Unit 1. Pesticides. Toxic Effects on Human Body.

This presentation will acquaint you with the definition of the toxicity effects of pesticides on the human body. We begin with the general description of pesticides, and to answer the main question, why pesticides are regarded as one of the main environmental pollutants. The basic reason is the very limited level of target selectivity, which allows for not more than 5% of the pesticides, dispersed in the environment, to reach target organisms. Presented is the definition and explanation of human health and the general definitions for toxic substances. Defined is the term exposure to a pesticide pollutant, which is the presence of a certain concentration of pollutant material in the air, water or soil, to which a living organism is exposed. Presented are graphically the pesticide pathways in the environmental media and the sources and pathways of human exposure to pesticides.