There has been an alarming rise in cases of childhood cancers in the last two decades. According to reports in Environmental Health Perspectives and The Ecologist, this has been attributed to several environmental factors - prominent among them being the high levels of chemical pollutants in the environment. A number of studies have linked the incidence of cancer to the use of pesticides present in food, water and air. Children, more that anyone else, are more heavily exposed to toxins present in the environment as they play close to the ground.