Toxicologie humaine des pesticides

The large number of publications on pesticides and the diversity of published views is matched only by a few scientific documents containing toxicological conclusions applicable to man; an assesment of the dangers becomes a very controversial affair. Experimental results should, at least be made available to the medical experts and those responsible for Public Health. Presently there are about 400 chemical pesticides in use. Some are only slowly broken down and residue analysis in a tissue at a given moment is not enough to allow the specification of the hazards to the human species if one omits the quantity of pesticide consumed and the effects of the slow breakdown. The accuracy of our analytical methods, the determination of chemical compounds in the nanogram region exaggerate fears of omnipresence of toxic materials without contributing to a better understanding of the toxicological dangers. Thus the discovery that certain pesticides accumulate in fatty tissue results in their rejection though their dangers have been known for about 30 years and they are being replaced by less persistent ones with appreciably enhanced toxicity. Of no less importance is the observation that mutagenic, carcinogenic and allergenic properties of pesticides and their metabolites still resist a strict scientific investigation as results in these experimental areas are least translatable to man from the animal. Only a momentous effort of coordination and systematisation of worldwide medical observations can lead to significant statistical results. There is a danger that the situation becomes unresolvable as so many plant protection chemicals have been given official sanction in the last 10 years, multiplying potential toxic factors and resulting in great confusion. New chemical developments should — rather than force themselves upon us — concentrate upon the potential dangers, prove their innocuousness or low toxicity, at least, for the clearly specifiedarea of application, according to chronic toxicological, allergenic and carcinogenic criteria. These may possibly not have been known when the production and sale of certain pesticides were initiated. In this difficult field medical experts, analysts, and biologists should coordinate their experience in joint investigations.