Chemical Poisoning

Excessive exposure to toxic chemicals and radiation can lead to chemical poisoning. Like toxic metals, poisonous chemicals entering the body will decrease the functioning of its organs. The body’s immune system is threatened by these chemicals and will try to cleanse itself of these poisons. Damage to the liver can occur if your body cannot rid itself of these toxins. Chemical poisoning occurs most often in people who use chemicals or are exposed to them in an industrial environment or who use excess amounts of chemical sprays. Those working in greenhouses and using insecticides may develop boils or lesions about the face and neck. This is the body’s attempt to rid itself of these poisons. It should be made well known that any exposure to a poison is too much. Poisons are cumulative.

Obviously, poisons are in greater concentrated proportion to children than adults, to women than men. Often, the combination of poisons is even more deadly than the action of a poison on its own. The most common insecticides and fungicides: are captan, daminozide, mancozeb, mevinphos, parathion, quintozen. These chemicals are used for major crops such as apples, peaches, almonds, seed, peanuts, tomatoes, small grains, many fruits and vegetables, citrus, and cotton. The health effects from these chemicals are: probable human carcinogen, mutagen, causes reproductive effect , causes multiple tumors at many sites in animals including the lung, liver, pancreas, nasal tissue, and vascular system birth defects in experimental animals, thyroid and prostate glands.

As well, affects on the nervous system disorders and possible developmental effects. This information comes from the environmental protection agency. Captanis a pesticide that has been used for years on grapes. This particular pesticide is the one “found most frequently in residue testing on grapes. Captan is structurally similar to thalidomide, the sedative blamed as the agent that caused thousand of infants to born without leg or arms in the early 1960s. The United Nations estimates that our planet is subjected to two million tons of pesticide applications every year. (A ton equal two thousand pounds.) At a rate of 20 million tons per decade, how can any rational argument be made that, when safely applied, they pose no threat? Most pesticides cause cancer by changing the genetic structure of humans and animals. They have been used for so long and in such heavy concentrations that our groundwater is now contaminated with them.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency found that by the 1970s the water supplies of many cities and towns were contaminated and unsafe because of polluted groundwater. For example, recent tests of the drinking water of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana produced no fewer than sixty-six foreign chemicals. These chemicals kill most of the microorganisms and worms in the topsoil, causing an even more unhealthy soil condition. They trickle down through the ground into the underground water supply. Meanwhile, insects are developing immunity to insecticides so that more and more powerful spray have to introduce. Many agriculture chemicals have been proven to cause cancer, genetic damage, and nerve and brain damage. One of the alarming signs supporting this fact is the increase in birth defects since World War II. This is especially obvious in migrant workers and farm hands who work in the field and directly expose themselves to these chemicals.

Author: Life Enthusiast Staff