It turns out this is the difference between acute and chronic toxicity tests on pesticide products: Pesticide manufacturers must know
Pesticides play an important role in agriculture because they can reduce the loss of agricultural products due to interfering pests, thereby improving the yield and quality of production.
However, the use of pesticides can lead to acute and chronic toxic effects on humans. Recently, the negative impact of pesticides on the environment and human health has been a problem. Usually, humans are exposed to pesticides directly at work and indirectly through environmental media such as air, water, soil, and food chains that may be contaminated with pesticides. The skin, mouth, and respiratory pathways are the main pathways for pesticides to enter the human body.
Although some efforts have been proposed to reduce the adverse impact of pesticides on the environment and human health, acute and chronic toxicity to humans from these substances remains a serious problem.
To find out, the pesticide needs to be tested before being distributed, with acute and chronic toxicity tests on its product.
Acute and Chronic Toxic Effects of Pesticides on Health
Acute toxic effects occur within minutes to hours of exposure to the pesticide. It affects the work of acetylcholine receptors in the muscles and central nervous system.
Several signs of acute toxicity to chemicals include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, and abdominal cramps. In addition, other effects include excessive tear discharge (lacrimation), uncontrolled urination (urinary incontinence), overproduction of mucus in the respiratory tract (bronchorea), a slow heartbeat (bradicardia), hypotension, and muscle paralysis.
The possibility of chronic toxic effects associated with exposure to pesticides is supported by the results of laboratory studies on animals. It has been documented that various chronic diseases and disorders occur after a person is exposed to the pesticide.
Chronic toxic effects that may occur include cancer, adverse effects on reproduction, male infertility, impaired immune function, and allergic sensitization reactions (Especially on the skin).
Most of the pesticides studied affect the male reproductive system, causing sperm damage and abnormal sperm morphology.
Acute and Chronic Toxicity Tests on Pesticides
Advances in science and technology have brought significant advances in the field of toxicity testing. Improving conventional methods through the application of state-of-the-art techniques is a matter of the day.
In the assessment of chemical toxicity, there is no doubt that the best test species for humans is humans themselves. Precise predictions of animal data directly for humans may not be guaranteed due to interspecies variations in anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry. However, for ethical reasons, the chemicals must be tested using animal models before being tested on humans.
Conventional acute and chronic toxicity tests involving the large-scale use of animals are now being replaced by alternative methods. These methods require fewer animals or other models that do not require animal use, such as in silico and in vitro approaches.
The selection of animals for toxicity testing depends on lifespan, behavior, availability, and overall cost. Mouse is recommended for oral and inhalation-acute studies. Rabbits are recommended to study eye and skin irritation as well as acute skin studies. Marmot is recommending skin sensitization tests.
Acute toxicity studies provide information on the potential health hazards that may arise from short-term exposure. The determination of acute toxicity through oral, skin, and inhalation is usually an initial step in evaluating the characteristics of a pesticide's toxins.
In every acute toxicity test, animals are exposed to the test material only once a day. The data obtained provides a basis for precautionary labeling and may influence the classification of pesticides for use restrictions.
The acute toxicity data also provides information used to determine the need for child-proof packaging, the requirements for protective clothing for the applicator, and the safe time interval for farm workers to return to the area that has been applied with the chemical.
Some parameters were studied in the toxicity test, namely death, observable effects on the skin or eyes, skin sensitization, and observable neurotoxic behavioral changes. In addition, microscopic examination of nerve tissue in acute neurotoxicity studies is also studied.
Unlike acute toxicity tests, the information obtained from chronic toxicity tests is used to assess potential hazards from prolonged and repeated exposure to pesticides over most of human life. The study usually lasts 12 to 24 months.
In addition, there are also long-term carcinogenicity studies that need to be carried out with the aim of observing abnormal tissue growth or changes that can develop into cancer in test animals after lifelong exposure at increased dose rates.
IML Research is a reliable provider of acute and chronic toxicity testing services!
IML Research is a company registered with the Ministry of Agriculture as a partner that can accompany acute and chronic toxicity tests of pesticide producers across Indonesia.
IML Research will support manufacturers, business owners, research and development staff, managers, regulatory administrators, etc. in the field of pesticides to obtain accurate and detailed test certification.
In addition to pesticides, there are many other products that we can test, such as medicines, cosmetics, repellents, and other products. For more information, please consult with us about testing your product without charge!
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REFERENCE
Erhirhie, E.O., Ihekwereme, C.P., & Emmanuel, E.I. (2018). Advances in Acute Toxicity Testing: Strengths, Weaknesses and Regulatory Acceptance. Interdiscip Toxicol, 11(1): 5-12. Doi: 10.2478/intox-2018-0001.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (1993). Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/2126.
Tudi, M., Li, H., Hongying, L., Li, W., Jia, L., Linsheng, Y., Shuangmei, T., Qiming, J.Y., Huada, D.R., Albert, A., Dung, T.P., Ross, S., & Des, C. (2022). Exposure Routes and Health Risks Associated with Pesticide Application. Toxics, 10(335): 1-23. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10060335.
