Chlorpyrifos is known for being an organophosphate pesticide that has been utilized on crops, animals in buildings, and in other instances. The primary purpose of this substance is to kill pests, including insects and worms, by acting on their nervous systems. Exposure to chlorpyrifos, whether that be through breathing or ingesting, could result in numerous nervous system effects. As a result, the World Health Organization stated chlorpyrifos as being a hazard to humans.
CHLORPYRIFOS: VULNERABLE GROUPS
Chlorpyrifos is a neurotoxic pesticide which can pose serious risks and cause harm to many groups of people. In particular, children are more likely to be exposed to chlorpyrifos because they eat more fruits and vegetables relative to their body weight, and they often tend to place their hands in their mouths. Additionally, children carry higher levels of chlorpyrifos than adults. Chlorpyrifos may negatively affect the health of pregnant women, and since the substance can readily cross the placenta, it may also affect fetal growth or neurodevelopment. Furthermore, farmworkers are exposed to a higher level of chlorpyrifos when they mix, handle, and apply the organophosphate pesticide, or when they enter fields that were recently sprayed.
CHLORPYRIFOS: ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Chlorpyrifos can be toxic to a wide range of animals, including birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, small mammals, and bees. For instance, it can cause mallard ducks to lay fewer eggs with thinner shells, leading to the death of their ducklings. Research has shown that chlorpyrifos can be lethal to aquatic organisms at low concentrations.
Chlorpyrifos can also bioaccumulate in the tissues of animals, specifically those who eat smaller animals.
Moreover, chlorpyrifos can contaminate soil, sediments, and water, while disrupting biogeochemical cycles in the process. This pesticide is also known for being able to travel long distances and contaminate remote areas. Chlorpyrifos has been found in surface water, ice, and fog in the Bering Sea, as well as the Chukchi Sea. However, traces of the substance have also been seen in Alaskan snow and fish.
Chlorpyrifos can be found in many sources, including agriculture, where the pesticide is used on crops, cattle ear tags, and on golf courses. Household pests, such as fleas or termites can also be controlled by chlorpyrifos. Industrial plants and vehicles also utilize this substance, in addition to those who treat wood products, such as fences. Moreover, chlorpyrifos has also been relied on to deal with mosquitoes and ants in various settings.
Individuals can be exposed to chlorpyrifos by breathing in air where chlorpyrifos were applied, having skin-to-skin contact with soil or crops that were treated with the pesticide, ingesting food that was contaminated with chlorpyrifos, or drinking contaminated water.
Breathing or ingesting chlorpyrifos may result in severe nervous system effects, including headaches, blurred vision, and salivation to seizures, coma, or even death. The level of intensity will depend on the amount and length of exposure to chlorpyrifos.
Due to these adverse health effects, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) revoked all chlorpyrifos tolerances, prohibiting its use on food. This ban officially went into effect in the year of 2022.
Chlorpyrifos are a toxic substance that can lead to severe health outcomes upon exposure. In particular, chlorpyrifos has caused pesticide poisoning in several individuals. During the time period from 1997 to 2000, chlorpyrifos drift from agricultural fields resulted in group poisonings in California’s Ventura, Tulare, Merced, and Madera counties. Those exposed consisted mostly of farmers that were subjected to a number of adverse health effects.