--- 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: 2026-02-22T13:03:33.910Z 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=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 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=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Common Pesticides Linked to Decreased Lung Function in Children ## 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/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4133353/pesticides-lung-function-children/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4133353/pesticides-lung-function-children/"},"headline":"Common Pesticides Linked to Decreased Lung Function in Children","datePublished":"2015-12-03T17:31:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T13:03:33.910Z","description":"The children studied were California agricultural communities","url":"https://time.com/4133353/pesticides-lung-function-children/","keywords":["toxins"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteb3b72cf6a2a5253/698873aef887dc5f9ee9391c/organophosphate-agriculture-pesticide.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blteb3b72cf6a2a5253/698873aef887dc5f9ee9391c/organophosphate-agriculture-pesticide.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Agriculture pesticide organophosphate","caption":"Agriculture pesticide organophosphate","creditText":"David McNew—;Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/toxins/","name":"toxins"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4133353/pesticides-lung-function-children/","name":"Common Pesticides Linked to Decreased Lung Function in Children"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"TIME Explains: Trans-Fats","description":"The FDA announced it is moving towards a ban of trans fat. 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