Chlorinated pesticides human health concerns

These chemicals are considered in a pollution category because both deliberate and accidental release to the environment of several of these types of compounds, for example the industrial chemicals such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and the chlorinated pesticides p,p DDT (dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethane formal chemical name l,l -(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene)-bis (4-chlorobenzene)), have had unintended adverse environmental effects on diverse plants and animals and on people. Initially, chemicals such as PCBs and DDT were beneficial to human civilization PCBs as industrial chemicals allowing economical, safe delivery of electricity, and DDT as a pesticide eradicating vector pests of human health concern and agricultural crop pests. Only after these chemicals had entered widespread use did it become apparent that there were environmental problems, although in hindsight there was evidence of potential problems early in the history of their manufacture and use. 

As discussed within this symposium, it is not possible to keep all chemicals out of groundwater. As limits of detection are reduced more chemicals will be detected. Clearly there are many different chemicals in our potable water. Some are intentionally introduced, such as chlorine or fluoride salts some are natural products some are unintentionally present, such as pathogens, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides and some are synthesized in situ, such as chloroform. Although clear documentation of adverse effects is not common, epidemiological implications of water quality effects have been reported [12]. The present paper will address questions concerning the safety of pesticides in groundwater from the perspective of human health. 

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