Effects of Legacy Pesticides on Maternal, Infant, and Child Health in New Jersey

Environmental pollution poses a threat to human health, and especially to infants and young children.  While the legacy of industrial pollutants has been widely studied, less is known about residues from historical use of pesticides containing lead and arsenic.  In particular former orchard lands in New Jersey are often contaminated by decades of pesticide spraying.  As these lands have been converted to suburban housing, more pregnant women and children are being potentially exposed through contact with contaminated soils, which may be tracked into homes, become airborn as dust, or contaminate ground water.  This project will use historical topographic maps linked to natality, mortality, fetal death and hospital records to identify infants and young children who were potentially exposed and compare them to “control” children who live nearby but are not on former orchard lands.  We will also investigate the extent which the effects of arsenic and lead-based pesticides vary along racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic dimensions.  The findings from the project will provide insights that can inform public health and suburban land use policies and safeguard the health of the population.