The lurking dangers of chemical pesticides

In order to maximize agricultural productivity, pesticides are being used widely. Pesticides usage from organophosphates, organochlorine, and carbamate class are rampant. The decades of reckless pesticide usage has contaminated the soil, water, air, and provoking deleterious effects on human health.

Numerous studies have shown that these chemicals disrupt the immune and hormonal signaling, leading to various degrees of inflammation. Teratogenicity, infertility, neural disorders (leading to depression, suicides), cancer (blood, lungs, prostate, breast, skin) are direct outcomes of pesticide exposure through oral, ocular, dermal, and respiratory routes. The lipophilic pesticides deposit in the adipose tissues, provoking inflammatory cytokines. Some pesticides target cholinergic system and damage DNA. 

Pesticide-driven pathologies occur by erratic enzyme activity. Some well-studied enzymes playing pivotal role in the diseases include caspase, serine protease, acetylcholinesterase. 


Considering the burden of ailments caused by pesticides, its important to reduce their usage, by educating the farmers, and regulating the manufacturers.

For more information, please read: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30411285/

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