Weed Killers and Depression

This was posted in the Cafe.  "NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Farmers who used weedkillers were more than twice as likely to be treated for depression than farmers who didn't use the chemicals in a new study from France.

Whether the weedkillers are causing depression "is not clear," said Marc Weisskopf, the studys lead author and an associate professor at the Harvard School of Public Health. "But (the result) suggests we should not be ignoring herbicides just because they're targeting plants."

Earlier research on depression and pesticides has focused on insecticides, particularly organophosphates, which are known to be toxic to nerve cells, said Weisskopf.

Monocrotophos, the insecticide that killed 23 school children in India this month, is an organophosphate, for example.

The use of pesticides has also been linked to Parkinson's disease among farmers.  As part of a study on Parkinson's disease, Weisskopf and his colleagues assessed the risks for depression with exposure to any kind of pesticide by surveying 567 French farmers about their use of fungicides, insecticides and herbicides."

I do have friends who don't spray their own crops because when they sprayed their own, they felt some pesticides compromised their health.  I've taught pesticide eduation since 1987 and the main thing you learn is how the label varies from product to product.  RTB as Richard Young says, or Read The Book.  The pesticide label is usually a million dollar investment or more of the company registering a pesticide with the EPA.

As a Commercial Pesticide Applicator in Ohio, I spend a lot of time reading pesticide labels.  I just put a heavy dose of Classic herbicide from DuPont on our double crop soybeans.  This was after spreading a ton and a half of Eagle high calcium lime in April.  I am more concerned about carryover of the herbicide to corn next year than I am of depression in myself.  The weeds are dying nicely this morning.

What do you think the worst health risk is on your farm?  Pesticides?  Your grain or hay storage?  Farm machinery?

We are looking at a record low of 54 degrees F. for the Cincinnati area tonight.

Have a blessed Sunday,

Ed Winkle