USE, CONTAMINATION AND EXPOSURE OF PESTICIDES IN PAKISTAN: A REVIEW

Abstract

Pesticides contamination is a global environmental and public health concern due to their carcinogenic and highly toxic nature for all kind of living organisms including plants, animals and humans. Pakistan as an agriculture-based country, annually use a huge amount of organochlorine pesticides (OC) to control insect pests and different diseases of crops, resulting in environmental contaminations and their subsequent exposure to humans. Unfortunately, more than half million people are endured annually from OC pesticides and other agro-chemicals poisoning in Pakistan. However, recent data on the uses, contamination and exposure of pesticides in Pakistan are largely unavailable. This review summarizes the recent information and provides data on consumption and contamination of pesticides with a particular focus on their exposure to humans in Pakistan. Studies must be conducted to precisely determine the current use, contamination level and exposure of pesticides in Pakistan.