DefinePK

Abstract

The ever increasing demand for more food produc­tion has been met by adoption of better crop protection measures. Since world war II synthetic chemi­cals/poisons have been extensively used for the control of agricultural as well as household and medical insect pests. These poisons which otherwise are employed for human benefit can also be called as economic poisons. Pesticides used for the control of different insect pests are the major component of such economic poisons.
Genocide -. Terminal / Fatal
Suicide -. High doses —~ Terminal / Fatal, Occasionally
Low doses  Survive  Survive
Intentional -. Experimental—.. Volunteers
Poisoning~~—. (Therapeutical)-.. Patients
Unintentional   Accidental Fatal, Survive
Poisoning —. Occupational Survive with side effects
Environmental Survive with side effects
There is general concern on environmental pollu­tion and the chronic effects of pesticides. It is impossible in today’s society to avoid some sort of direct or indirect exposure to these chemicals. Contaminated diets are the main concern of the present day man throughout the world. The pesticides are used in one part of the world and then contaminated grains shipped and exported to the other part of globe. Similarly within a country the translocation of the food items (vegetables, fruits and grains) is on a massive scale. For example, survey of vegetables from markets far away from vegetable growing areas in Pakistan has revealed the presence of pesticide residues in many cases. Likewise the pesticides applied to crops can enter into the produce which when consumed by livestock can build up in milk and meat, eventually transferred into the human body. Moreover, con­taminated raw vegetables and fruits can also be a source of pesticide residues found in human tissues.
The entry of these pesticides in the body is by three routes, firstly oral (ingestion or drinking), secondly dermal (through the body contact) and thirdly inhalation (fumes). Individuals exposed to pesticides can be categorized into two major groups, i.e., high and low risk’ groups (Table I).