Science Project Shows Pesticide Drift

Two girls?EUR??,,????'??? high school science project has caused concern all over the state of Florida. After testing the air for pesticide drift, Alex Lowe and ReAnna Greene concluded that pesticides from neighboring cabbage fields are contaminating the air near a new elementary school. However, their conclusion is denied by school officials and some experts.

While the school claims that their results are flawed and causing unnecessary alarm and that they received significant assistance from an anti-pesticide organization, the district has hired an outside firm to do more testing.

The girls and their teacher, Karen Ford, decided to test the air at South Woods Elementary for their science project after a recent lecture on pesticides. The school, which opened in August 2005 and has about 700 students and faculty, is surrounded by cabbage fields—the area grows half of the state’s crop.

After being turned away by school officials about placing air samplers on campus, Alex and ReAnna planted drift catchers on the property of a local family about a third of a mile from the school. They then sent the samples to the Pesticide Action Network North America to be analyzed, paid for by the high school?EUR??,,????'???s Environmental Youth Council.

The project results showed the pesticides diazinon and trifluralin and the herbicide endosulfin to be in the air near the school.
All three pose risks to children. Endosulfin can effect growth hormones while trifluralin is a possible carcinogen.

Mark Mossler, a University of Florida pesticides expert, doubts the validity of the testing, emphasizing that the chemicals are needed to protect the state’s valuable agricultural industry.

Source: Orlando Sentinel