Presence of pesticides in the environment is the reason why human beings get exposed to them.
Exposure of pesticides is even more harmful for children
HIGHLIGHTS
- Direct eye contact with pesticides can make your permanently blind
- Long-term exposure to pesticides can lead to neurological disorders
- Pesticides are one of the leading causes for infertility in rural areas
While we do not use pesticides directly, but indirectly they are able to reach most Indian households, reason being the pesticides used in farming and agriculture. Even though the use of pesticides is only for the purpose of killing harmful pests, they can very much harm people and environment. Presence of pesticides in the environment is the reason why human beings get exposed to them. These pesticides are toxic in nature and every human being might react differently to this toxicity.
Dr Saarthak Bakshi says it is not just about pesticides. There can be many toxic substances and harmful chemicals present in our environment.
He mentions the ways in which pesticides can be harmful for our health:
1. Pesticides have a lot of toxic chemicals. When we inhale these chemicals in nasal form they can cause various neurological, gynaecological and orthopaedic problems. Exposure of pesticides is even more harmful for children.
2. Pesticides are the reason why there is a lot of infertility in the rural areas. Rural people spray them in abundance during the harvest season on their agricultural lands. It has been proved over time that exposure to pesticides can lead to infertility.
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3. Pesticides can cause a number of respiratory diseases like bronchitis, nasal diseases and asthma.
4. Studies say that on being inhaled regularly for a period of 15-20 years, pesticides can lead to depression and long-term neurological disorders.
5. Direct eye contact with pesticides can lead to permanent loss of eye sight.
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6. Pesticides can lead to genotoxicity - a process where the harmful chemicals damage genetic information within cells causing mutation. They can damage DNA and can cause cancer in some rare cases.
7. There is a prescribed limit in which these pesticides should be used. Pesticides can cause various disorders if that limit is not maintained and their usage goes unchecked.
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Common sources of pesticides
Dr Saarthak says, "Pesticides are vastly used in agriculture land to kill pests. But traces of these pesticides can penetrate into the food which is later on consumed by us."
According to him, soil and water contamination are the primary reasons why pesticides reach our body. Needless to say that it is also dependent on the dosage of their use.
(Dr Saarthak Bakshi is Delhi-based health expert and CEO of International Fertility Centre)
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