Pesticides ¹

Organochlorines.

These compounds are typically very persistent in the environment, and are known for accumulating in sediments, plants and animals. Organochlorines have a wide range of both acute and chronic health effects, including cancer, neurological damage, and birth defects. Many organochlorines are also suspected endocrine disruptors.

They break down slowly and can remain in the environment long after application. The most notorious organochlorine is the insecticide DDT (Dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane). It is now banned but was widely used in agricultural production and chemical warfare against mosquitoes and malaria.

Other commonly known organochlorines that have been banned in the U.S. include aldrin, dieldrin, toxaphene, chlordane and heptachlor. Others that remain in use include lindane, endosulfan, dicofol, methoxychlor and pentachlorophenol.

Some organochlorine pesticides are used on a wide array of crops. Endosulfan, for example, is still in widespread use in the U.S. to control pests in vegetables, fruits, cereal grains, and cotton, as well as ornamental shrubs, trees, vines, and ornamental plants. Internationally, its use in African cotton production is common, and it is applied to control pests on cashew plantations in India.

Lindane is another organochlorine with a range of uses. In the U.S., lindane has been used to protect crop seeds from insects, for pest control in forests, on livestock and household pets for control of ticks and other pests, and in homes to control ants and other household pests. It is also the active ingredient in many medicated shampoos and soaps to control head lice and scabies. Lindane is now restricted to seedcoating uses for a handful of grain crops, and continues to be used to control lice and scabies. Internationally, lindane is banned or severely restricted in 40 countries.

Health Effects

Organochlorines contribute to many acute and chronic illnesses. Symptoms of acute poisoning can include tremors, headache, dermal irritation, respiratory problems, dizziness, nausea, and seizures.

Organochlorines are also associated with many chronic diseases. Studies have found a correlation between organochlorine exposure and various types of cancer, neurological damage (several organochlorines are known neurotoxins), Parkinson's disease, birth defects, respiratory illness, and abnormal immune system function.

Many organochlorines are known or suspected hormone disruptors, and recent studies show that extremely low levels of exposure in the womb can cause irreversible damage to the reproductive and immune systems of the developing fetus.


1. Pesticide Action Network North America - http://www.panna.org