According to the WHO, an estimated 3 million people experience pesticide poisoning globally each year; with more than 250,000 deaths annually resulting from pesticide poisoning. Ninety-nine percent of fatal pesticide poisoning occurs in developing countries.
The health problem with pesticide poisoning in the developing world is heavily linked to the agriculture profile in the respective countries.
Pesticide drift results from the movement of chemicals through the air after their initial application to particular region. The largest pesticide poisoning occurred in 1985. It involved the use of aldicarb, an extremely toxic pesticide, and its illegal use on watermelons.
More than 1000 people in the western United States and Canada were struck. Illness ranged from mild gastrointestinal upset to severe poisoning that included vomiting, diarrhea, blurred vision, tremors, convulsion and nerve damage.
Pesticide poisoning
