How much of a pesticide use in an area will affect the health of the local fetus?

Agricultural pesticide use and adverse birth outcomes in the San Joaquin Valley of California, according to a study published this week in nature communications, pesticide exposure during pregnancy can lead to adverse birth outcomes, but only at very high levels.the researchers evaluated a large data set from the San Joaquin Valley in California and identified a small target group that could benefit from measures aimed at reducing pesticide related birth abnormalities.Image Source: pixabay's past research has shown that pesticides have a negative impact on the health of agricultural workers, but it has not been clear what effects may be on individuals living near agricultural areas.Ashley Larsen of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and colleagues analyzed 500000 birth records and local pesticide use levels in agriculture dominated San Joaquin Valley from 1997 to 2011 to investigate the relationship between pesticide exposure and birth outcomes.for the birth outcome, the author focused on the birth weight, gestational age and birth abnormalities.spatial distribution and variables of pesticide use in San Joaquin Valley, California.A. in 2011, the pesticide distribution of 93km2 town public land survey (PLS) showed that the annual total amount of pesticide active substances had spatiotemporal difference; B. the standard deviation of total pesticide amount measured in town public land. Their findings suggest that exposure to very high pesticide levels during pregnancy, i.e., 5% of the highest exposure level, or at least 4200 kg of pesticide, increases the likelihood of adverse birth outcomes (associated with birth weight, gestational age, and birth abnormalities) by 5 – 9%.the authors suggest that policy intervention for these groups with the greatest risk may reduce the incidence of pesticide related birth abnormalities.ⓝ DOI:10.1038/s41467-017-00349-2