Pesticide Toxicology

Pesticide Definition (US EPA)

Any substance or mixture intended for preventing, destroying, repelling, or mitigating pests, or use as a plant regulator, defoliant, or desiccant.

FIFRA

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; US EPA law regulating pesticide registration, labeling, and use.

FQPA (Food Quality and Protection Act)

Requires US EPA to assess pesticide risks to children and account for cumulative effects of compounds sharing the same toxicity mechanism.

Organochlorine Insecticides (e.g., DDT)

Target sodium channels by prolongs their opening, causing persistent tremors, seizures, and environmental issues like bird eggshell thinning.

Organophosphorus Insecticide Mechanism

Inhibits acetylcholinesterase (AChE), causing acetylcholine buildup and chronic stimulation of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors.

Antidotes for OP Poisoning

Atropine (acts as an acetylcholine receptor antagonist) and Pralidoxime / 2-PAM (restores AChE enzyme function).

Rotenone

Botanical insecticide that inhibits mitochondrial respiration and has been linked to Parkinson's disease-like symptoms.

Neonicotinoids

Insecticides that bind to nAChRs; highly toxic to insects and implicated in the collapse of honeybee populations.

Paraquat Toxicity Mechanism

Acts as a lung toxicant by undergoing redox cycling, forming reactive oxygen species and leading to lipid peroxidation and tissue damage.

Chlorophenoxy Herbicides (e.g., 2,4-D)

Systemic herbicides; formulations like Agent Orange were historically contaminated with toxic dioxins.

Fumigants

Gaseous, non-selective, and cytotoxic agents used for soil and pest control, carrying high risks of asphyxiation and carcinogenicity.

Household Disinfectants as Pesticides

Cleaning products with sanitizing or disinfecting claims that destroy or irreversibly inactivate bacteria, fungi, and viruses, regulated by the US EPA.

Endocrine Disruptor Definition

An exogenous substance or mixture that alters hormone functions by mimicking or blocking endogenous hormones.

Vinclozolin

Fungicide and anti-androgen EDC that causes heritable reduced sperm count and reproductive defects across generations via epigenetic mechanisms.

Triclosan

Widely used antimicrobial agent regulated as a pesticide; linked to thyroid hormone signaling disruption and reproductive toxicity.

DBCP (Dibromochloropropane)

Fumigant EDC that caused high rates of infertility and low testosterone levels in male manufacturing and agricultural workers.