Human health, pesticides

Insecticides were developed to kill insect pests that are themselves proven to be hazardous to human health. Pesticides have generally been useful to the human race. Insecticides have forever banished the threat of locust plagues that swept nineteenth century America. Also, they have been a primary reason why American agriculture is dominant in the world, and they allow us to debate what to do with our grain surpluses rather than argue over how to increase agricultural productivity to feed our people. Significant occupational exposures to these compounds continue to exist around the world, and this exposure scenario may result in toxicity when inadequate safety precautions are applied. 

Determination of pesticides in food is very important to ensure human health. Pesticides are especially present in fatty food of animal origin. The sampling process must contain two main steps a preconcentration step made by extrachon of pesticides from the matrix, and a separation step performed by GC or HPLC technique. Choosing the optimum conditions for the first sampling step as well as the best chromatographic technique for discrimination of pesticides assures the best reliability of the analytical information.126127 The most reliable detection system for discrimination of pesticides is MS, which assures both the best selectivity and the best sensitivity for discrimination of pesticides. 

S. Baker and C. Wilkinson, eds.. The Effects of Pesticides on Human Health, Princeton Scientific Publishing Co., Princeton, N.J., 1990. 

Compounds Affecting Rq>roduction Compounds that can affect reproductive function include several drugs and occupationally important chemicals such as solvents and pesticides as well as a number of environmentally relevant com-fxrunds. A group of chemical compounds that has received much attention recently is endocrine disrupters, many of which are halogenated hydrocarbons, e.g., PCBs. These are known to induce feminization in fish and other animal species.1.5/ There is intense debate about the significance of these compounds to human health. Tobacco smoke and ethyl alcohol also have major effects on human reproduction, the effects of alcohol being especially important. Table 5.17 lists compounds that may disturb the functions of female and male reproductive functions. 

Because of the great importance of drinking water for human health, quality standards for pesticides in water were developed at Community level based on the precautionary principle. Toxicological considerations were not taken into account to derive the general limit for pesticides. 

A method for determining the LOD and LOQ for water samples was proposed by the US EPA. This method has also been discussed by Roy-Keith Smith in his book titled Handbook of Environmental Analysis .The method has also been proposed by the US EPA in their guidelines for Assigning Values to Non-detected/Non-quantitied Pesticide Residues in Human Health Pood Exposure Assessments . ... 

US EPA, Assigning Values to Non-detected/Non-quantified Pesticide Residues in Human Health Food Exposure Assessments, Guidance Document Office of Pesticide Programs, US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (March 23,2000). Also available on the World Wide Web http //www.epa.gov/pesticides/trac/science/trac3b012.pdf. 

The research strategies recommended by the USDA Research Planning Conference for EPA-related activities include studies ons (1) allelopathic effects on environment in terms of allelochemical persistence, activity and effectiveness, (2) ecological consequences due to alle-lochemicals, and (3) potential risks to human and animal health (37). In addition to these approaches, we should also pursue studies toward understanding the effect of ccrmercial allelochemicals, alone or in combination with other chemicals such as pesticides, on human health, safety and environment. 

In the USSR in the 1970-80s, there was an unprecedented amount of research on the consequences of pesticide use. More than 70 scientific institutes participated in a secret program, studying the consequences of pesticide use on human health. Several hundred masters theses and doctoral dissertations were written, the majority of which are still inaccessi-... 

In the USSR it was thought that 1.2-1.3 billion rubles a year were spent on pesticides, while 7-8 billion rubles a year of additional agricultural product were produced (i.e. a 5.8-6.2 ruble return on 1 ruble spent in prices from the end of the 1980s) [1]. However, reality was different. There is every reason to speak not so much about profits earned by pesticides, but about the direct damage to rural and forestlands, to human health, etc. caused by the large-scale use of pesticides. 

In the USSR, pesticide use was an economic loss even without considering negative effects on human health and environmental damage. Using pesticides to cultivate cereals under conditions in the USSR might somehow be justified economically (though not environmentally ) when the harvest was over than 45-50 cwt/ha (in the USSR the average harvest was 14-17 cwt/ha). 

There is a significant amount of data from other countries on the effects on human health of large-scale pesticide production and use, in particular of OPPs and OCPs. Even one-time, accidental contact with some OCPs and OPPs such as dieldrin, malathion, and parathion, can lead to changes in the encephalogram (which remain for a year after exposure), disruptions of sleep patterns and memory, loss of libido, and difficulties in concentration [3]. Global practice shows that all pesticides are toxic to humans. 

The facts of pesticides negative effect on human health, especially in rural areas, show that there is no coincidence of, and no underestimating, some factors - the range of effects is too large. Pesticide impact has affected the health not only of agricultural workers using pesticides, but also the health of those who did not. 

If the rate at which resistance appears is maintained, all 2000 main species of weeds and pests will become resistant to the pesticides used in 30-40 years. If the biosphere s pesticide exposure doubles, by 2015-2020, all target species could become universally resistant. But with such chemical contamination, pesticides would then affect the entire biosphere, including human health. 

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