Daily News Archive of Farm Workers Tested for Effects of
Pesticide Exposure The program tested forty-three four and five-
year-olds from Jackson County, Oregon. Half of the children's
families worked in agriculture and the other half did not. The
children were given a test called the Behavioral Assessment and
Research System (BARS), which measures neurological functions,
such as attention, memory, and coordination. The same test has
indicated negative effects of pesticide exposure in adults,
according to the Mail Tribune. Migrant farm workers are one of
the most disadvantaged groups in the United States and have the
poorest health of any group, with significantly higher infant
mortality rates and lower life expectancy than the national
average, according to Oregon Health Science University, a
partner in the study. The children of workers who handle
pesticides are at risk from chemicals that can be tracked into
the home on a worker’s boot or clothing. Sally Guyer of the
Migrant Worker Head Start program said th