67
Pesticide Exposure and Impact
4.8 Conclusions
A future challenge is to assess and manage the effects of exposures to
known or suspected toxicants in a comprehensive manner. Earlier generations of researchers focused on cancer, birth defects, AIDS, and other
health outcomes. Age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease have risen
in interest, as has coronary heart disease and diabetes, which are associated with lifestyles including diet, overuse of alcohol, and poor diet–exercise choices.
Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing neurological disease in terms
of cases and deaths, and research suggests various environmental factors
could be at work, including exposure from pesticides such as rotenone and
paraquat (Chen and Ritz, 2018). As a synthetic chemist and one of millions
of people afficted with Parkinson’s, author JNS, wonders if his exposures
to solvents, synthetic product mixtures of often unknown composition,
pesticides—particularly OCs such as toxaphene and OPs and carbamates,
paraquat and phenoxy herbicides—have led to his current condition. Or perhaps there are other factors which have yet to be studied. Parkinson’s is a
good endpoint to study with a fair chance at reducing cases if environmental
causes can be established. Hopefully, this research will be complemented by
advances in treatments as well.
References
Atlas, R.M., and Hazen, T.C. (2011). Oil biodegradation and bioremediation: A tale of
the two worst spills in U.S. History. Environ. Sci. Technol. 45(16), 6709–6715. Doi:
10.1021/es2013227.
Bidleman, T.F., Jantunen, L.M., Hung, H., Ma, J., Stern, G.A., Rosenberg, B., and Racine,
J. (2015). Annual cycles of organochlorine pesticide enantiomers in Arctic air
suggest changing sources and pathways. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 15(3), 1411–1420.
Doi: 10.5194/acp-15-1411-2015.
Butcher, L. (2020). A public policy agenda and movement to reduce Parkinson’s disease burden gains momentum. Neurol. Today 20(20), 1–30. https://journals.lww.
com/neurotodayonline/fulltext/2020/10220/a_public_policy_agenda_and_
movement_to_reduce.6.aspx.
CARB. (2017). California Air Toxics Program-Background. California Air Resources
Board. http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/background.htm (Accessed March 18, 2021).
CCOHS. (1997). How Do Particulates Enter the Respiratory System. Canadian Center for
Occupational Health and Safety. http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/
how_do.html accessed 3/18/21.
Chen, H., and Ritz, B. (2018). The search for environmental causes of Parkinson’s disease: Moving forward. J. Park. Dis. 8, S9–S17.
Pesticide Exposure and Impact
4.8 Conclusions
A future challenge is to assess and manage the effects of exposures to
known or suspected toxicants in a comprehensive manner. Earlier generations of researchers focused on cancer, birth defects, AIDS, and other
health outcomes. Age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s disease have risen
in interest, as has coronary heart disease and diabetes, which are associated with lifestyles including diet, overuse of alcohol, and poor diet–exercise choices.
Parkinson’s disease is the fastest-growing neurological disease in terms
of cases and deaths, and research suggests various environmental factors
could be at work, including exposure from pesticides such as rotenone and
paraquat (Chen and Ritz, 2018). As a synthetic chemist and one of millions
of people afficted with Parkinson’s, author JNS, wonders if his exposures
to solvents, synthetic product mixtures of often unknown composition,
pesticides—particularly OCs such as toxaphene and OPs and carbamates,
paraquat and phenoxy herbicides—have led to his current condition. Or perhaps there are other factors which have yet to be studied. Parkinson’s is a
good endpoint to study with a fair chance at reducing cases if environmental
causes can be established. Hopefully, this research will be complemented by
advances in treatments as well.
References
Atlas, R.M., and Hazen, T.C. (2011). Oil biodegradation and bioremediation: A tale of
the two worst spills in U.S. History. Environ. Sci. Technol. 45(16), 6709–6715. Doi:
10.1021/es2013227.
Bidleman, T.F., Jantunen, L.M., Hung, H., Ma, J., Stern, G.A., Rosenberg, B., and Racine,
J. (2015). Annual cycles of organochlorine pesticide enantiomers in Arctic air
suggest changing sources and pathways. Atmos. Chem. Phys. 15(3), 1411–1420.
Doi: 10.5194/acp-15-1411-2015.
Butcher, L. (2020). A public policy agenda and movement to reduce Parkinson’s disease burden gains momentum. Neurol. Today 20(20), 1–30. https://journals.lww.
com/neurotodayonline/fulltext/2020/10220/a_public_policy_agenda_and_
movement_to_reduce.6.aspx.
CARB. (2017). California Air Toxics Program-Background. California Air Resources
Board. http://www.arb.ca.gov/toxics/background.htm (Accessed March 18, 2021).
CCOHS. (1997). How Do Particulates Enter the Respiratory System. Canadian Center for
Occupational Health and Safety. http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/
how_do.html accessed 3/18/21.
Chen, H., and Ritz, B. (2018). The search for environmental causes of Parkinson’s disease: Moving forward. J. Park. Dis. 8, S9–S17.