Could A Common Household Pesticide Increase The Risk Of ADHD In Teens?

First Posted: Jun 02, 2015 11:47 PM EDT

New findings published the journal Environmental Health link attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children, particularly young boys, to a commonly used household pesticide.

Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center discovered a potential link between pyrethroid pesticide exposure and ADHD, particularly when it came to hyperactivity and impulsivity.

For the study, they analyzed information on over 700 children between the ages of 8 and 15 years old.

Findings revealed a stronger association in boys than girls.

More specifically, boys with detectable urinary 3-PBA, a biomarker of exposure to pyrethroids, were three times as likely to have ADHD when compared with those without detectable 3-PBA; this increased hyperactivity and impulsivity by up to 50 percent for every 10-fold increase in 3-BPA levels among boys. However, biomarkers were not associated with increased odds of ADHD diagnosis or symptoms in girls.

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TagsHealth, Human, Pesticide, ADHD, Hyperactivity, Impulsive, Impulsivity