Review on Effects of Organophosphate Pesticides in Human Health and Way to Mitigates its Harmful Impacts

Abstract

Due to increasing the human population day by day, for the control of the human population, needs to increase the agricultural productivity, for agricultural production is increasing we use pesticide. Pesticides not only kill the target pest species also affect non-target organisms. Pesticide pollution has become a significant problem all over the world. This is mainly due to the abuse and overuse of pesticides which remain in the soil for several years and leach into water bodies. Pesticides are chemical (synthetic or semi-synthetic) agents that control and destroy pest population. Organophosphate pesticides are major bulk that includes malathion, parathion, diazinon, fenthion, chlordecone, Imidacloprid, dichlorvos, chlorpyrifos, ethion, nerve gases (soman, sarin, tabun, VX), ophthalmic agents (echothiophate, isoflurophate), and antihelmintics (trichlorfon). Herbicides (tribufos or DEF, merphos) are tricresyl phosphate etc. Though various pesticides were banned due to its harmful impacts on human health and environment, but still some has been used in paddy fields, greenhouse culture, horticulture and even hydroponics. They persistent in nature (bio-accumulation and bio-magnification by the food chain, especially through pieces) and cause acute or chronic toxicity. They contain very noxious components that harm our neuronal system by cholinergic effects. Pesticide also has an unfavorable effect on aquatic organisms such as ataxia causing late maturation in fish. Various physical and chemical methods are used for the reduction the toxicity of pesticides, physically and chemically pesticide reduction process is costly and hazardous. One good strategy is applied for the remediation of pesticides is bioremediation, i.e- use of various modified strain of agricultural microbes especially bacteria.