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Pesticides

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Textbook of Contact Dermatitis

Abstract

Most pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture for the control of pests, weeds or plant diseases. Some pesticides are used as vector control agents in public health programmes. Pesticides are also used in horticulture, forestry and livestock production. Herbicides, insecticides and fungicides are the major groups (Table 36.1). Most pesticides used are synthetic products, but some are of biological origin, such as plant extracts or micro-organisms. Many pesticides are potentially very hazardous to human health (Table 36.2) and to other organisms in the environment and they may cause damage to the ecosystem. Human exposure to pesticides is generally unintentional — dermal, oral or respiratory. Dermal exposure is often the major route by which acute and severe toxic effects are caused, foremost by skin absorption of cholinesterase-inhibiting insecticides (organophosphorus compounds). Contact dermatitis and other adverse skin effects are also important (Table 36.3). Intentional ingestion at suicide attempt is often fatal. Acute and chronic health effects of exposure to pesticides constitutes a large public health problem in developing countries [57].

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Authors
  1. Carola Lidén
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. St. John’s Institute of Dermatology, St. Thomas’s Hospital, SE1 7EH, London, UK

    Richard J. G. Rycroft

  2. Department of Dermatology, Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Niels Andersens Vej 65, 2900, Hellerup, Denmark

    Torkil Menné

  3. Hautklinik der Städtischen Kliniken Dortmund, Abteilung Dermatologie, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Beurhausstraße 40, 44137, Dortmund, Germany

    Peter J. Frosch

  4. Clinique Dermatologique Laboratoire de Dermatochimie, Univ. Louis Pasteur, 1 Place de L’Hôpital, 67091, Strasbourg, France

    Jean-Pierre Lepoittevin

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© 2001 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Lidén, C. (2001). Pesticides. In: Rycroft, R.J.G., Menné, T., Frosch, P.J., Lepoittevin, JP. (eds) Textbook of Contact Dermatitis. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-10302-9_36

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-10302-9_36

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-662-10304-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-10302-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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