Pesticides are chemicals used to control indoor and outdoor pests such as insects and rodents, as well as weeds and other harmful plants. Pesticides can also be biological in nature. There are various types of pesticides, including:
Atrazine, 2,4-D, and Paraquat are three potentially dangerous pesticides. Atrazine is a weed-killing pesticide frequently sprayed on corn that has caused increased prostate cancer in manufacturing plant workers. 2,4-D is often touted as a "safe" pesticide, but it has reportedly lead to increased cancer, fetal and birth defects, liver and kidney damage, leukemia, and tumors. Paraquat has caused damage to respiratory, circulatory and muscle health; it has also been linked to brain and heart disorders.
People can be exposed to pesticides through food, air, and water:
Pesticides can be absorbed through the skin, swallowed or inhaled. Exposures may come from contact with treated grass or from mists or sprays during application. Or, exposures may come indirectly from food, drink or household items contaminated by the application. Pets may also suffer from pesticide exposure, and may contribute to human exposure by, for instance, tracking lawn and garden pesticides into the house. EPA is concerned about the general lack of information on the exposure of individuals to lawn care pesticides after application. To address this and related questions, it convened a panel of experts to develop guidelines to assess post-application exposure in residences. The actual assessment has not been completed.
Across the country, drinking water wells have been closed due to pesticide contamination of groundwater. When it rains, pesticides are carried by storm drains into streams and rivers, where they can kill small plants and animals that fish depend on for food. Pesticides can also poison fish and wildlife. As discussed above, diazinon has killed ducks, geese and other water fowl. There is substantial evidence that it also has killed song-birds.
Exposure to pesticides can lead to serious side effects, including:
Pesticides may cause acute health effects (like skin irritation or respiratory distress) which occur shortly after exposure and chronic health effects (like cancer or reproductive problems) which may not be apparent until months or years after exposure. Two pesticides commonly used in lawn care, maneb and chlorthalonil, have been identified by the EPA as probable carcinogens. Carbaryl and chlorthaldimethyl, also commonly used in lawn care, are classified as possible carcinogens by EPA. 2,4-D, a widely used herbicide, may also be carcinogenic, based upon studies by the National Cancer Institute. The EPA is concerned about the risk of cancer posed by a number of other lawn care pesticides. For at least three lawn care pesticides, including dicamba, malathion, and methoxychlor, carcinogenicity studies requested from the manufacturers have either not yet been submitted or have not yet been reviewed to the EPA's satisfaction. Some of these and other pesticides have already been found to cause long-term health effects in laboratory animals or humans, including birth defects, gene mutations, nervous system damage or liver and kidney damage. The EPA has also requested additional studies on long-term health effects for numerous lawn care pesticides. Several may also cause short-term damage to the central nervous system of humans. The EPA has also identified lawn care pesticides that cause more immediate health effects such as eye, skin or throat irritation in humans or animals.
Several chemicals used as active ingredients in insecticide products for indoor use are toxic to the nervous system. These include chlorpyrifos (Dursban), phoxim (Baythion), n-methyl carbamate (Propoxur), and diazinon. EPA lists propoxur as a probable human carcinogen and dichlorvos (a poison used in pest strips) and carbaryl (used for fleas and ticks on pets) as possible human carcinogens. Other adverse effects associated with the active ingredients in household pesticides include birth defects, liver and kidney damage and irritation of the skin, eyes, nose throat, lungs and digestive system. As for the adverse effects which may be caused or contributed to by the "inert" ingredients in pesticides, we can only wonder. These ingredients are generally not identified on the product label and their identity is treated as confidential business information by EPA.
In addition to the above side effects, pesticide poisoning can also have severe effects on both the reproductive system and the endocrine system (system that controls the body's hormones).
The Law Office of Paul B. Genet, P.A. is experienced in pesticides exposure cases. If you or a loved one have suffered as the result of pesticide exposure or have more questions, contact one of our attorneys for a FREE CONSULTATION using the form below or by calling 1 (888) 77-GENET.
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