Pesticides are used for food supply protection and disease control, but they also attribute harmful effects to human health. Pesticides are often implemented at schools to help maintain sanitary conditions and suppress rodents and insect populations. The author conveys that “exposures and potential health risks to children and school staff can be reduced by avoiding routine pesticide applications through an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program”. IPM is an alternative pest-control technique that manages and suppresses pests by preventing their access to food, water and shelter. These strategies can be more cost-efficient than traditional pest control options.

 

This article relates to environmental science, because it talks about the relationship chemicals have not only on the environment, but to humans, too. This represents the relationship between human activity and the environment. We are poisoning our own environments, and in the  process are hurting our health. Evidence shows that exposure to pesticides at schools has been the cause of illnesses among employees and students. Rates of illness from pesticide exposure at schools have been shown to be higher in school staff than in children, because staff members are more likely to handle pesticides.

SH, N. (2015, January 18). Reducing Pesticide Exposure at Schools. Retrieved August 31, 2015, from http://www.healthyfacilitiesinstitute.com/a_159-Reducing_Pesticide_Exposure_at_Schools