Toxicology and Pesticide Chemistry

Pesticides are used to control pests, such as insects, weeds, and rodents, which negatively affect and sometimes ruin agriculture production. Pesticides types improved with the development of synthetic chemistry in the 1950’s century, and as the demand for food production increased, so did pesticide use. With little understanding of environmental impact or health risks, pesticide use continued for years without regulation. In the last decades, research of these implications has led to the restriction and banning of many pesticides. Nowadays, regulatory agencies such as the FDA and EC establish the maximum limit of pesticide residue on produce that’s considered safe for human consumption. The growth in the demand of organic food demonstrates society’s increasing awareness of health risks associated with pesticide consumption. Pest management strategies have advanced significantly, scientists develop safer and more targeted methods to replace broad-spectrum pesticides that had long-lasting and harmful environmental impact. Toxicology and Pesticide Chemistry explains the major chemical aspects of the most widely used pesticides, as well as those banned and newly developed. The types are grouped by target species: insecticides, acaricides, nematocides, rodenticides, fungicides and herbicides. The organic syntheses are explained, as are the biochemical mechanism of action and their effectiveness. The toxicity effects are discussed in detail. This book is referenced with a wide selection of published studies, and is aimed at professionals in agriculture and regulatory bodies and researchers in the field of pesticides, food and agricultural sciences.