In many cases, symptoms of pesticide poisoning mimic symptoms of colds or the flu. Since pesticide-related illnesses appear similar or identical to other illnesses, pesticide poisonings are often misdiagnosed and under-reported.
Immediate symptoms may not be severe enough to prompt an individual to seek medical attention, or a doctor might not even think to ask about pesticide exposure. Still, seek medical attention immediately if you think you may have been poisoned by pesticides. Chronic health effects include cancer and other tumors; brain and nervous system damage; birth defects; infertility and other reproductive problems; and damage to the liver, kidneys, lungs and other body organs.
Chronic effects may not appear for weeks, months or even years after exposure, making it difficult to link health impacts to pesticides. Pesticides have been implicated in human studies of leukemia, lymphoma and cancers of the brain, breasts, prostate, testes and ovaries. Reproductive harm from pesticides includes birth defects , still birth , spontaneous abortion , sterility and infertility. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that — often at extremely low doses — interfere with important bodily functions by mimicking or blocking hormones the chemical messengers that circulate in blood and regulate many body processes including metabolism, brain development, the sleep cycle and stress response.
Some pesticides act as endocrine disruptors and have been shown to cause serious harm to animals, including cancer, sterility and developmental problems.
Potential Health Effects of Pesticides. For all pesticides to be effective against the pests they are intended to control, they must be biologically active, or toxic. Pesticide Toxicity and Exposure Hazard, or risk, of using pesticides is the potential for injury, or the degree of danger involved in using a pesticide under a given set of conditions.
Acute Toxicity and Acute Effects Acute toxicity of a pesticide refers to the chemical's ability to cause injury to a person or animal from a single exposure, generally of short duration. Chronic Toxicity and Chronic Effects The chronic toxicity of a pesticide is determined by subjecting test animals to long-term exposure to the active ingredient. Symptoms of Pesticide Poisoning The symptoms of pesticide poisoning can range from a mild skin irritation to coma or even death. Seeking Medical Attention Be alert for the early signs and symptoms of pesticide poisoning in yourself and others.
Harmful Effects of Some Pesticide Families Fungicides The acute toxicity of fungicides to humans is generally considered to be low, but fungicides can be irritating to the skin and eyes. Table 2. Signs and symptoms of acute exposure for several fungicide active ingredients. Allergic contact dermatitis. Copper Compounds Bordeaux mixture, Copper sulfate Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory tract.
Salts are corrosive to mucous membranes and cornea Metallic taste, nausea, vomiting, intestinal pain. Skin disease in occupationally exposed individuals. Breath odor of rotten eggs. Irritant dermatitis in occupationally exposed individuals Thiram Polyram-Ultra, Spotrete-F Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory mucous membranes Ziram Cuman, Vancide Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory tract Prolonged inhalation causes neural and visual disturbances Herbicides In general, herbicides have a low acute toxicity to humans because the physiology of plants is so different than that of humans.
Table 3. Signs and symptoms of acute exposure for several herbicide active ingredients. Vomiting, headache, diarrhea, confusion. Bizarre or aggressive behavior. Muscle weakness in occupationally exposed individuals. Acetochlor Harness, Surpass Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory tract. Atrazine Aatrex, Atranex Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory tract. Abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting.
Eye irritation, irritation of mucous membranes, skin reactions. Dicamba Banvel, Metambane Irritating to skin, respiratory tract. Loss of appetite anorexia , vomiting, muscle weakness, slowed heart rate, shortness of breath.
Central nervous system effects. Glyphosate Rodeo, Roundup Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory tract. Giddiness, headache, fever, lethargy. Dry, cracked hands, ulceration of skin. Pendimethalin Prowl, Stomp Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory tract Propanil Propanex, Stampede Irritating to skin, eyes, respiratory tract Insecticides Insecticides cause the greatest number of pesticide poisonings in the United States.
Table 4 summarizes the signs and symptoms from acute exposures to commonly used insecticides. Table 4. Signs and symptoms of acute exposure for several insecticide active ingredients.
Active Ingredient Brand Name Signs and Symptoms Acephate organophosphate Orthene Headache, excessive salivation and tearing, muscle twitching, nausea, diarrhea. Respiratory depression, seizures, loss of consciousness.
Pinpoint pupils. Aldicarb N-methyl carbamate Temik Malaise, muscle weakness, dizziness, sweating. Headache, salivation, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea. Nervous system depression, pulmonary edema in serious cases. Carbaryl N-methyl carbamate Sevin Malaise, muscle weakness, dizziness, sweating.
Chlorpyrifos organophosphate Dursban Headache, excessive salivation and tearing, muscle twitching, nausea, diarrhea. Endosulfan organochlorine Thiodan Itching, burning, tingling of skin. Headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, lack of coordination, tremor, mental confusion. Seizures, respiratory depression, coma.
Malathion organophosphate Cythion Headache, excessive salivation and tearing, muscle twitching, nausea, diarrhea. Methyl Parathion organophosphate Penncap-M Headache, excessive salivation and tearing, muscle twitching, nausea, diarrhea. Phosmet organophosphate Imidan Headache, excessive salivation and tearing, muscle twitching, nausea, diarrhea.
Pyrethrins natural origin Irritating to skin and upper respiratory tract. Contact dermatitis and allergic reactions--asthma. Pyrethroids synthetic pyrethrin Cypermethrin, permethrin Abnormal facial sensation, dizziness, salivation, headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea. Irritability to sounds or touch.
Seizures, numbness. Cholinesterase Testing Those who regularly work with organophosphates and carbamates should consider having periodic cholinesterase tests.
Dermal More than 95 percent of all exposures are dermal. Inhalation For many toxic chemicals, the respiratory breathing system is the quickest and most direct route of entry into the circulatory system.
Oral Accidental oral exposure most frequently occurs when pesticides have been taken from the original container and put into an unlabeled bottle or food container. Eyes Eyes are very sensitive to many pesticides and, considering their size, are able to absorb large amounts of chemical. Because there are so many types of pesticides, the toxicity can vary greatly.
The likelihood of becoming ill from exposure to pesticides depends on a number of factors including:. In general, the risk of illness increases as the concentration strength of the pesticide, and duration length of exposure increases. Is some cases, yes. There are two types of allergic sensitization: skin and respiratory.
Symptoms of skin sensitization may include swelling, redness, itching, pain, and blistering. Respiratory sensitization symptoms may include wheezing, difficulty in breathing, chest tightness, coughing and shortness of breath. In some cases, respiratory sensitization can produce a severe asthma attack. As the allergy develops, the reaction can become worse with each exposure.
Eventually, even a short exposure to a low concentration of the pesticide can cause a very severe reaction. Although it is rare, it is important to be aware that pesticides may have the ability to cause life threatening allergic reactions in some people.
Health Canada states that it will not register a pesticide that is known to cause cancer or other illnesses when used according to label directions. Before a pesticide is allowed to be used or sold in Canada, it must undergo a rigorous scientific assessment process to ensure that no harm will occur when pesticides are used according to label directions.
All pesticides registered in Canada, including for agricultural, forestry and domestic uses, undergo this level of scrutiny. Acute toxicity Pesticides can be acutely toxic. Chronic or long term toxicity Pesticides can cause harmful effects over an extended period, usually following repeated or continuous exposure at low levels.
Health News:. Expectant mothers and children are most vulnerable to pesticides — find out why. Endocrine disruptors The term endocrine disruptor refers to substances that interfere with hormones and hormone balance. Carcinogenic substances A substance is considered carcinogenic when there is evidence that it can cause cancer. Combined effects One of the most worrying issues related to pesticide exposure is the fact that the effects of individual chemicals can be enhanced or altered when combined with one or more other such substances.
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