As temperatures get hotter, pesticides are more dangerous to farmworkers

Research shows heat amplifies the dangers of pesticides.

The short version

• For the nation’s 2.4 million farmworkers, climate change is poised to exacerbate the harms of pesticides, a growing body of research shows.
• Heat stresses the body , making it more vulnerable to pesticides and other toxicants, and protective clothing worn in the heat only adds to this stress.
• Hotter temperatures can also lead to higher evaporation rates, increasing farmworkers’ exposure as more pesticides are applied to crops.

What happened

And heat can boost rates of chemical transformation of pesticides into more toxic compounds. “When it’s in the air, you are inhaling it through your nose.

Why it matters

You are exposed to it through your other organs like skin.

Summary by Nerd News Network. Read the full article at Ars Technica via the links above and below.