Ruined Lives: Pesticides, Smoking, & Unborn Children

A growing body of scientific evidence, reviewed in some detail below, is revealing the true impact of pesticide exposure on the development of unborn children through their mother’s smoking of pesticide contaminated Tobacco or Cannabis. Smoking is far and away the most common source of exposure of unborn children to pesticides, and while Cannabis contamination is somewhat regulated, quite insanely there is no regulation of pesticides in Tobacco products at any level.

Here are a few snapshots of the pesticides that pregnant tobacco product smokers are inhaling. You can do a search on any of them using keywords like “fetal” “neurological” and “developmental” to get a feel for the terrible science behind inhaling these substances from smoking. This potential for harm isn’t about tobacco, or nicotine – it’s about these specific man-made chemicals that contaminate the tobacco simply to increase profitability, although there may well turn out to be some more sinister reasons.

Now check out what a 2022 Saudi Health Ministry study found

Here’s a look at the fungicides smokers are inhaling

And finally, here are the heavy metal residues from pesticides and synthetic fertilizers used in Tobacco production.

To get some idea of the level of risks involved, here’s a comparison of the Saudi cigarette Heavy Metal values with OSHA limits on heavy metals in workplace air. Pay particular attention to the Chromium, Mercury and Lead exposure levels allowable in workplace air compared with what pregnant smokers are inhaling with every puff. (Saudi PPM has been converted to OSHA micrograms per cubic meter (µg/M³)).

Metal              PPM            µg/M³  In     µg/M³ OSHA                         

Cigs               In Cigs           Cig Smoke   Limit In Air 

Arsenic         0.16                160                 10

Cadmium      0.57                570                 5

Cobalt            0.75                750                 1000

Chromium    1.36                1360               5

Lead               0.37                370                 50

Mercury        1.94                1940               50

Nickle            0.01                10                    15

Check out the Chromium numbers in cigarettes compared with OSHA limits.

“It’s well-established that chronic inhalation of hexavalent chromium compounds increases the risk of lung, nasal, and sinus cancer. Chromium compounds can also act as sensitizers and irritants. Studies have indicated potential renal tubular damage, reproductive effects, and teratogenicity in animals exposed to hexavalent chromium compounds. Various authoritative bodies have recognized hexavalent chromium as a human carcinogen” (Source: https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/csem/chromium/physiologic_effects_of_chromium_exposure.html#).

Children are at high risk from even very limited pesticide exposure, particularly during their pre-birth development. Numerous research articles published in reputable journals shed light on the neurotoxic effects of pre-natal pesticides and their association with a range of adverse childhood and lifetime outcomes. From disrupted brain cell formation to neurodevelopmental disorders, the evidence underscores the urgent need for comprehensive regulatory measures to protect vulnerable populations. This exposure of the unborn to the hidden, unregulated neurotoxic pesticide chemicals that contaminate cigarettes because of manufacturing decisions, not nature, has been occurring with every pregnancy of every smoking mother since the 1950s.

Here’s a look at a sample of the compelling research that applies directly to this massive concealed public health atrocity. 

1. The International Journal of Molecular Science article “Neurotoxic Effects of Neonicotinoids on Mammals: What Is There beyond the Activation of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors?—A Systematic Review” documents the detrimental impacts of neonicotinoids on brain development. Exposure during early developmental stages disrupts brain cell formation, leading to decreased production of new brain cells and altered migration patterns of existing brain cells. The study highlights chronic brain inflammation and the potential for chronic diseases throughout life. Furthermore, neonicotinoids damage nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain, causing changes in neurotransmission and affecting the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system responsible for movement control.
2. In the ScienceDirect article “Organochlorine pesticides in umbilical cord blood serum” we find that: “The transfer of OC pesticides from mother to fetus has been demonstrated by their detection in maternal, umbilical cord, placenta, and new-born blood samples (Jimenez Torres et al., 2006, Lopez-Espinosa et al., 2007, Lopez-Espinosa et al., 2008″) 
3. The Journal of Environmental Health study “Multiple Neonicotinoids in Children’s Cerebro-Spinal Fluid, Plasma, and Urine” examines the health risks associated with neonicotinoid exposure in human fetuses and children. The research highlights associations between neonicotinoids and adverse outcomes such as small-for-gestational-age neonates, congenital malformations, autism spectrum disorder, memory loss, and finger tremor. Toxicological studies indicate cytotoxic, genotoxic, hepatotoxic, haematotoxic, nephrotoxic, and immunotoxic effects, underlining the significant public health risk posed by neonicotinoids.
4. The Pediatric Research article “Protecting Children from Known Pesticide Exposures: Our Collective Duty to Provide Primary Prevention” calls for a collective response to safeguard children from environmental hazards. Improved quantitative assessment of children’s exposures at different life stages, the development of new toxicity testing methods, and the application of uncertainty and safety factors in risk assessment are crucial. Please read the following quote with the pesticide blood concentrations in the placenta in mind: “For the well-characterized environmental chemical exposures such as lead, mercury, and some pesticides, we have found that when exposed, children often acquire higher internal doses than adults, toxicity occurs at lower levels than anticipated compared with adults, and lifelong toxicity to critical systems during developmentally sensitive life stages can and does occur in ways unparalleled with adult exposures.” The article highlights the danger of assuming “low-dose” exposures are safe and emphasizes the importance of a precautionary approach.
5. The Lancet article “Neurobehavioral Effects of Developmental Toxicity” discusses the vulnerability of the developing human brain to toxic chemical exposures.  “The developing human brain is uniquely vulnerable to toxic chemical exposures, and major windows of developmental vulnerability occur in utero and during infancy and early childhood. During these sensitive life stages, chemicals can cause permanent brain injury at low levels of exposure that would have little or no adverse effect in an adult.” Disorders of neurobehavioral development, such as autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, affect a significant proportion of the population. Even subclinical decrements in brain function can have severe consequences, diminishing quality of life, academic achievement, and behavior. The article emphasizes the need for investigation into childhood environmental exposures that increase the risk of neurodegenerative disorders in later life have little or no adverse effect in an adult.”
6. The Workplace Health & Safety article “Pesticide Exposure and Child Neurodevelopment” highlights the lasting impact of adverse exposures during critical periods of brain development. Vulnerabilities during these stages make children more susceptible to the neurotoxic effects of pesticides. The study emphasizes the need for timely regulation and risk assessment approaches that consider children’s unique vulnerabilities to environmental toxicants, including pesticides.
7. The MCPI article “The Synapse as a Central Target for Neurodevelopmental Susceptibility to Pesticides” explores the effects of pesticide exposure on synaptic function, a crucial factor in the formation and maturation of neural circuits. The study highlights the association between synaptic dysfunction and neurological and psychiatric disorders. The article emphasizes the need to investigate the effects of chronic pesticide exposure on synaptic vulnerability and calls for further research on the subtle effects of pesticide exposure.
8. The Journal of Environmental Health article “Potential Developmental Neurotoxicity of Pesticides Used in Europe” discusses the vulnerability of the developing human brain to pesticide exposures. Critical developmental processes must occur within a tightly controlled time frame, and disruptions can lead to permanent consequences. “For optimum brain development neurons must move along precise pathways from their points of origin to their assigned locations, they must establish connections with other cells, and they must learn to communicate with other cells via these connections. All these processes have to take place within a tightly controlled time frame, and each developmental stage has to be reached on schedule and in the correct sequence. If a developmental process in the brain is halted or inhibited, there is little potential for later repair, and the consequences may therefore be permanent.” The article stresses the importance of understanding the potential risks and effects of pesticide exposure during development.
9. The Journal of Pediatrics article “Protecting our Children from Environmental Hazards in the Face of Limited Data – A Precautionary Approach is Needed” (source: Journal of Pediatrics) calls for a precautionary approach, considering the timing, pattern, and amount of exposure, as well as the developmental stage during which exposure occurs. The article emphasizes the need for new approaches to toxicity testing, risk assessment, and identification of chemical hazards to protect the developing child.
10. The Science Direct article “The Relationship between Pesticide Exposure during Critical Neurodevelopment and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Narrative Review” explores the connection between pesticide exposure during neurodevelopmental periods and autism spectrum disorder. “Recent studies have shown that low-level agricultural pesticide exposure during the critical period of neurodevelopment (pregnancy and lactation) is closely related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD)”. (ASD). The review highlights the impact of pesticides on acetylcholinesterase inhibition, gut microbiota, neural dendrite morphology, synaptic function, and glial cells. It suggests that even low-level pesticide exposures can affect neurodevelopment and contribute to the development of ASD.
11. The Environmental Health Perspectives article “Children’s Health and the Environment: Public Health Issues and Challenges for Risk Assessment” calls for a child-protective approach to risk assessment, considering exposures at different life stages, multiple routes of exposure, and the potential for cumulative effects. The article emphasizes the need for new toxicity testing methods, models accounting for children’s physiological characteristics, and assessment of outcomes over the entire lifespan.
12. The APA study “Prenatal Tobacco Exposure Associations with Physical Health and Neurodevelopment in the ABCD Cohort” investigates the effects of prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) on health indicators and neurodevelopment in children. The research reveals associations between PTE and shorter breastfeeding durations, being small for gestational age, lower birth weight, obesity, lower cortical volume, and surface area in childhood. PTE is also linked to lower cognitive performance, partially mediated by breastfeeding duration. The study emphasizes the need to address the health implications of PTE and its impact on neurodevelopment.
13. This chapter in the book Emerging Contaminants “Pesticides and Human Health” focuses on the neurotoxic effects of pesticides on the central and peripheral nervous systems. The developing nervous system in children is particularly susceptible to these neurotoxic chemicals. The chapter emphasizes that many commonly used synthetic insecticides are neurotoxicants, and their small, lipophilic nature allows them to enter the brain and affect neuronal cells. Pesticides can cause neuronal cell death, disrupt the blood-brain barrier, and induce oxidative stress. The study calls for a better understanding of the impacts of pesticide exposure on neurological health.
14. The 2022 CDC publication “Toxicological Profile for DDT, DDE, and DDD” demonstrates that pesticide residues in tobacco products transfer into the smoker’s body in varying amounts, with high transfer rates for the OC pesticides. These three related organochlorines are among the most damaging to the developing human child, and they are also one of the most persistent forms of neurotoxin in the smoke stream of contaminated tobacco products. Finally, they are among the most persistent and bio-accumulative pesticide compounds in human tissues. “The transfer rate from tobacco into mainstream smoke amounts to 22% for DDD, 19% for DDT, and 27% for DDE.” (p. 332 in Toxicological Profile for DDT, DDE, and DDD)
15. In the Environmental Research article “Prenatal exposure to a mixture of organochlorines and metals and internalizing symptoms in childhood and adolescence” we see that “The overall mixture was positively associated with Conners’ Parent Rating Scale (CPRS) and BASC-2 Self Report of Personality (SRP) anxiety and depressive symptoms, and negatively with somatic symptoms. Prenatal lead was positively associated with adolescent anxiety symptoms [1.56 (95% CI: 0.50, 2.61) BASC-2 SRP Anxiety score increase per doubling lead]. For CRPS and BASC-2 SRP, a doubling of cord blood manganese was positively associated with internalizing symptoms for girls [e.g., 3.26 (95% CI: 0.27, 6.25) BASC-2 SRP Depression score increase], but not boys.”
16. In the journal “Frontiers In Medicine” the interaction between pesticides and heavy metals is laid out in detail: Synergistic Effects of Heavy Metals and Pesticides in Living Systems https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2017.00070/full “The information retrieved from the extensive literature survey indicates that the combinations of pesticides with pesticides, pesticide with heavy metal, and heavy metal to heavy metal acts synergistically and exhibit more toxicity than a single molecule alone. The studies relating heavy metals (Cd and Pb) are also reported to be displaying accelerated toxicological, hematological and immunological indices. In case of humans, the combined exposure of these xenobiotic substances acts in two different ways: firstly, the toxic hazard of a single component could be modified in combined exposures, which can lead to unexpected adverse health consequences. Studies demonstrated that a variety of chemicals may contribute to behavioral disabilities, developmental, and learning impairment. Humans are generally exposed by not only the oral route but also by dermal contact, inhalation, as well as ingestion. Secondly, the delectability of the toxic effects, including immunotoxic effects of a single compound can be changed by the interactions with one or more with other heavy metal or other xenobiotics.“

So let’s get real about Tobacco and Cannabis pesticides and heavy metals being inhaled daily by, among many other groups of at-risk people, pregnant mothers and their unborn, delicately developing children. Taken together these research articles present a strong case for regulating pesticide and heavy metal contamination in tobacco products and also in cannabis products to protect the health of mothers and children. Financial and tax incentives for small-scale organic Tobacco and Cannabis production should accompany any regulation.

The evidence highlights the neurotoxic effects of pesticides, and perhaps especially the neonicotinoids, and heavy metals, perhaps especially Chromium 6, Mercury and Lead, during critical periods of brain development, emphasizing the need for immediate action. By implementing comprehensive regulatory measures that are guided by a precautionary approach, and by incentivizing organic Cannabis and Tobacco production, and by bringing class action lawsuits against members of the Tobacco Cartel on behalf of the living victims of smoking during pregnancy, we can begin to mitigate the risks associated with pesticide and heavy metal exposure and to initiate safeguards for the well-being of future generations.