01
Jul
Studies Cite Childhood Cancers Linked to Parental and Residential Pesticide Exposure
(Beyond Pesticides, July 1, 2026) A review in the International Journal of Cancer links pesticide exposure, particularly in areas with high agricultural crop density, to increased risks for childhood cancers. The team of researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and University of Nebraska Medical Center, in analyzing epidemiologic studies published between January 1980 and September 2022, says that “this scoping review affirms that a robust body of epidemiology literature already informs how parental and childhood exposure to environmental chemical exposures can be associated with children’s incidence of pediatric leukemia and brain cancer.â€
The scientific literature shows that pediatric cancer, which is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in children, is associated with exposure to residential pesticides, pesticides ingested through drinking water, parental exposure, and in areas with close proximity to agricultural areas where pesticides are used.
Background
According to the American Childhood Cancer Organization, over 15,000 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year, with pediatric cancer as the second leading cause of death in children 5–9 years of age and the third leading cause of death in children ages 10–14. (See here.) In agricultural states, such as Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Illinois, Ohio, and Missouri, incidence rates for pediatric cancer are increasing. This also places an economic burden on families, as the “total cost incurred for one child with cancer can approach a million dollars when accounting for medical expenses and lost parental income.â€
Two of the most common childhood cancers, leukemia and brain cancer, can be attributed to pesticide exposure. Types of leukemia, which are cancers originating in tissues, such as the bone marrow and the lymphatic system, are among the most prevalent cancers in children ages 0–14, with 25%–35% of all childhood cancers being acute lymphocytic leukemia. Brain cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in children, but also the number one disease-related cause of child mortality in the U.S., according to research in Cancer Epidemiology. Childhood brain tumors (CBTs) are masses of abnormal cells found in the brain or tissues and structures surrounding the brain.
“Given the short latency period (time between exposure and symptoms of disease) inherent in pediatric cancer, carcinogenesis may be uniquely linked to high-intensity environmental exposure and/or highly susceptible individual genotypes,†the authors note. They continue: “Residential or agricultural pesticide use in spaces where children spend most of their time poses a significant risk to their well-being and physical development. Different types of pediatric cancers have varying latency periods, with bone cancers tending to occur in older children. In contrast, blood and brain cancers typically occur in children below the age of 10. Heredity is expected to play a role, but geographic disparities suggest that pediatric cancer may be affected by something other than inherited genetics, and something is disproportionately affecting the young population.â€
Children face much higher hazards than adults from pesticide exposure. Their small size and developing organ systems, propensity to crawl and play near the ground, tendency for frequent hand-to-mouth motion, and greater intake of air and food relative to body weight make them particularly susceptible. (See Hazards of Pesticides for Children’s Health for more information.) Since children are more at risk from environmental exposures, areas with increased pesticide use further threaten their health.
Scientific Literature Review
To identify the links between children and environmental contaminants, the researchers conducted a review of scientific literature on leukemia and CBTs associated with exposure to pesticides. While 88 papers met the study criteria, the review focuses on 30 studies that report statistically significant associations, with common themes of pesticide exposure within the home or nearby environment and parental occupational exposure.
Residential Exposures
Within the home, multiple chemical exposures can occur during fetal development, infancy, and childhood. As the authors state: “Parents with occupations in the agricultural industry can bring home trace amounts of chemicals on their shoes and clothing, which can lead to child exposure through inhalation, dermal contact, or ingestion. Children are also exposed through contact with pets treated with insecticides to prevent/kill fleas and ticks.†Additional exposures can occur with in-home applications of insecticides, in outdoor playing areas, and through maternal exposure that crosses the placental barrier.
Notable research includes:
- Childhood exposure to insecticides used in the home is associated with increased risk of leukemia. In particular, residential pest control treatments during the 12 months before conception are “associated with a 1.5-fold increase in CBT risk… The risk for high-grade glioma was highest, over 4-fold above baseline, when pest control treatments were performed during pregnancy.†(See studies here and here.)
- Increased risk for pediatric brain tumors, especially in children under five years of age, is associated with prenatal exposure to flea and tick products. (See here.)
- “The Northern California Childhood Leukemia Study reported that the use of professional pest control services from 1 year before birth to 3 years after was more common among households where a child was eventually diagnosed with leukemia, either in aggregate (n = 162) or specifically acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) (n = 135).â€
- A study in Maryland of four types of childhood cancers (leukemia, brain and spinal cord, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and bone) alongside four commonly detected pesticides in Maryland groundwater shows that children encountering pesticide mixtures have a risk of developing one of the four types of cancer at a rate 7.56 times greater than unexposed children.
Proximity to Agriculture
Disproportionate risks have long been documented for farmworkers and their children, as well as individuals living in close proximity to agricultural fields. (See Daily News coverage here.) Within the literature review, a wide body of science further supports this, including:
- One study finds a statistically significant increased risk for childhood cancers in counties with moderate (20–< 60%) to high (≥ 60%) total cropland. Specifically, leukemia risks are elevated in counties with > 60% cropland, most notably with lymphoid leukemias and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). “Central nervous system tumor risk was also associated with high cropland counties, particularly astrocytoma, with 1.5 times higher odds for astrocytoma and 1.9 times higher odds for primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET).â€
- A study of children living within a half mile of pesticide applications in California shows increased risks for leukemia. (See here.)
- Research finds AML risk increases in areas with soybean production and central nervous system tumors are linked to individuals residing in a county with oat crops.
- “A study of 3350 cases and 20,365 controls, aged 0–14, in two regions of Spain reported an increased risk for childhood cancers when living close to agricultural fields (within 1 km).â€
- Another study links brain tumors, particularly astrocytoma, to residential herbicide and insecticide usage. When combined with residential and occupational exposure, the research shows elevated risks.
- “Children in Denmark were at 2 times increased risk of leukemia when their mothers lived in areas with > 24 ha [hectare] of total crop area within 500 m of their home. The risk increased to almost 3 times after adjustment for livestock farms within 1000 m of their residence.†(See study here.)
- A study in Costa Rica finds an increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in boys “whose mothers reported exposure to insecticides inside the home during the year before pregnancy, during pregnancy, or while breastfeeding.â€
- “A Norwegian study reported that children aged zero to 14 years exposed to pesticides and poultry farming had a two-fold risk for brain tumors and a three-fold risk for neuroepithelial tumors.â€
As the authors summarize, this research highlights that “exposure to both occupational and household pesticides is significantly associated with increased risks of leukemia and brain cancer in children, and risk for specific cancer types appears to be related to parental exposure during the prenatal period.†As childhood is a critical window for development and is considered a window of vulnerability, these risks can have life-long implications.
Previous Coverage
As documented in scientific literature, captured in Beyond Pesticides’ Daily News and Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database, pesticides threaten human health through various mechanisms, with heightened risks to children. As noted in coverage entitled Pesticide Exposure Again Linked to Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, as Rates Rise, a new study, published this year in Cancers, is the first to assess the effect of pesticide exposures on the survival of children with leukemia. The study finds a statistically significant link between residential rodenticide exposure and a higher risk in children of death from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, with about 10% of the exposed children dying within five years of diagnosis. Crucially, pre- and post-natal periods were the most critical exposure windows—and the intervals when residents were most likely to use rodenticides.
Another study of Nebraska pesticide use and pediatric cancer incidence by researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center and the University of Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife Sciences finds positive associations between pesticides and overall cancer, brain and central nervous system cancers, and leukemia among children (defined as under age 20). The study’s lead author, Jabeen Taiba, PhD, of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, spoke at the second session of Beyond Pesticides’ 42nd National Pesticide Forum, The Pesticide Threat to Environmental Health – Advancing Holistic Solutions Aligned with Nature. (See the recording here.)
A Holistic Future
To reduce the burden of pediatric cancer and protect children’s health, the elimination of all petrochemical pesticides and synthetic fertilizers is a necessity. Organic agriculture and land management offer a holistic solution that does not endanger children or adults, pets, wildlife, and the environment.
With the availability of safer alternatives to toxic chemicals, whether in agriculture, parks, homes, or gardens, the allowance of substances with documented harm to health and the environment is unreasonable under the standard of federal and state pesticide law. Organic practices are proven to provide numerous health benefits, as well as more nutritious food, that can both protect and enhance biodiversity and mitigate the effects of climate change.
To learn more about organic land management and the benefits, see here and here. Take action to advance the organic movement and contribute your voice to the holistic, systems-based solution that protects the health of all.
All unattributed positions and opinions in this piece are those of Beyond Pesticides.
Source:
VanDeSteeg, G. et al. (2026) Environmental Pesticide Exposure in the Etiology of Pediatric Brain Tumors and Leukemia: A Scoping Review of Epidemiological Studies, International Journal of Cancer. Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ijc.70546.
