Davao City – A scientist of the Department of Health’s (DoH’s) National Poison Management and Control Center told participants of a civil society conference on agribusiness plantations that chronic exposure to chemicals increases a person’s risk of getting cancer.

“Pesticides are inherently poisonous. ‘Cide’ means to kill,” Dr. Allan Dionisio said during the two-day conference dubbed “Agribusiness Plantations: Our Heath, Our Environment at Stake” held at the Mindanao Training Resource Center in Bajada here recently.

He warned that a chemical, which is more volatile, is most harmful because this spreads faster.

Volatility is manifested by the fast spread of the odor the chemical carries, he added.

“Pesticide is a predictor of child chronic risk,” Dionisio stressed, adding that being placed at higher risks are children because of their smaller height.

He said that most pesticides are formulated to drop on the ground and since its vapors are heavier than air then the vapors will be nearer the ground, which is the breathing space of children.