Pesticide Levels in House Dust Higher Than in Soil 

Pesticide & Toxic Chemical News 24apr91

"Levels of many of the targeted pesticides in soil outside the home were lower than those found in house dust," according to preliminary results of the EPA house dust/infant pesticides exposure study delivered April 18 to the American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting in Atlanta, GA.

"House dust collected from carpets showed the highest levels of contamination. In older homes, pesticides banned long ago were still present in house dust. Although the preliminary results of this limited study do not permit an accurate assessment of the quantities of house dust small children may ingest, they do suggest that ingestion of house dust may be a major route of exposure to pesticides for infants and toddlers. Residues of many pesticides are found in and around the home even when there has been no known use of them on the premises. Small children spend much of their time on the floor and are very likely to come into intimate contact with yard dirt and lawns. They also exhibit frequent hand-to-mouth contact and pica tendencies. It has been estimated that children under the age of five ingest 2.5 times more soil from around the home than adults, yet they possess only about 20% of the body weight."

source: http://ace.orst.edu/cgi-bin/mfs/01/newsletters/n113_91.htm 15sep01