A team of scientists from the University of Montreal and Harvard University have discovered that exposure to organophosphate（有机磷酸酯） pesticides²（农药，杀虫剂） is associated with increased risk of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder³ (ADHD注意力不集中症) in children. Published in the journal Pediatrics, the investigation⁴ found a connection between exposure pesticides and the presence of symptoms（症状） of ADHD. The study focused on 1,139 children from the general U.S. population and measured pesticide¹ levels in their urine. The authors conclude that exposure to organophosphate pesticides, at levels common among U.S. children, may contribute to a diagnosis⁵ of ADHD.

"Previous studies have shown that exposure to some organophosphate compounds cause hyperactivity（极度活跃） and cognitive⁶ deficits⁷ in animals," says lead author Maryse F. Bouchard of the University of Montreal Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and the Sainte-Justine Hospital Research Center. "Our study found that exposure to organophosphates in developing children might have effects on neural⁸（神经的） systems and could contribute to ADHD behaviors, such as inattention（疏忽，粗心） , hyperactivity, and impulsivity⁹（冲动） ."