Agrochemical Use and Emerging Human and Animal Diseases

Abstract

In modern agriculture, the gap between food production and food consumption caused by the exponential increase in the global population is bridged with the use of agrochemicals. The chapter seeks to highlight the human and animal disease implications of agrochemical use. Fertilizers, soil conditioners, liming and acidifying agents, pesticides, antibiotics, and hormones are commonly used agrochemicals in crop and livestock farming. These agrochemicals are effective in controlling weeds, increasing agricultural productivity, and extending the shelf-life of farm produce but also have nontargeted negative effects on the environment, biodiversity, and human health. Human diseases such as cardio-neurotoxicity (Alzheimer, Parkinson, autism, etc.), endocrine disruption, liver and kidney damage, cancers (non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma), leukemia, brain tumors, different cancers, reproductive defects, diabetes, obesity, respiratory diseases, and different organ and system diseases in humans and animals have been connected to the abuse and misuse of agrochemicals. The need for the proper use of agrochemicals is a necessity to prevent known and emerging diseases caused by agrochemical applications. Emerging effects include pharmaceutical and chemical resistance in humans and animals while disease resistance has also been linked to agrochemical exposure. Farmers should be trained on best practices and appropriate methods of agrochemical application, utilization, and disposal. On the other hand, farmers and agricultural workers need to reduce their overdependence on agrochemicals for food production and preservation by seeking alternative methods of improving food production while maintaining human, animal, and environmental health.