December 10, 2001	Monday	Ramazan 24, 1422

WASHINGTON - Preliminary results from the first government study of the cumulative effects of a group of pesticides show that they might be harming brain development and function in a small percentage of young children.

The data, released by the Environmental Protection Agency, will guide federal regulators as they decide whether to further limit applications of the pesticides, known as organophosphates. They commonly are used to kill insects on a wide variety of crops - including strawberries, peaches, spinach, celery and apples - and in households and home gardens.

Experts fear that the toxins could cause short-term problems such as lagging attention or create long-term afflictions, such as nerve injuries and Parkinson’s disease.

Young children face higher risks than adults because they often eat a higher percentage of their body weights in their favourite fruits and vegetables, and their nervous systems are still developing.

Depending on how the EPA analyzes the new data, the percentage of 1- to 5-year-olds exposed to unacceptable levels of the toxins could range from 0.3 per cent to 10 per cent, or 57,000 to 1.9 million children.

The test results send “a strong signal to the EPA that it owes parents of this nation some stiff action to make sure the fruits and vegetables are safe for kids,” said Charles Benbrook, a consultant who has focused on pesticide regulation for three decades.

The EPA is scheduled to complete its final report on the risks of organophosphates next year, at which time it might restrict uses of some of the pesticides.

“With these tools, we will continue to ensure that the United States has the safest, most abundant food supply in the world,” Assistant EPA Administrator Steve Johnson said. Johnson stressed that it was premature to draw conclusions from the preliminary results and said that the overall food supply was safe. The American Crop Protection Association, the pesticide industry trade group, declined to comment on the 3,000-page study, saying it had not yet analyzed the data.

Others expressed concern. “Basically, what it means - if this analysis proves to be correct - there are thousands of children who are being exposed every day to these toxic chemicals at levels that pose a serious risk to their health,” said Erik K. Olson, senior attorney for the Natural Resources Defence Council. But until the agency finalizes its study, Olson said, “we don’t think it means people should stop feeding children fruits and vegetables - or panic.”

Organophosphates inhibit the function of cholinesterase, an important chemical that enables nerve cells to communicate with each other. The experts conceded that a lot remains to be learned about the effect these toxins have on humans.

A key decision facing the EPA is whether to apply a safety factor for children - a multiplier used to account for their higher sensitivity - when determining safe levels of exposure to the pesticides. The law requires the agency to use a