LONDON, Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A British commission said in a report the spraying of pesticides on agricultural crops might be far more dangerous than currently accepted.
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution said fields should have 16-foot buffer zones to protect people living near pesticide-sprayed farmland and that residents should be warned of all aerial spraying, the Times of London reported Friday.
Pesticides are suspected to cause asthma, allergies, rashes and liver problems, the Times said.
The report also said there should be regulations on the condition of machinery, the qualifications of pesticide sprayers and the conditions under which crop spraying should be implemented.
"In the light of the lack of rigor in the underlying science, we have been surprised at the level of confidence expressed in advice to ministers, and the level of assurance given to the public about the safety of residents and bystanders," the report said.
