Pesticides

Chlorpyrifos

Chlorpyrifos is one of about 100 organophosphate (OP) insecticides on the market today. It is used to kill insect pests by disrupting their nervous system.

Intoxication:
Symptomsof acute Chlorpyrifos poisoning in humans include headache, nausea, dizziness, muscle twitching, weakness, increased sweating and salivation. Unconsciousness, convulsions, and death can result withsufficient exposure.

Effects on the central nervous system:
They include confusion, drowsiness, depression, difficulty in concentrating, slurred speech, insomnia, nightmares, and a form of toxicpsychosis resulting in bizarre behaviour.

Effects on the immune system:
Recent research has identified immune system abnormalities in individuals following Chlorpyrifos exposure. Higher than usualfrequencies of allergies and sensitivities to antibiotics together with atypical abundances of certain types of blood cells were found in patients one to five years after Chlorpyrifos exposure.Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate, with potential for both acute toxicity at larger amounts and neurological effects in fetuses and children even at very small amounts.
Research indicated in 2006 thatchildren exposed to Chlorpyrifos while in the womb have an increased risk of delays in mental and motor development at age 3 and an increased occurrence of pervasive developmental disorders such as ADHD(Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). An earlier study had demonstrated a correlation between prenatal Chlorpyrifos exposure and lower weight and smaller head circumference at birth.

Duringa study carried out in the US, among 50 farm pesticides studied, Chlorpyrifos was one of two found to be associated with higher risks of lung cancer among frequent pesticide applicators than amonginfrequent or non-users. Pesticide applicators as a whole were found to have a 50% lower cancer risk than the general public, which is attributable to the nearly 50% lower smoking rate found among farm...