• picture
  • picture
  • picture
  • picture
Public Radio's Environmental News Magazine (follow us on Google News)

Health Note

Air Date: Week of

Living on Earth's Diane Toomey reports on a study about the effects of low-level, but chronic exposure to pesticides on French vineyard workers.



Transcript

CURWOOD: Coming up, the view from the mountaintop, watching for fires. First, this environmental health note with Diane Toomey.

TOOMEY: Drinking wine can sometimes make people act a bit foolish, but a new study shows that even farming wine grapes may lead to mental impairment. It's known that heavy doses of certain types of pesticides act as nerve toxins and can impair brain function. But there have been few studies on long-term exposure to pesticides. So researchers tested vineyard workers in Bordeaux, France, who worked with pesticide-treated grapes for at least two decades. The workers had either mixed pesticide applications or had labored in vineyards treated with pesticides. For comparison researchers also examined agricultural workers with no pesticide exposure. Both groups were given a series of mental and verbal tests. For example, people were asked to remember certain words and pictures as well as perform certain tasks, such as connecting a series of dots. Researchers found that workers exposed to pesticides were three-and-a-half times more likely to score low on these tests compared to non-exposed workers. But the researchers made another find. It appears that drinking wine or other alcohol on a regular basis actually improved workers' scores. Among moderate drinkers, there was no difference between exposed workers and those who had not been around pesticides. But researchers say they can't explain why this is so. That's this week's Health Update. I'm Diane Toomey.

CURWOOD: And you're listening to Living on Earth.

 

 

Living on Earth wants to hear from you!

Living on Earth
62 Calef Highway, Suite 212
Lee, NH 03861
Telephone: 617-287-4121
E-mail: comments@loe.org

Newsletter [Click here]

Donate to Living on Earth!
Living on Earth is an independent media program and relies entirely on contributions from listeners and institutions supporting public service. Please donate now to preserve an independent environmental voice.

Newsletter
Living on Earth offers a weekly delivery of the show's rundown to your mailbox. Sign up for our newsletter today!

Sailors For The Sea: Be the change you want to sea.

Creating positive outcomes for future generations.

Innovating to make the world a better, more sustainable place to live. Listen to the race to 9 billion

The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment: Committed to protecting and improving the health of the global environment.

Contribute to Living on Earth and receive, as our gift to you, an archival print of one of Mark Seth Lender's extraordinary wildlife photographs. Follow the link to see Mark's current collection of photographs.

Buy a signed copy of Mark Seth Lender's book Smeagull the Seagull & support Living on Earth