In case you were wondering why there’s such a surge in attention deficit problems among kids, you might want to consider another possible cause: pesticides. A recent Harvard study found that even small, legal amounts of organophosphates (some of the commonest pesticides in the US) can show up in children’s bodies. 94% of children had residues of organophosphates in their urine and of those, kids with the highest levels were almost twice as likely to have ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). Susan Kegley of the Pesticide Action Network (panna.org) says, “When it comes to pesticides, children are among the most vulnerable – pound for pound, they drink 2.5 times more water, eat 3-4 times more food, and breathe twice as much air as adults. They also face exposure in the womb and via breast milk. Add to this the fact that children are unable to detoxify some chemicals and you begin to understand just how vulnerable early childhood development is.”