Yes they are. Children are especially vulnerable to pesticide poisoning for a number of reasons:
- Children’s behaviour means they are easily exposed to pesticides in the environment. They play on the floor, they pick up strange objects, and they put things in their mouth;
- The small size of children means that a specific amount of pesticide will result in higher dose per kilogram of bodyweight compared to adults;
- Symptoms of poisoning are often confused with childhood illnesses, so parents don’t realise that their child has been poisoned;
- The body is still immature and therefore the development of organs is at risk from chronic poisoning. Especially the developing nerve system, brain and sexual organs are at risk from pesticides that mimic hormones.
