--- title: Pesticides Health Effects: Pesticide May Hurt Lung Function description: A common type of pesticide used in agriculture may contribute to decreased lung function, making it harder to breathe and exercise canonical: https://time.com/4133353/pesticides-lung-function-children/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-12-03T17:31:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:56:57.291Z article:section: Health og:title: Pesticides Health Effects: Pesticide May Hurt Lung Function og:description: A common type of pesticide used in agriculture may contribute to decreased lung function, making it harder to breathe and exercise og:url: https://time.com/4133353/pesticides-lung-function-children/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteb3b72cf6a2a5253/698873aef887dc5f9ee9391c/organophosphate-agriculture-pesticide.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: Agriculture pesticide organophosphate og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Pesticides Health Effects: Pesticide May Hurt Lung Function twitter:description: A common type of pesticide used in agriculture may contribute to decreased lung function, making it harder to breathe and exercise twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteb3b72cf6a2a5253/698873aef887dc5f9ee9391c/organophosphate-agriculture-pesticide.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Common Pesticides Linked to Decreased Lung Function in Children > Sponsored content. 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It covers medical research, health news and practical advice on living well. #### Where can I get reliable health news by email? Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: TIME Explains: Trans-Fats [Watch (HLS stream): TIME Explains: Trans-Fats](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/XbAGuNXW.m3u8) (1:42)  _Published 2013-11-07. The FDA announced it is moving towards a ban of trans fat. Here's what you need to know._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Dec 3, 2015 5:31 PM UTC  A crop duster airplane sprays Lanate, a powerful organophosphate pesticide banned in most European countries, on California fields in 2008. A crop duster airplane sprays Lanate, a powerful organophosphate pesticide banned in most European countries, on California fields in 2008. David McNew—;Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Dec 3, 2015 5:31 PM UTC A common type of pesticide used in agriculture may contribute to decreased lung function in children, making it harder for them to breathe and exercise, according to new research. Researchers, writing in the journal _Thorax_, found an 8% decrease in lung function for every 10-fold increase in concentration of organophosphate pesticides. That decrease in functioning is close to the effect caused by second-hand smoking. The study’s researchers measured exposure to those pesticides in pregnant women and their offspring in California’s agricultural Salinas Valley until children reached age 5\. Researchers then assessed children’s lung functioning at age 7 and found the decreased lung functioning. To know whether that effect lasts longer-term would require further study. **Read More**: [Here’s the Staggering Cost of Chemicals to Our Health](http://time.com/3733486/chemicals-phthalates-disease-costs/) The children in the study were likely exposed to a greater quantity of the pesticide than the average American child because of their proximity to abundant farming. Still, children living far away from agricultural regions who are exposed to residue on food may still be at risk, according to study author Brenda Eskenazi, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. “Remember these kids aren’t farmworkers,” says Eskenazi. “We know that this population is somewhat more exposed than the general U.S. population, but what we’re seeing from children in these areas may also have implications for residue in food.” Organophosphate pesticides are the most common type of insecticide, but their use has been on the decline in recent years following repeated reports of how high levels of exposure have poisoned agricultural workers. The Environmental Protection Agency placed restrictions on the chemical’s use in residential in 2001. Eskenazi praised farmers’ willingness to move away from organophosphates, at least in California, but acknowledged that there is still much to learn about the replacements. “I can’t really say what the health effects of those things are,” she says. “That’s the next thing for us to study.” **Read More**: [Why It Might Actually Pay To Be an Organic Farmer](http://time.com/3902279/organic-farming-environment/) ## Transcript The FDA announced it is moving towards a ban of trans fat. Here's what you need to know. [ MUSIC ] Trans fat is the byproduct of partially hydrogenated oils. We get trans fat when, under specific conditions, manufacturers bubble hydrogen gas through oil, and turn the liquid oil into a substance with any thickness they want [ MUSIC ] This not only gives food a desired texture, but it also increases the shelf life of processed foods, like cookies, frozen pizza, and doughnuts. However, trans fat clogs arteries and increases the risk of heart disease. It's estimated that if industry produced trans fat was eliminated, 20, 000 heart attacks and 7, 000 heart related deaths would be prevented each year. The FDA released a preliminary determination that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer generally recognized as safe. Without this classification, trans fats cannot be added to foods without FDA approval. [ MUSIC ] If this is finalized, these oils become unapproved food additives, and illegal to sell. It'll take some time before trans fat are completely out of our food system. Some foods like doughnuts, cookies, and frozen pizza still have trans fat. So, the FDA is allowing a 60 day commenting period for the food industry to suggest a time frame that's realistic for them. 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