PESTICIDE RESIDUES:

Impacts of pesticides on our health

Pesticides are poisons and, unfortunately, they can harm more than just the “pests” at which they
are targeted. They are toxic, and exposure to pesticides can cause a number of health effects.
They are linked to a range of serious illnesses and diseases from respiratory problems to cancer.

Exposure

Exposure to pesticides can occur in many ways. Farmers and farm workers can be exposed to
pesticides in agriculture through the treatment of crops, plants and grain stores. Rural residents
living next door to farms can be exposed to pesticide drift. Exposure can also occur in forestry,
professional and domestic pest control, through the treatment of wood with preservatives, the
treatment of boat hulls with anti-fouling agents, and the treatment of livestock with anti-parasitic
preparations, e.g. sheep dip. In our towns and cities we are exposed to pesticides through the
spraying of amenities, such as our parks, pavements and playgrounds. Many people buy
pesticides off the shelf for home and garden use. And finally, pesticide residues found on, and in,
our food also puts us at risk.

Should you be concerned?

Acute toxicity

Pesticides can be acutely toxic. This means that they can cause harmful or lethal effects after a
single episode of ingestion, inhalation or skin contact. The symptoms are evident shortly after
exposure or can arise within 48 hours. They can present as:

 respiratory tract irritation, sore throat and/or cough

 allergic sensitisation
 eye and skin irritation
 nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea
 headache, loss of consciousness
 extreme weakness, seizures and/or death

Immediate health effects from pesticide exposure includes irritation of the nose, throat, and skin
causing burning, stinging and itching as well as rashes and blisters. Nausea, dizziness and
diarrhea are also common. People with asthma may have very severe reactions to some
pesticides, particularly pyrethrin/pyrethroid, organophosphate and carbamate pesticides.

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 (or long term) toxicity

Pesticides can cause harmful effects over an extended period, usually following repeated or
continuous exposure at low levels. Low doses don’t always cause immediate effects, but over
time, they can cause very serious illnesses.

Long term pesticide exposure has been linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease;
asthma; depression and anxiety; attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); and cancer,
including leukaemia and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
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, testis 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.
Similar impacts have been associated with human exposure to these chemicals.

Prevention and control

Nobody should be exposed to unsafe amounts of pesticide.

People spreading pesticide on crops, in homes, or in gardens should be adequately protected.

People not directly involved in the spread of pesticides should stay away from the area during
and just after a spread.

Food that is sold or donated (such as food aid) should comply with pesticide regulations, in
particular with maximum residue limits. People who grow their own food should, when using
pesticides, follow instructions for use and protect themselves by wearing gloves and face masks
as necessary.

Consumers can further limit their intake of pesticide residues by peeling or washing fruit and
vegetables, which also reduces other foodborne hazards, such as harmful bacteria.

Global impact

The United Nations Population Division estimates that, by the year 2050, there will be 9.7 billion
people on Earth – around 30% more people than in 2017. Nearly all of this population growth
will occur in developing countries.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates that, in
developing countries, 80% of the necessary increases in food production keep pace with
population growth are projected to come from increases in yields and the number of times per
year crops can be grown on the same land. Only 20% of new food production is expected to
come from expansion of farming land.

Pesticides can prevent large crop losses and will therefore continue to play a role in agriculture.
However, the effects on humans and the environment of exposure to pesticides are a continuing
concern.

The use of pesticides to produce food, both to feed local populations and for export, should
comply with good agricultural practices regardless of the economic status of a country. Farmers
should limit the amount of pesticide used to the minimum necessary to protect their crops.

It is also possible, under certain circumstances, to produce food without the use of pesticides.

WHO response

WHO, in collaboration with FAO, is responsible for assessing the risks to humans of pesticides –
both through direct exposure, and through residues in food – and for recommending adequate
protections.

Risk assessments for pesticide residues in food are conducted by an independent, international
expert scientific group, the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). These
assessments are based on all of the data submitted for national registrations of pesticides
worldwide as well as all scientific studies published in peer-reviewed journals. After assessing
the level of risk, the JMPR establishes limits for safe intake to ensure that the amount of
pesticide residue people are exposed to through eating food over their lifetime will not result in
adverse health effects.

These acceptable daily intakes are used by governments and international risk managers, such as
the Codex Alimentarius Commission (the intergovernmental standards-setting body for food), to
establish maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides in food. Codex standards are the
reference for the international trade in food, so that consumers everywhere can be confident that
the food they buy meets the agreed standards for safety and quality, no matter where it was
produced. Currently, there are Codex standards for more than 100 different pesticides.

WHO and FAO have jointly developed an International Code of Conduct on Pesticide
Management. The most recent edition of the voluntary framework was published in 2014. It
guides government regulators, the private sector, civil society, and other stakeholders on best
practices in managing pesticides throughout their lifecycle – from production to disposal.

Pesticides and human health:

Pesticides can cause short-term adverse health effects, called acute effects, as well as chronic
adverse effects that can occur months or years after exposure. Examples of acute health effects
include stinging eyes, rashes, blisters, blindness, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and death. Examples
of known chronic effects are cancers, birth defects, reproductive harm, neurological and
developmental toxicity, immunotoxicity, and disruption of the endocrine system.
Some people are more vulnerable than others to pesticide impacts. For example, infants and
young children are known to be more susceptible than adults to the toxic effects of pesticides.
Farm workers and pesticide applicators are also more vulnerable because they receive greater
exposures.
For more information about the effects of specific chemicals or pesticide products, see Pesticide
Action Network’s Pesticide Database. For a survey of scientific studies linking pesticides to
specific diseases, see Beyond Pesticides’ Pesticide-induced diseases database.
Children are More Vulnerable to Pesticide Exposure
Children are not simply “little adults.” Children are more vulnerable to pesticides exposure
because their organs, nervous systems and immune systems are still developing; their higher
rates of cell division and lower body weight also increase children’s susceptibility to pesticide
exposure and risks. Their immature organs and other developing biological systems are
particularly vulnerable to toxic contaminants. Exposure during certain early development periods
can cause permanent damage.
In addition to being more vulnerable to pesticide toxicity, children’s behavior and physiology
make them more likely to receive greater pesticide exposure than adults. Most pesticide exposure
occurs through the skin and children have more skin surface for their size than adults. Children
have a higher respiratory rate and so inhale airborne pesticides at a faster rate than adults.
Children also consume proportionately more food and water — and pesticide residues — than
adults. With their increased contact with floors, lawns and playgrounds, children’s behavior also
increases their exposure to pesticides.
Health Effects of Certain Classes of Pesticides
Organophosphates & Carbamates: These pesticides are like nerve gas: they attack the brain
and nervous system, interfering with nerve signal transmission. Symptoms include headaches,
nausea, dizziness, vomiting, chest pain, diarrhea, muscle pain and confusion. In severe poisoning
incidents, symptoms can include convulsions, difficulty breathing, involuntary urination, coma
and death. Acute poisoning of the nervous system by these pesticides affects hundreds of
thousands of people around the world each year.
Fumigants: Fumigants like methyl bromide and metam sodium can severely injure any tissue
they touch. Effects from even minor exposures can include burning and itching of the eyes and
skin, respiratory tract irritation as well as coughing and nose bleeds. Fumigants can severely
injure the lungs.
Organochlorines: Many banned pesticides (including DDT) are organochlorines, although
several organochlorine pesticides are still in use in California, including lindane and parathion.
Organochlorines are central nervous system stimulants that can cause tremors, hyperexcitability
and seizures. Although these pesticides are generally less acutely (immediately) toxic than
organophosphates or carbamates, since they persist in the environment and tend to accumulate in
tissue as they pass up the food chain, they are extremely hazardous. Organochlorine pesticide
residues and breakdown products are found in human breast milk worldwide, and also in soil and
plant and animal tissue from the middle of the Pacific Ocean to the Arctic Circle.
Pyrethroids: These organic compounds, similar to the natural pyrethrins produced by
chrysanthemum flowers, are promoted by their manufacturers as harmless to humans, and are in
increasingly wide use. In fact, pyrethroids are a synthetic copy of a natural poison. While
pyrethroids are among the least toxic pesticides to humans, they are an excitatory nerve poison
and known carcinogen. They are also highly toxic to insects, fish and birds, even in very small
doses. While natural pyrethrum breaks down in as little as twelve hours, the synthetic forms have
been engineered to be more stable, and persist in the environment for weeks.