<p class="title">Adolescents exposed to elevated levels of pesticides are at an increased risk of depression, a study has found.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Researchers at the University of California in the US have been tracking the development of children living near agricultural fields in the Ecuadorian Andes since 2008.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For the study, published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, they examined 529 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17.</p>.<p class="bodytext">To test exposure levels of children, the research team measured levels of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the blood.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pesticides such as organophosphates and carbamates exert their toxicity by inhibiting AChE activity, according to the study.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Teens who had lower AChE activity, suggesting greater exposure to cholinesterase inhibitors, showed more symptoms of depression assessed using a standardized depression assessment tool.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Agricultural workers and people in these communities have long offered anecdotal reports of a rise in adolescent depression and suicidal tendencies," said Suarez-Lopez from the University of California. </p>
<p class="title">Adolescents exposed to elevated levels of pesticides are at an increased risk of depression, a study has found.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Researchers at the University of California in the US have been tracking the development of children living near agricultural fields in the Ecuadorian Andes since 2008.</p>.<p class="bodytext">For the study, published in the International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, they examined 529 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17.</p>.<p class="bodytext">To test exposure levels of children, the research team measured levels of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the blood.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Pesticides such as organophosphates and carbamates exert their toxicity by inhibiting AChE activity, according to the study.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Teens who had lower AChE activity, suggesting greater exposure to cholinesterase inhibitors, showed more symptoms of depression assessed using a standardized depression assessment tool.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Agricultural workers and people in these communities have long offered anecdotal reports of a rise in adolescent depression and suicidal tendencies," said Suarez-Lopez from the University of California. </p>