Ecotoxicological effects of Methyl parathion on living things and environment

Abstract

Methyl parathion; is an insecticide which is commonly used in our country in the aim of agriculture and it is known that some environmental problems arise due to the chronical usage of this pesticide. For this reason, it is very important to raise the awareness the public in terms of the risk factors because of the usage of methyl parathion. The researches showed that methyl parathion inhibits cholinesterase enzyme in the human brains, cause genotoxic effect in mammalian somatic cells in culture medium and increase the anormalities in chromosomal structure. It was determined that this insecticide causes a decrease in the body weights of experimental animals and an increase in the weight of liver, cellular damages in the livers, various neurological problems by affecting reproduction, nervous and cardiovascular systems. Since methyl parathion causes the formation of a toxic medium for human beings, birds, fresh water fish, other hydrophilous organisms as well as sea organisms by mixing to air, soil and water, it is well known that the usage of methyl parathion as an insecticide is a threatening factor for the ecosystem. The usage of methyl parathion has been forbidden in EU (European Union) countries since 2003 and some restrictions have been applied in United States of America. There is no limiting or forbidding enforcement related with the usage of methyl parathion which is in the 3rd order among commonly used pesticides in our country. To bring new arrangements for the usage of methyl parathion which constitutes various risk factors in terms of ecological factors may minimize the ecotoxicological effects of this pesticide. Key words: Methyl parathion, insecticide, ecotoxicological effect.