contaminant that affects tropospheric ozone. Drops of liquid pesticide sprayed on the
fields will stick to the dust and spread as dust particles.
2.3.2 Impact on Soil and Water
Soil is an important and primary source of pesticide pollution. Extensive application
of pesticides alters the normal metabolism of microorganisms and has detrimental
effects on soil microorganisms and other natural microflora of soil ecosystems
(Chennappa et al. 2019). The occurrence of pesticides in water resources such as
lakes, canals, and rivers has been reported to pose a threat to water bodies. The
causes of pesticide infiltration into water are pesticide flow, percolation through soil,
water flow, accidental spraying or soil erosion when sprayed (Karunya and Saranraj
2014). All of these factors lead to suffocation due to the toxicity of the aquatic biota
and zooplankton.
2.3.3 Impact of Pesticides on Human Beings
Pesticides applied in agricultural areas enter the human body through inhalation of
dust aerosols and vapors or through oral exposure by ingesting pesticidecontaminated foods and water. The severity of the pesticide depends on the toxicity
and chemical nature and prolonged exposure to the pesticide. The severity may be
severe with long-term consequences. Severe effects include headache, nausea,
abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, respiratory infections, sore throat, allergies,
skin, and eye problems. Long-term outcomes include neurological disorders, reproductive effects, birth defects, fetal death, and other reproductive problems. Cancerrelated complications have also been reported in lymphoma, brain, prostate, liver,
blood, and skin. Pesticides are also known as endocrine disruptors (Aleem et al.
2003; Naik et al. 2007; Martin et al. 2011) because the use of these chemicals can
lead to hormonal imbalances in the body. Furthermore, some of these pesticides are
easily transmitted from nursing mothers to children through breast feeding (Muñozde-Toro et al. 2006). Organophosphates are an important group of neurotoxic
pesticides that act by inhibiting acetylcholine esterase in the central and peripheral
nervous system, resulting in the formation of choline and acetate (Eleršek and Filipič
2011). In addition, the nerves are significantly inhibited, and this suppression can
lead to heart attack, strokes, and eventually death in insects and mammals (Singh and
Walker 2006).
Chlorpyrifos is moderately toxic to humans because it acts on the nervous system
by inhibiting acetylcholine esterase activity (Schuh et al. 2002; Reiss et al. 2012).
There have been reports of genetic and mutagenic effects of chlorpyrifos in humans
(Sobti et al. 1982; Sandal and Yilmaz 2011) and rat (Ojha et al. 2013). Nasr et al.
(2016) reported that chlorpyrifos tends to cause significant oxidative damage in the
30
A. Sehrawat et al.
fields will stick to the dust and spread as dust particles.
2.3.2 Impact on Soil and Water
Soil is an important and primary source of pesticide pollution. Extensive application
of pesticides alters the normal metabolism of microorganisms and has detrimental
effects on soil microorganisms and other natural microflora of soil ecosystems
(Chennappa et al. 2019). The occurrence of pesticides in water resources such as
lakes, canals, and rivers has been reported to pose a threat to water bodies. The
causes of pesticide infiltration into water are pesticide flow, percolation through soil,
water flow, accidental spraying or soil erosion when sprayed (Karunya and Saranraj
2014). All of these factors lead to suffocation due to the toxicity of the aquatic biota
and zooplankton.
2.3.3 Impact of Pesticides on Human Beings
Pesticides applied in agricultural areas enter the human body through inhalation of
dust aerosols and vapors or through oral exposure by ingesting pesticidecontaminated foods and water. The severity of the pesticide depends on the toxicity
and chemical nature and prolonged exposure to the pesticide. The severity may be
severe with long-term consequences. Severe effects include headache, nausea,
abdominal pain, vomiting, dizziness, respiratory infections, sore throat, allergies,
skin, and eye problems. Long-term outcomes include neurological disorders, reproductive effects, birth defects, fetal death, and other reproductive problems. Cancerrelated complications have also been reported in lymphoma, brain, prostate, liver,
blood, and skin. Pesticides are also known as endocrine disruptors (Aleem et al.
2003; Naik et al. 2007; Martin et al. 2011) because the use of these chemicals can
lead to hormonal imbalances in the body. Furthermore, some of these pesticides are
easily transmitted from nursing mothers to children through breast feeding (Muñozde-Toro et al. 2006). Organophosphates are an important group of neurotoxic
pesticides that act by inhibiting acetylcholine esterase in the central and peripheral
nervous system, resulting in the formation of choline and acetate (Eleršek and Filipič
2011). In addition, the nerves are significantly inhibited, and this suppression can
lead to heart attack, strokes, and eventually death in insects and mammals (Singh and
Walker 2006).
Chlorpyrifos is moderately toxic to humans because it acts on the nervous system
by inhibiting acetylcholine esterase activity (Schuh et al. 2002; Reiss et al. 2012).
There have been reports of genetic and mutagenic effects of chlorpyrifos in humans
(Sobti et al. 1982; Sandal and Yilmaz 2011) and rat (Ojha et al. 2013). Nasr et al.
(2016) reported that chlorpyrifos tends to cause significant oxidative damage in the
30
A. Sehrawat et al.