Biography:
Mette Lampcov is a freelance documentary photographer from Denmark, who is based in Los Angeles, California.She studied fine art in London, England and after moving to the United States 15 years ago, studied photography and journalism at...
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Fidelia Morales sit's in the family living room below the pictures of her 5 childern.
The mother of five moved to the area about 12 years ago, and quickly became concerned about pesticides drifting onto her property. “But I did not really know how dangerous the chemicals were.” She eventually learned of the troubling science.
Fidelia Morales hugging her son Junior in their backyard that is surrounded by orange tress on all sides.
chlorpyrifos is a neurotoxic pesticide widely used in U.S. agriculture to kill agricultural pests. It is associated with neurodevelopmental harms in children.
In October 2019, the state announced that under an enforceable agreement with manufacturers, all sales of chlorpyrifos to California growers would end by Feb. 6, 2020,
Fidelia Morales is a mother of five who lives in Lindsay, California, near citrus groves where chlorpyrifos use is common.
Morales, who lives next to citrus groves where chlorpyrifos use is common, said pesticide exposure has hurt her family, especially her 11-year-old son: “My son is not able to stay still and listen in school. I’ve had to sit with him in the classroom to help with his assignments.”
A look over Exeter in the Central Valley, with endless fields of oranges, California produces 80 percent of the nation's fresh oranges. Chlorpyrifos, introduced in 1965, is very effective at treating pest infestations, but can have serious consequences for unintended targets. The neurotoxic chemical was found to be harmful enough to humans that the US government banned it from residential use in 2000. But its widespread usage in the agricultural industry continued in California, where a majority of America’s fruits and nuts are grown and where regulators have long defended its safety.