upon testing children with pesticides on their urine, 119 of them are with higher chances of having this hyperactivity disorder.

These red and delicious tomatoes are the main sources of Methamidophos, the highest pesticide residue found in children of all ages.

Diet has a huge part on these children’s health. Because parents want the best for their kids, they always give them something healthy to eat. However, the increasing cases of pesticides in food are unstoppable. And because of that, researchers are conducting studies on the effects of pesticides to man especially to kids.

"For most people, diet is the predominant source. It's been shown that people who switch to an organic diet knock down the levels of pesticide by-products in their urine by 85 to 90 percent.“ says Phil Landringan, a pediatrician and public health expert.

It was also found that kids with higher levels of neurotoxic organophosphate pesticides are more at risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

It was suggested by the researchers to give organics to children. They also stressed the importance of mothers eating organic before conception and throughout the pregnancy.

Though this study was not the first to cover the effects of pesticides to human health, this research was the first study to cover the effects of pesticides to children since the main subjects on previous researches are farmers and people that encounter pesticides most of the time.
The main action of these chemicals is to attack the neurological system of pests. However, these pesticides can also affect humans.

Cases in Australia

When it comes to ADHD medications, Australia is the third highest consumer. Of course, it is very alarming because definitely, it means that more and more children are having ADHD.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics claims that in the recent years, the cases of children with ADHD in Australia reached 3 to 5% of the total number of children in Australia. Though the causes may not be directly related to pesticides, the number of pesticides dietary exposures in Australian children from 0 to 12 years old is suggesting that pesticide residues can have something to do with it.

A statistical report of children having dietary exposures to pesticides shows that toddlers have higher pesticide residue compared to other ages. It also showed that in top 9 pesticide residues, Methamidophos, which can only be detected in tomatoes, has the highest content in children from all age groups.