Occupational cancer risks for pesticide workers

Abstract

There has been concern in recent years about the cancerogenic potential of pesticidal residues in food. Since pesticide workers receive much higher exposure to such chemicals at the work level, an assessment of the range of materials with cancerogenic potential has been made by a review of the literature. One hundred and seventy-five papers bearing on the subject were found. Their review has disclosed that many pesticidal chemicals possess at least low levels of cancerogenic activity for laboratory species. The review has demonstrated the major effect of spontaneous tumor incidence when chemicals of low cancer producing potential are being evaluated. It has also been established that some carriers and vehicles of pesticidal chemicals are cancerogenic or co-cancerogenic in man. There is some evidence of synergistic action between ingredients of particular preparations but no indication of additive cancerogenic potential among the various pesticides studied.