Mechanism of contamination from agricultural chemicals in mammals.

Abstract

Chemicals in the form of pharmaceuticals are used to extend the life of man. It is ironic that other chemicals are also required to poison the pests that compete for the food supply so that man will have enough to eat during his extended lifetime. Now these poisons are reaching levels in the environment where the life span of man is again being shortened by both immediate and long-term effects caused by these pesticides. Hundreds of thousands of people are incapacitated and killed by insecticide poisoning each year, many of them in developing countries, from the chemicals no longer allowed for use in the western nations that produce them. Continuous monitoring and surveillance are required to avoid misuse of pesticides, because many of the hazards associated with these chemicals can be reduced substantially, if not eliminated completely.