Pregnant Women Exposed to Pesticide Drift

Insecticides such as Assail 70 WP and Fujimite 5EC have been shown to cause miscarriage, preterm delivery, and severe birth defects. So what they are doing in the bodies of two pregnant women?

Workers at an organic farm in Tehachapi, including Julia Rojads Sabino and another pregnant woman, were exposed to these pesticides when a neighboring farmer sprayed his orchard while they were in the field harvesting onions. The workers experienced effects of the chemicals almost immediately. When the effects worsened, their supervisor was forced to seek medical assistance.

Despite the fact that pesticides drift when they are sprayed, the law does not require any buffer zones or communication between neighboring farms when a spraying is scheduled. Pesticide drift can continue to spread over large areas for hours, days, and even weeks.

Take Action at the United Farm Workers website and ask officials to strengthen laws on pesticide use.