Pesticides And The Link To Cancer

Of all the toxic, man-made chemicals found in the environment,
pesticides are probably the most widespread These compounds are
used on a large scale by farmers to keep insects from eating
their crops and by the everyday suburbanite trying to keep his
little patch of lawn as green as his neighbors
We have the military to thank for the development of the first
pesticides These were derived from compounds such as agent
orange and sarin gas Originally, these chemicals were used as
nerve gases, sprayed on enemy troops
Scientists recognized that at really low doses, nerve gases
wiped out insects, but did not seem to affect people or animals
The only problem is, when pesticides are sprayed in the
environment they begin to build up and eventually reach toxic
concentrations in our water supplies and in the tissues of
animals, fish and people too Over time, these toxins (some of
which are carcinogenic) have negative affects on the animal or
individual who has ingested them
As you can imagine, it has been hard to prove that long term,
low dose exposures to pesticides cause cancer It usually takes
decades after the exposures for cancer to develop However, over
time, a solid case has been built linking pesticides with cancer
and their use has been reduced There is also an abundance of
evidence showing that people who worked with certain pesticides
and did not take appropriate precautions became gravely sick
(examples; increase risk in worker’s at DDT plants and farmers)

Tags | chemicals, decades, exposures, gases, insects, neighbors, result, suburbanite, troops