Impacts of Synthetic Chemical Pesticides on Health

Pesticides are poisons and, unfortunately, they can harm more than just the “pests” at which they are targeted. They are toxic, and exposure to pesticides can not only cause a number of health effects, but is linked to a range of serious illnesses and diseases in humans, from respiratory problems to cancer.

Exposure

Exposure to pesticides can occur in many ways. Exposure can occur in agriculture, through the treatment of crops, plants and grain stores. It can occur in forestry, gardening, professional and domestic pest control and through the spraying and use of amenities e.g. our parks, pavements and playgrounds. Exposure can also occur through the treatment of wood with preservatives, the treatment of boat hulls with anti-fouling agents, and the treatment of livestock with anti-parasitic preparations, e.g. sheep dip etc. In addition, pesticide residues found on, and in, our food also puts us at risk.

Should you be concerned?

Acute toxicity

Pesticides can be acutely toxic. This means that they can cause harmful or lethal effects after one single episode of ingestion, inhalation or skin contact. The symptoms are evident shortly after exposure or can arise within 48 hours. They can present as:

• respiratory tract irritation, sore throat and/or cough
• allergic sensitization
• eye and skin irritation
• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• headache, loss of consciousness
• extreme weakness, seizures and/or death

Long term (or chronic) toxicity

Pesticides can cause harmful effects over an extended period, usually following repeated or continuous exposure at low levels. Low doses don’t always cause immediate effects, but over time, they can cause very serious illnesses.

Long term pesticide exposure has been linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease; asthma; depression and anxiety; cancer, including leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma; and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Preventive Measure

Reduce the use of synthetic chemical pesticides

Grow and promote organic kitchen gardening in need of pesticide use organic or natural pesticides.

Source: pan-uk.org

Pesticides Cause Special Problems For Children

Pesticides can be found in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. They are found in our soil and even in our breast milk. These pesticides are the only toxic substances released intentionally into our environment to kill living things: to kill weeds (herbicides), insects (insecticides), fungus (fungicides), rodents (rodenticides), and others. They are used almost everywhere — not only in agricultural fields, but also in homes, parks, schools, buildings, forests, and roads.

Since the publication of Rachel Carson’s landmark 1962 book Silent Spring, which reveals the horrifying impacts of pesticides like DDT, scientists are continually discovering new and disturbing ways that pesticides threaten our environment and our health. We now know that:

Pesticides Are Hazardous To Human Health causing reproductive and developmental effects, cancer, kidney and liver damage, endocrine disruption, etc. Exposure mainly occurs through the skin, inhalation, orally, or through the eyes.

Pesticides Cause Special Problems For Children whose bodies and developing organs are particularly vulnerable. Children take in pesticides in the womb, at home and daycare, and on schools and playgrounds. Using MRI technology, researchers found that even low levels exposure to the widely used insecticide chlorpyrifos in utero caused irreversible brain damage.

"Children Ages 6-11 Nationwide Have Significantly Higher Levels Of Pesticide Residues In Their Bodies Than All Other Age Categories"

Pesticides Are Particularly Dangerous For Farmers And Farmworkers.

People and families working on and living near industrial farms are some of the most at-risk populations. And they are some of the least protected workers.

Pesticides Can Contaminate Our Food, Harm Pollinators, And Threaten Our Ecosystems.

Pesticides, especially a group of pesticides called neonicitinoids (or neonics), are killing the pollinators we depend on to support our food systems: bees, butterflies, bats, hummingbirds, moths, other insects, and even lizards and small mammals.

The steps we can take to curb the risk to some extent;

1- Kitchen Gardening

2- Reduce use of synthetic chemicals at least in our home, lawns and schools.

3- Increase use of organics

Source: toxicsaction.org

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