Pesticide Residues in Man - Pesticides: Evaluation of Environmental Pollution - page 514

15.11 Conclusion
The use of agrochemicals, including pesticides, remains a common practice especially in
tropical regions and countries in the south. Cheap compounds, such as DDT, HCH, and
lindane, that are environmentally persistent, are today banned from agricultural use in
developed countries, but remain popular in some developing countries, especially for
malaria vector control in mosquito-endemic regions. As a consequence, residues of these
chemicals contaminate food and disperse in the environment. The presence of such pes-
ticide residues is not confined to inhabited continents. Several pesticidal POPs have the
characteristics of “global distillation or the grasshopper effect,” which have resulted in
accumulation of these compounds even in the Arctic media and in regions where they have
never been used. There is strong scientific evidence that pesticides, as a whole, can induce a
wide array of human health effects ranging from myelotoxicity to cytogenetic damage and
carcinogenicity. Their occurrence in the human body is evident in people either occupa-
tionally or nonoccupationally exposed; in population living either in rural or urban areas;
and in individuals of different ethnic routes. This is because the food that we eat is a major
source of hosting pesticide residues in our bodies. The water that we drink and the air that
we breathe are other sources of pesticide pathway in our bodies. The developed countries
have already addressed the pesticide problem, but are still facing some problems in certain
locations. Therefore, it can be deduced that the problems associated with pesticide haz-
ards are not confined to the developing countries. Generally, in the third world countries,
pesticides should be used carefully since toxic outbreaks are often attributed to misuse of
these substances. Magnifying the severity of pesticide misuse is the availability of banned
compounds in local markets; a matter that the national authorities must address. Since
all the Earth inhabitants are sailing in one boat, it is hoped that the spirit of cooperation,
mutual interest, and regard for one another's integrity could be adopted before pesticides
are regulated out of existence and the entire world suffers. Coordinated efforts are needed
to increase the production of food, but with a view to enhancing food quality and safety
as well as to controlling residues of pesticides in humans and in the environment. Proper
application of IPM programs within the framework of GAP, developing new technolo-
gies in pesticide application, moving toward organic food production, and shifting wisely
into genetically engineered crops would positively reflect on human health, agriculture,
biodiversity, and ecosystem management and thus support the sustainable development
themes of the UN World Summits.
References
Abou-Arab, A. A. K. and Abou-Donia, M. A. 2001. Pesticide residues in some Egyptian spices and
medicinal plants as affected by processing. Food Chem. 72: 439-445.
Abou-Arab, A. A. K., Soliman, K. M., and Naguib, Kh. 1998. Pesticide residue contents in Egyptian
vegetables and fruits and removal by washing. Bull. Nutr. Inst. Cairo Egypt 18(1): 117-137.
Ahlborg, U. G., Lipworth, L., Titus-Ernstoff, L., et al. 1995. Organochlorine compounds in relation
to breast cancer, endometrial cancer, and endometriosis: An assessment for the biological and
epidemiological evidence. Crit. Rev. Toxicol. 25(6): 463-531.
Ahmad, R., Ahad, K., Iqbal, R., and Muhammad, A. 2002. Acute poisoning due to commercial pesti-
cides in Multan. Pak. J. Med. Sci. 18: 227-231.