The use of chemicals, globally, is creating high levels of toxicity in the environment. This is specifically true for places located near farmlands, greenhouses, and agricultural units where pesticides are used for the protection of largescale farming. There are several types of pesticides in use, and thankfully, all of them are not toxic to humans.
However, exposure to toxic chemicals contained in some pesticides can cause short and long-term impacts on the health of people. The properties of chemicals comprising these pesticides would determine the extent of the harm caused. There’s one common thread running through the damages caused by almost all pesticides – longer exposure leads to more damages and harm to human health.
How Can Pesticide Infection Occur?
You need not be inside the farm or right next to the person spraying the pesticide to get harmed. Mere breathing of the pesticide, or getting it into your mouth in one way or the other, can cause grave problems. Eating or drinking food items that are contaminated by the chemicals present in the pesticide can also cause health problems similar to that of pesticide exposure. The article “10 Pesticides That Could Harm Your Mitochondria” from Microbe Formulas says that common weed killer glyphosate can be introduced in your diet through the produce you consume. The same is true for any contact of pesticide with the eyes and skin of the patient. In this disturbing scenario, it’s important to know that different people are at varying levels of risk to pesticide exposure. The extent of damages caused to them depends on their gender, age, individual sensitivity, and a spate of other factors.
The Extent of Pesticide Toxicity
Almost with all pesticides (at least a very large percentage), long enough exposure to the chemicals contained in any formula can lead to allergies, infections, illnesses, and many other health problems. Staying exposed to any specific harmful chemical for a long time increases your chances of coming to bigger harm. For instance, simply having two pills of aspirin may help in removing your headache but will not cause any other harm. However, if you choose to have more than the recommended dose, or a full bottle of the same, then you will be inflicted with drastic side effects that can leave your health in jeopardy.
The same applies to pesticides; undue exposure is bound to create problems that should be avoided at all costs. While pesticides are designed and manufactured with the intent of killing or restraining the spread of specific pests, they can cause extensive damages to the mind and body of humans who are exposed to the same. These pesticides also have the potential of harming animals and the environment. As with exposure to all other harmful substances, the extent of damages caused by the exposure would depend on the way someone is exposed to the chemicals in pesticides, his or her sensitivity to them, and the levels of toxicity of the product in the reckoning.
Potential Bad Health Effects of Some Pesticides on Mitochondria
One of the most vulnerable parts of pesticide exposure is the mitochondria in human cells. Mitochondria refer to the battery or powerhouse of the cells and are responsible for producing energy. It is also active in keeping the different body functions and vital organs in order. Pesticides like Atrazine may contaminate drinking water or the water used for washing and cleaning purposes to impact your mitochondria adversely. Most other pesticides have equally bad health effects. Take a look.
- Atrazine
Atrazine, a selective herbicide, is useful for the elimination of certain weeds. Though it is helpful for agriculturists, this pesticide has become unpopular in the world of environmentalists because of its harmful impacts. The chemicals contained in atrazine are harming fish and frogs by contaminating the water they live in. You can get exposed to the harmful effects of atrazine by coming in contact with contaminated water supply. The most concerning part about exposure to this chemical is that it seeps its way into groundwater, evaporates with it, and comes down as rainfall to create more problems for humankind. It can also contaminate food items like sugarcane, corn, pineapple, Macadamia nuts, sorghum, and so forth, to affect your mitochondria.
Along with hindering the ability for producing new mitochondria, atrazine also causes disruptions to the production of energy in the body. It triggers significant free radical damages and may compel nerve cells to reach the brink of self-destruction. This leads to brain damage and nerve pains of different types.
- Rotenone
In comparison to most other pesticides that are manufactured industrially, rotenone is naturally-occurring. It owes its origin to the roots of plant species belonging to the family of legumes. This pesticide performs by restricting the mitochondria of fish species from inhaling oxygen. The cells end up suffocating after being infected as they cannot produce adequate energy to sustain themselves. Ultimately, this leads to their death. Rotenone has been linked to the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in human beings. It’s unlikely to be exposed to the chemicals contained in this pesticide by consuming the fish procured from stores. Even fishing rarely causes any harmful exposure to the chemicals in rotenone.
Rotenone may cause an impact on your mitochondria like how it impacts to fish. The mitochondria in your cells may be blocked from using oxygen, thereby restricting the generation of ATP. The interference with energy generation leads to the production of free radicals in your cell’s mitochondria. With prolonged exposure, the mitochondrial DNA can get further damaged to trigger off cell death.
Take Care of Pesticide Toxicity and Damages
Experts who know how to handle the damages caused by pesticides can guide you about how to keep pesticide-related bad health effects in control. You may want to get in touch with exterminators and pest control companies to figure out the extent of contamination in your environment. They will determine the potential dangers and help you take corrective measures to keep health issues in check. Get in touch with them right away.
