Abstract
Pollution is a phenomenon, which leads to ecological disequilibrium (alteration of biotic and abiotic) and may produce dangerous waste. Epidemiological studies, evaluate the relationship between the pollutants impacts over individual or collective risk and environmental factors. The rational use of pesticides in conjunction with other technologies may be justifiable in integrated pest management, the balance between benefits and effects being very complex. Pesticides are considered persistent pollutants, and may be classified according to chemical structure in the following main classes: organophosphates, carbamates, organochlorines, triazines, and pyrethroids. In this paper we present the mechanisms of action of the main pesticide classes in living organisms and especially in the human body. Organophosphate pesticides act on acetylcholinesterase, leading to development of cholinergic toxicity, because they decrease its enzymatic activity. The carbamate or phosphate pesticides inhibition of acetylcholinesterase, disrupts the equilibrium between acetylcholine synthesis and release on one hand and its hydrolysis on the other, and leads to its accumulation at synaptic level, with prolonged activation of cholinergic receptors. Organochlorine pesticides are highly lipophilic, and this property enhances their stability in living organisms and in the environment. They are largely stored in adipose tissue, a process called bioaccumulation, and this characteristic leads to the development of high toxicities in mammals. Triazines in high concentrations have been linked to increased cancer risk and incidence of birth defects. The pyrethroid insecticides acting on the sodium channels in the nerve membrane (neurotoxic), have high selectivity for insects, and do not have carcinogenic, mutagenic and teratogenic effects. Living organisms and humans are concurrently exposed to pesticides from more than one source, via the environment and food, and these may have a combined (synergistic or antagonistic) action, which can cause higher or lower toxic effects, in comparison with the situation of a single pesticide.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aygun D, Doganay Z, Altintop L, Guven H, Onar M, Deniz T, Sunter T (2002) Serum acetyl cholinesterase and prognosing. J Toxicol Clin Technol 40:903–910
Badea M, Bala C, Rotariu L, Coman G, Gocan S, Marty JL (2008) Methyl paraoxon detection using HPLC-UV and Electric eel acetylcholinesterase based biosensors. J Environ Prot Ecol 9(4):763–772
Badea M, Florescu M, Coman G, Chesca A, Marty JL (2009) Comparative studies for pollutants detection using electrochemical sensors and enzyme-based biosensors. In: Vytas K, Kalcher K, Svancara I (eds) Sensing in electroanalysis. University Press, Pardubice
Beard J (2006) DDT and human health. Sci Total Environ 355:78–89
Carle RP, Calos R, Delabarre M, Escuret P, Fourcaud A (1982) Delatamethrin, Roussel Uclaf
Carozza SE, Li B, Wang Q, Horel S, Cooper S (2009) Agricultural pesticides and risk of childhood cancers. Int J Hyg Health 212:186–195
Clewell RA, Clewell HJ (2008) Development and specification of physiologically based pharmacokinetics models for use in risk assessment. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 50:129–143
Colbeck I, Draghici C, Perniu D (2004) Pollution and environmental monitoring. Editura Academiei Romane, Bucuresti
Coman G, Draghici C (2004) Pollutants and their impact on human body. Transilvania University Press, Brasov
Cooper J, Dobson H (2007) The benefits of pesticides to mankind and the environment. Crop Prot 26:1337–1348
Costa L (2006) Current issues in organophosphate toxicology. Clin Chim Acta 366:1–13
Duarte CT, Roman R, Tinoco R, Duhalt RV (2009) Halogenated pesticide transformation by laccase-mediator system. Chemosphere 77:687–692
Fabry G, Duhayon S, Mertens C, Lison D (2008) Risk of leukemia among pesticide manufacturing workers. Environ Res 106:121–137
Ferrari A, Venturino A, Pechen A (2007) Effects of carbaryl and azinphos methyl on juvenile rainbow trout detoxifying enzymes. Pesticide Biochem Physiol 88:134–142
Franco R, Li S, Rodriguez H, Burns M, Panayiotidis M (2010) Molecular mechanisms of pesticide neurotoxicity. Chem Biol Interact 188:289–300
George J, Shukla Y (2011) Pesticides and cancer. J Proteomics 74:2713–2722
Haiduc I (1996) Environmental chemistry. Babes-Bolyai University Press, Cluj-Napoca
Kanthasamy AG, Kitazava M, Kanthasamy A, Anantharam V (2005) Dieldrin-induced neuro toxicity. Neurotoxicology 26:701–719
Kaushik P, Kaushik G (2007) An assessment of structure and toxicity correlation in organochlorine pesticides. J Hazard Mater 143:102–111
Mahajan R, Blair A, Lynch CF, Schroeder P, Hoppin JA, Slander DP, Alavanja MCR (2006) Fonofos exposure and cancer incidence, Agricultural Health Study. EnvironHealth Prospect 114(12):1838–1842
Moretto A, Colosio C (2011) Biochemical and toxicological evidence of neurological effects of pesticides. Neurotoxicology 32:383–391
Pope C, Karanth S, Liu J (2005) Pharmacology and toxicology of cholinesterase inhibitors. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 19:433–446
Rahimi R, Abdollahi M (2007) A review of mechanisms involved in hyperglycemia induced by organo phosphorus pesticides. Pesticide Biochem Physiol 88:115–121
Ranjbar A, Solhi H, Mashayekhi F, Rezaie A (2005) Oxidative stress in acute human poisoning with organophosphorus insecticides. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 20:88–91
Rattan RS (2010) Mechanism of action of insecticidal secondary metabolites of plant origin. Crop Prot 29:913–920
Ray DE, Fry JR (2006) A reassessment of the neurotoxicity of pyrethroid insecticides. Pharmacol Ther 111:174–193
Reffstrup TK, Larsen JC, Meyer O (2010) Risk assessment of mixtures of pesticides. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 56:174–192
Rezc R, Mornagui B, Arbi AE, Kamoun A, Fazaa SE, Gharbi N (2006) Effect of subchronic exposure to malathion on glycogenphosphorylase and hexokinase activities in rat liver using native PAGE. Toxicology 223:9–14
Sanchez LS, Roman R, Duhalt RV (2012) Pesticide transformation by a variant of CYPBM3 with improved peroxygenase activity. Pesticide Biochem Physiol 102:169–174
Singh K, Singh KD (2000) Toxicity to the snail Limmaea acuminate of plant-derived molluscicides in combination with synergists. Pest Manag Sci 56:889–898
Singh S, Kumar V, Thakur S, Banerjee B, Chandna S, Pasha S, Jain S, Rai A (2011) DNA damage and cholinesterase activity in occupational workers exposed to pesticides. Environ Toxicol Pharmacol 31:278–285
Tahara M, Kubota R, Nakazava H, Tokunaga H, Nishimura T (2005) Use of cholinesterase activity as an indicator for the effects of combinations of organophosphorus pesticides in water from environmental sources. Water Res 39:5112–5118
Wolansky MJ, Harrill JA (2008) Neurobehavioral toxicity of pyrethroid insecticides in adult animals. Neurotoxicol Teratol 30:55–78
US EPA (2005) Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment. US EPA, Washington, DC
ATSDR (2004) Guidance manual for the assessment of joint toxic action of chemical mixtures. Division of Toxicology, Atlanta
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
About this paper
Cite this paper
Coman, G., Farcas, A., Matei, A.V., Florian, C. (2013). Pesticides Mechanisms of Action in Living Organisms. In: Simeonov, L., Macaev, F., Simeonova, B. (eds) Environmental Security Assessment and Management of Obsolete Pesticides in Southeast Europe. NATO Science for Peace and Security Series C: Environmental Security. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6461-3_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6461-3_16
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-6460-6
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-6461-3
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)