Introduction -

While in the short run, pesticides seem very beneficial for

agriculture including crop life and dealing with unwanted or invading
vegetation, after closer inspection at the effects on plant, animal,
and human life, it becomes very clear that the negative effects such
as extreme illness or death, heavily outweigh the positive effects.
Pesticides are very common in agriculture today, most commonly
used to protect crops from widespread disease and pests. As a
result, humans have enjoyed the benefits a healthy crops with and
lack of poor harvesting seasons. When humans started farming in
Mesopotamia 10,000 years ago pesticides were not commonly
used. The first evidence of pesticide use was about 4,500 years ago
by the Sumerians and 3,200 years ago in China [1]. One way of
removing pests and insects was burning smoky materials up-wind
from the crops and smoking out the organisms within the crops.
Most of these pesticides were organic and most likely did not have a
very large effect on human health, which is not the case in today’s
society. Research of developing nations has now shown how much
of an issue some pesticides can be and individuals in developing
nations across the globe are now suffering because of the toxins in
this agricultural tool.
Today pesticides are used across the world in all types of
communities. From top agriculture companies in North America
such as Bayer or BASF, to small farms in Africa, pesticides are
used to control plant diseases and pests from decimating crops as
well as remove any unwanted vegetation. The health hazards could
potentially be slimmer if it was not for the duration that the
population is exposed to the chemicals. Since pesticides are so
commonly used, there is constant exposure of the harmful effects.
This over exposure can result in major health concerns and even
death in some cases. There are many ways people can be
exposed: chemical residues in food and water, chemicals blown into
public areas by the wind, working in the agriculture or pesticide
industry, or direct ingestion of the harmful chemicals. As a result,
many pesticides have been directly linked to multiple forms of
cancer, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Parkinson’s Disease, and have
been shown to have strong effects on the nervous system [2]. The
amount of cases of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma had been shown to
double in rural areas in some studies.

Winners and Losers –

Due to the fact that these chemicals can affect anyone, the location
of this issue is the entire Earth, but more specifically, the areas
within and in close proximity to the use of pesticides. This includes
farms, residential neighbourhoods, parks, and any other location
where humans reside. As for the “winners” and “losers”, technically
that would make every human being a loser in this scenario, but
when looking in the short-term, the individuals positively affected
using pesticides are the companies that create and sell these
products since they are the ones financially benefitting from this
issue. That being said, since the pesticides are used to benefit the
crops, which in turn are used to feed people, the exact outcome of
this situation is not all that clear. Although individuals are being
negatively affected due to health concerns, they are also benefitting
because the crops are lasting longer, making this a bit of a grey
area. Without pesticides, crop-life would be significantly worse and
with an expanding global population, pesticides are crucial in
maintaining the vast amounts of food being and other organic
products being served to the public on a daily basis. While these
chemicals can increase their productivity every year, it can also
cause long term health problems for them and for the ecosystems
around where they live. Additional people that are negatively
affected consist of those people that live around farms that use
pesticides and people that use pesticides in their own gardens.
Without more control on pesticides and more knowledge released
about them, the winners will probably be the large companies
releasing the chemicals because there is no reason for people to
stop using them if they do not know what is wrong with the use of
them. In reality though, there are no “winners” when consumers of a
company’s product are dying as a direct result of the chemicals
used due to insufficient information made available. Therefore,
government intervention is necessary to help provide resources and
restrictions to help eliminate this issue entirely.

LAYERING PERSPECTIVES: OTHER

CONSIDERATIONS?
In this section, we welcome contributions from scholars and
students to widen the scope of this case study:

 Goals and agenda of other relevant actors involved

and/or impacted?
 Alternative ways to frame the problem?
 Special expertise, resources, or theoretical orientations
that may inform a more comprehensive understanding of
the issue at hand?

Evidence –
Throughout the previous decades, pesticide poisoning has posed a
large health concern to those living in developing nations within the
rural areas of the global South. Since pesticides are a common
occurrence in these agricultural regions, many have turned to them
as a form of suicide. This growing issue has resulted in many
scholarly institutions choosing to report on this problem. For
example, in an article published by Tropical Medicine and
International Health, researchers in the Warangal district in Andhra
Pradesh, Southern India, stated that in the six years between 1997
and 2002, approximately eight-thousand patients were admitted to
the hospital with 22% of them dying as a result of pesticide
poisoning.[3] This article proves its relevance to this matter because
of the detailed statistics obtained through extensive research. The
study provided information such as the number of patients admitted
to the hospital, the fatality rate, and the underlying cause of their
admittance. In addition to this, the reliability of this article is backed-
up by many reputable sources from across the globe, such as the
World Health Organization, Ministry of Agriculture in India and the
American Academy of clinical Toxicology, which can all be located
in the reference section of the article. Furthermore, the article
recommends that additional resources be needed in the form of
additional personnel, training, medical supplies, etc. in order to see
if a reduction in the mortality rate will occur. Overall, the general feel
of the article remained unbiased due to the fact that the article did
not slack the Indian government for not having the amount of
resources needed to combat the problem. Rather it was inferred
that they came across as sympathetic to the problem because it is
very difficult to get resources to the remote locations in rural India.

HEALTH RISKS OF PESTICIDE POISONING

Potential health risks of pesticide poisoning. Arias,F.J. CC BY 3.0,

via Wikimedia Commons
As discussed earlier, pesticide poisoning can manifest itself within
the body from two different types of exposures. These two types of
poisoning, acute and chronic, can have a wide range of effects on
the body ranging from less severe (i.e. headaches) to very severe
and even life threatening. It is not surprising that pesticides used to
be the preferred method of choice for suicide based on the
extremely dangerous affects on the body. Acute poisoning is
acquired from a single, large exposure to pesticides. Chronic
poisoning is acquired through repeated, smaller exposures. Both
can have varying degrees of severity however chronic poisoning will
create longer term effects that are generally more gradual to have
any noticeable affects on the body[4]. The type of exposure to
pesticides can determine the symptoms however different
pesticides can also have specific symptoms associated with them.

ACUTE PESTICIDE POISONING

Accidental ingestion of pesticides at home, consumption of pesticide
contaminated food, or even exposure to pesticides applied to
homes or lawns can all be methods of acquiring acute pesticide
poisoning[5]. In the developed countries of the West, we are able to
combat many of the immediate effects of acute pesticide poisoning
as it occurs only from one single exposure. This is not often the
case in the developing countries of the world. Acute pesticide
poisoning can affect the eyes through simple tearing, irritation and
even conjunctivitis (often times referred to as “pink eye”). It can
affect the skin through rashes, blistering, burns, jaundice, etc. The
issues start to become more serious when we look at the affects
that acute pesticide poisoning has on the human nervous system.
Symptoms of the nervous system being affected include headache,
dizziness, mood swings, depression, stupor, seizures, paralysis,
loss of consciousness and even comas. Affects on the respiratory
system include sore throats, coughing, pulmonary edema and in
severe cases respiratory failure[6]. This is just a list of some of the
more common symptoms however the list is far more extensive.
One issue that was made apparent by the David Suzuki Foundation
has to do with when chemical sensitivities and pesticide poisoning
mix. According to the foundation, 2.4% of Canadians have multiple
chemical sensitivities. This makes up approximately 640 000 people
within Canada who are hypersensitive to multiple chemicals. These
numbers are estimated to be higher in many other countries,
especially those that are still developing. Being hypersensitive to
chemicals can have a major impact on how pesticides affect your
body, often times increasing the severity of symptoms [7].

CHRONIC PESTICIDE POISONING

Chronic pesticide poisoning has a massive amount of health effects
that often take longer amounts of time to manifest themselves.
These health effects have major potential, but are not quite as direct
as an acute poisoning. Some major studies have been conducted to
find out some of these longer term affects on people and the results
are grim. Chronic pesticide poisoning can increase the risk of
cancer, cause neurological impairment, create developmental
effects in offspring (i.e. autism), birth defects, organ damage and
cause interference with the human hormone system [8]. A study
published in the 2006 Annals of Neurology found that there was a
very strong relationship between continuous pesticide exposure and
Parkinson’s disease. The study found that “exposure to pesticides-
even at low levels- increased the likelihood that an individual would
suffer from Parkinson’s disease by 70% compared to individuals not
exposed to pesticides”[9]. Cornell University’s article Symptoms of
Pesticide Poisoning in 2012 speaks on some of the effects of the
common pesticides we see on the market around the world and the
dangers associated with them. For example, a common product in
North America is Weed-B-GonTM. This product is a Chloro-phenoxy
Pesticide that is a commonly used pesticide. It is known to have
damaging effects on the liver, kidneys, and nervous system as well
as lung and stomach function. When consumed the acute pesticide
poisoning can cause vomiting, burning sensations within the
stomach, gastrointestinal distress (i.e. diarrhea), and even muscle
twitching. This pesticide is lucky to not stay within the body for very
long which means it does not have chronic affects when compared
to other chemicals. Other pesticide chemicals like Phenylmercuric
Salts (common in AgrosanTM) can cause acute effects like delirium
or lack of coordination but these effects can become permanent
with chronic exposure[10]. In North America, selling and use of many
pesticides requires permits, training and protection which can often
times reduce the health effects that occur. That is not the case in
many countries in the developing world where farmers can go and
buy some of the most hazardous chemicals right off of the shelf
without any training or knowledge of some of the major effects it can
have[11].

SAFETY HAZARDS OF PESTICIDES IN RURAL

AREAS
Many agricultural workers in developing countries are exposed to
large amounts of pesticides on a daily basis, often without any
personal safety equipment due to high costs and the impracticality
of wearing excess clothing in hot and humid climates. Exposure is
usually improperly taken care of, as the warning labels are written in
foreign languages, the supplies to treat exposure to pesticides are
scarce, and employees are usually expendable by whomever is
employing these workers. In certain regions, such as Sri Lanka, the
fatality for pesticide poisoning cases can reach over 50% because
of the lack of doctors, available antidotes, and proper procedures to
follow.[12] In Malaysia, the fatality rate for pesticide poisoning in a
rural hospital is 50%, compared to 1% in a university hospital. [13]
This lack of proper procedure is most prominent with the debate of
the effectiveness of oximes as a remedy; oximes are the standard
for the treatment of pesticide poisoning, but studies have found little
effectiveness in the drug for preventing a death due to pesticide
poisoning. More often than not, patients are harmed by the oximes
when administered, but a few notable cases have shown positive
outcomes.[14]
Poisoning can both occur from ingestion, irritating the stomach
and abdominal regions first, or skin contact, irritating both the
abdominal and respiratory region at approximately the same time.
True numbers of how many people are affected by pesticide
poisoning in rural areas are often unknown, as many people who
suffer non-lethal cases do not go to the hospital, as the money and
time needed for these farm workers to acquire healthcare is not
feasible for a non-fatal illness.[15]
Pesticides will not only affect workers, but the whole enviroment it
was applied in. The flow of water allows for the pesticides to leach
into the soil and other vegetation. These pesticides build up inside
orgainisms as they continue to use or drink contaminated water and
soil. Concentartions continue to raise as the food chain progresses,
causing many apex predators to fall ill. [16] This continuation of impact
from pesticides has been specuated in the Netherlands, where
studies of large populations of birds, pesticide rates, and mortality of
the birds have all been linked together. [17]

SUICIDES FROM PESTICIDE POISONING

The most common method of suicide in the world used to be self-
inflicted pesticide poisoning, accounting for one-third of all suicides.
This is due to the availability and toxic nature of these substances.
Using data from 1985, 2.9 million cases of acute pesticide poisoning
were found in developing nations, resulting in approximately
220,000 deaths. Moreover, in certain rural areas in China where the
quality of life is subpar and the ease of access of these pesticides is
high, over 60% of suicides occurred from intentional pesticide
ingestion,[18] with pesticides being used in over 77% of low planning
suicides.[19] In Campinas, Brazil, between 2002-2004, pesticides
were the reason for 18% of male and 8% of female self harm
hospitalizations,[20] . This could be due to the fact that males make
up a larger demographic in the agricultural sector of Brazil, meaning
that it would be easier for them to acquire the pesticides. In Malawi,
a poor African country, pesticides accounted for more than 80% of
suicides.[21] Recently, a study done in Taiwan found that there was a
67% reduction of pesticide self poisoning from 1987 to 2010, this
reduction could easily be explained by a 66% reduction in the
agricultural workforce of Taiwan. Moreover, the government of
Taiwan banned certain pesticides that were the “full strength”
versions, while leaving both the most abused pesticides, such
as Paraquat, and the weaker versions of the banned pesticides on
the market.[22]
While much work is still needed to improve the life expectancy and
welfare of these workers, some procedures have started to take
place to help prevent the action of self abuse using these
pesticides. Sri Lanka, for example, has had some farmers
implement a double lock box for pesticides, forcing a third party to
be present when accessing these pesticides. This approach is still
being researched to fully understand the feasibility and
effectiveness.

Conclusion –
Overall, pesticide poisoning in the global South poses an extreme
health concern to individuals due to its availability and high chance
of death or illness. If no immediate action on this issue takes place,
unnecessary deaths and emergency room visits will continue to
occur in the global south. In order to combat this problem, there has
to be more information on pesticides made available to all of those
who choose to use it. This may include, mandatory information
sessions on the proper uses and dangers of the agricultural tool and
increased labelling of the safety risks on the packaging, similar to
advertising already seen on tobacco products. This way, individuals
using the product will have a smaller margin of error when using
pesticides as a result of their increase in knowledge. In addition to
this, more restrictions need to be put in place to those buying the
product. Part of the reason pesticide poisoning in the global South is
such a large issue, is due to the fact that it is very easy to obtain.
With more restrictions on this product, it would be a safer product
with less toxic chemicals, potentially resulting in fewer deaths and
hospital visits due to poisoning. One of the main reasons this
problem is present in developing nations in the global South is
because the ingredients used to make the pesticides are much
more harmful. With safer products already made available to
farmers in developed nations, it is crucial that these safer products
be made available to everyone and not just those in developed
nations. Therefore, government intervention is needed to completely
eradicate this issue. With government intervention, guidelines that
are consistent throughout the nation can be made so that
restrictions on the product are clear and understood. Government
run, mandatory informational meetings will result in more
knowledgeable farmers applying the product correctly. Finally,
subsidizing the cost of a safer alternative will result in the health
hazards associated with pesticides to be non-existent.