Potential health effects related to pesticide use on athletic fields

Children are particularly vulnerable to environmental exposures, especially exposures from pesticides which can include both neurotoxic, reproductive toxic, and carcinogenic ingredients. Children are the prime users of athletic fields and in many instances this use is associated with exposure to herbicides and insecticides. For some children, these exposures can occur almost daily. This presentation will review a first-of-a-kind study that provides an overview of decision-making and field maintenance practices regarding children's athletic fields. This cross-sectional, descriptive study assessed the maintenance practices at 101 athletic fields (N=101) in the six county/city area of central Maryland. Sixty-six fields (65.3%) of 101 reported using some form of pesticides, mainly herbicides (57.4%). Interestingly, the managers of urban and suburban fields were less likely to use pesticides than managers of rural fields. Potential health risks associated with the commonly applied herbicides and insecticides will be reviewed. As environmental health scientists move towards better exposure modeling that takes into account multiple sources of exposures, knowledge of pesticide exposures from such sources as playing fields will be critical. Additionally, there is great need for public health education to appropriately target audiences regarding field maintenance decisions, including parents, school officials, neighbors surrounding athletic fields, and local primary care, emergency care, and public health practitioners. Additionally, local, state, and national policies must be considered regarding the use of potentially harmful chemicals where children play. Changes in pesticide use policies will improve the health of workers, children and other sports participants, and observers, thereby reducing health risks and their associated health care costs, missed work, and school days.