ENVIRONMENTAL EQUITY AND PESTICIDE EXPOSURE

Although people of color and low-income groups bear a disproportionate share of the health risks from exposure to pesticides, research atten tion has been meager, and data on acute and chronic health effects rel ated to their toxic exposures are generally lacking. Increased resourc es are needed both to study this issue and to mitigate problems alread y identified. People of color should be a major research focus, with p riority on long-term effects, particularly cancer, neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral effects, long-term neurological dysfunction, and r eproductive outcome. Suitable populations at high risk that have not b een studied include noncertified pesticide applicators and seasonal an d migrant farm workers, including children.