engleski

Toxicological Concerns of Pesticides

Toxic residues from pesticides are found everywhere: in water systems, in animals, in the vast majority of human beings, even in that most scared nectar-mothers' milk. The acute reactions to many pesticides are well documeted, affecting the liver, kidneys, skin, eyes and brain. Long-term chronic effects on humans include a whole series of cancers, liver and kidney disfunction, sterility, neurological disorders and birth defects. Many developmental and reproductive disrders are caused by the complex interactions of multiple pesticides with our hormone systems. Pesticides, that take a long time to biodegradate in the environment, accumulate in organisms as they move up the food chain. Humans, as top predators, can accumulate relatively high concentrations of pesticides through the food supply. New evidence indicates that proper functioning of the human body's endocrine/hormone system can be severely altered by low-level cumulative pesticides expsure. This indicates that it can cause chronic reproductive, immunological and neurological disorders. Low-level exposure of unborn children to pesticides can affect a wide range of developmental processes, from reproductive system formation to brain function. The most common types of hormone disruption are hormone mimicking, hormone blocking or disturbing the production process of the hormones. As pesticide synergy exists, exposure to multiple pesticides may be thousands of times more potent in mimicking estrogen than it was previously thought. Does this mean that current tolerance levels (NOAEL, ADI, MRL) set for individual pesticide residues allowed in our food are, when combined, actually far above dangerous limits? What are the implications for the unborn, children and adolescents? How should the pesticides be substituted by applicatio o modern biotechnological procedures? What are the alternatives?

pesticides; toxic effects; tolerance levels in food and environment

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