1. What are Pesticides? Range of Pesticide Classifications<\/a>
2. Potential Health Concerns Associated With Pesticides<\/a>
3. Pesticide Use and Potential Exposure<\/a>
4. You Could Be Genetically More Sensitive to Pesticides<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
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What are pesticides? If you guessed that pesticides are used to kill pests, you\u2019d be correct. Since humans share the world with animals and critters, it\u2019s common to encounter these pesky critters or rodents even in the comfort of your own home. You may have had to spray an insecticide to destroy a colony of ants, use a rodenticide to kill an unwelcome rat, or hire a pest-control specialist to get rid of termites.<\/p>\n
By nature, pests commonly carry pathogens, bacteria, and germs that harm human health. Hence, humans rely on pesticides to prevent pest multiplication and the potential damage they could inflict on humans, including property and produce that humans consume which may have chemical residues. Pesticides come from the Latin root word \u201ccida\u201d or \u2018to kill<\/a>\u2019. And as its name suggests, pesticides are used to kill pests.<\/p>\n What are pesticides, and are they a modern-day substance? Contrary to popular belief, the \u00a0pesticides commonly found in today\u2019s hardware stores or home goods stores are not recent inventions. In fact, ancient civilizations utilized some form of pesticide to keep their crops pest-free. For instance, ancient Sumerians placed elemental sulfur on their plants to keep bugs at bay. Similarly, Medieval farmers used chemicals like arsenic or lead for their crops, while the Chinese used arsenic and mercury compounds. Even the Greeks and Romans relied on sulfur, ash, and oil to protect crops, livestock, and even their own bodies from pests. You can think of the latter as akin to today\u2019s mosquito or lice repellant.<\/p>\n As you can see from the examples above, all pesticides are not created equal, which means not all pesticides are that dangerous. Some herbed-based pesticides are safe, as they\u2019re all-natural and free from toxins. What are pesticides that are considered dangerous? Some pesticides must be used with extreme caution with warning labels such as \u201cdangerous\u201d or \u201cpoison\u201d stamped onto the container because of their high toxicity levels. It all boils down to the active ingredients used to control the pest in the pesticide. Learn more about pesticide use, especially as a homeowner dealing with potential infestations that could impact health or as a crop consumer who frequently eats fruits and vegetables since pesticides are commonly used in agriculture.<\/p>\n Pesticides could be any substance or mix of substances that are meant to kill, destroy, eradicate or control pests. Doing so helps mitigate the spread of disease, and promotes livestock or plant growth, which are commonly used for human consumption. Pesticides are often classified<\/a> based on their toxicity levels, what they kill, their biodegradability, and chemical composition. Take a look at the classifications of pesticides below:<\/p>\n The World Health Organization (WHO<\/a>) classifies pesticide toxicity levels into four categories. The classification is based on the technical grade of active ingredients in the pesticides. The classification are as follows:<\/p>\n Pesticides can also be classified on how biodegradable are its components. Take a look at them below:<\/p>\n Finally, pesticides can be classified based on which chemicals they are derived from during production. In general, natural chemicals from plants are far more healthy for humans than synthetic counterparts.<\/p>\n However, pest-control specialists assert that some lab-made chemicals are more effective in dealing with pest infestations than their all-natural counterparts. It\u2019s a tricky situation because you want to eradicate the harmful pests, but at the same time, you also don\u2019t want to be exposed to toxic substances that could adversely impact your health. Here are the most common chemical pesticides in the market:<\/p>\n For pesticides to be effective, they often contain active ingredients to kill or control pests. Pesticides are typically released into the environment, resulting in environmental pollution<\/a> with contamination in air, ground or soil, and water. Some of these pest killers can wipe out other animals and insects that are not the intended target of the pesticide, resulting in a biological imbalance.<\/p>\n Furthermore, most of these substances are also toxic to humans. Improper use and exposure could lead to oxidative stress, allergic reaction, irritation, swelling, or in extreme cases, even death. Some pesticides are highly lethal or poisonous to humans. Often, pesticides are categorized based on their toxicity levels with a range of I being the most lethal to humans to III being the least dangerous.<\/p>\n Since pesticides contain ingredients that harm the pest population they intend to control, pesticides could be potentially hazardous to humans, animals, and even the environment. Thus, if you use pesticides at home or come in contact with them regularly for work, you have to understand what you\u2019re using. Take note of the chemical\u2019s toxicity levels and potential adverse health effects. You should also take preventive measures to minimize exposure to the pesticide products you use.<\/p>\n The four routes of exposure to these chemicals are through dermal contact via the skin, inhalation through the nose, oral pathway or ingestion in the mouth, and contact with the eyes either by splashed droplets, aerosol particles, or rubbing contaminated fingers on the eyes. Hazards or potential injuries are determined by the pesticide\u2019s toxicity levels and the amount of exposure. For example, a farmer inhaling fumes from an insecticide will recover faster than a toddler who accidentally swallows the same material. These are the most common, immediate, and ill effects of using pesticides:<\/p>\n Notably, the symptoms above are for acute exposure, meaning one-time accidental misuse of pesticides and not lasting longer than a day.<\/p>\n Those who are repeatedly exposed to certain chemicals, even in small doses, over a period of time, are more at-risk for associated health problems. Those who regularly handle pesticides for work could suffer more serious and long-lasting impacts, such as the following:<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been wondering, What are pesticides, and are they dangerous? <\/em>Your curiosity is you being responsible for your health. You may be unknowingly exposing yourselves to pesticides if you consume produce and livestock treated with FDA-approved pesticides<\/a>. The FDA enforces the tolerances established by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) with regards to pesticide residue amounts permitted to legally remain on human food and animal feeds. If this is a concern, opt for organic produce and make it a point to wash veggies thoroughly.<\/p>\n On top of that, no one wants pests in their home. So you could be exposed to pesticides to keep unwanted pests away, especially if you live in an area that\u2019s prone to seasonal pest infestations. If you\u2019re using a certain pesticide, take note of the active ingredient as this is the compound responsible for controlling the pest. Again, pesticides have varying toxicity levels based on this active ingredient. To mitigate potential hazards, select a pesticide with the lowest toxicity.<\/p>\n Moreover, it would help to use proper application methods to reduce chemical exposure. Make it a point to always read the labels and follow the instructions. Use protective equipment like a face mask, lined gloves, and goggles as these promote the safest handling of chemicals, reducing respiratory, dermal, and eye exposure. Store your chemicals in a safe location, keeping them away from your children\u2019s reach.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re feeling ambivalent about the use of pesticides or your potential exposure in produce, you can take a CircleDNA<\/a> test as this at-home DNA test reveals if you are genetically more sensitive to pesticides. (This report is just one of hundreds of reports about yourself you\u2019ll learn through this DNA test.)<\/p>\n Those who have a genetically higher pesticide sensitivity have an increased risk of developing respiratory, neurological, or gastrointestinal issues with pesticide exposure. With this increased risk, you can make a conscious effort to purchase only organic, pesticide-free produce.<\/p>\n And, of course, you must stay even more vigilant with the safe handling of pesticides if you ever need to use them in your home. You could stick to biological and green pesticides or seek the help of a professional pest control firm to help with your pest issues.<\/p>\n Table of Contents1. What are Pesticides? Range of Pesticide Classifications2. Potential Health Concerns Associated With Pesticides3. Pesticide Use and Potential Exposure4. You Could Be Genetically More Sensitive… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":2471,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,3],"tags":[4353,4443,5117,700,713,4441,4973,711,49,4691,4387,4439],"class_list":["post-506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-preventive-health","category-wellness","tag-and","tag-are","tag-dangerous","tag-love-language","tag-pesticides","tag-preventive","tag-preventive-health","tag-sober","tag-teeth-grinding-en","tag-they","tag-wellness","tag-what"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=506"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5915,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/506\/revisions\/5915"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/magazine.circledna.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What are Pesticides? Range of Pesticide Classifications<\/h2>\n
Toxicity Levels<\/h3>\n
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Pests Killed<\/h3>\n
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Biodegradability<\/h3>\n
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<\/figure>\nChemical Composition<\/h3>\n
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Potential Health Concerns Associated With Pesticides<\/h2>\n
Acute Exposure<\/h3>\n
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<\/figure>\nChronic Exposure<\/h3>\n
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Pesticide Use and Potential Exposure<\/h2>\n
You Could Be Genetically More Sensitive to Pesticides<\/h2>\n
\nReferences<\/h3>\n
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