Historical Perspective of Pesticide Poisoning in Japan and Measures Taken by the Japanese Association of Rural Medicine

Abstract

The use of pesticides has rapidly increased in Japan since the end of World War II, significantly reducing work burdens and boosting food production. In the meantime, pesticides, responsible for poisoning and environmental pollution, have for many years posed grave issues that have had to be tackled by scientists of rural medicine for a long period. The Japanese Association of Rural Medicine, founded by the late Toshikazu Wakatsuki, has grappled with those issues for many years. Above all, the association has fulfilled its social obligations, such as by bringing the toxicity of organic mercury to light in animal tests to prompt the government to prohibit its use, and by casting light on birth defects caused by defoliants aerially sprayed during the Vietnam War to urge U.S. military forces to break off herbicide warfare. As it has become possible to make less toxic pesticides available for farm work in recent years, death-inducing accidents have seldom occurred during the spraying of pesticides, and the association’s activities are now at a low ebb. Now that pesticides, which after all are biologically toxic compounds, are openly used on farms, there is the need to pay constant attention to their impacts on the human body and the environment. In the future, it is necessary to epidemiologically probe into chronic impacts on the human body and contribute to the prevention of pesticide poisoning in Southeast Asia.

Fatal Poisoning with Both Dichlorvos and Phenthoate,

“…KEYWORDS: forensic science, forensic toxicology, organophosphate, dichlorvos, phenthoate, cholinesterase activity, carboxylesterase Organophosphates, such as dichlorvos and phenthoate, are commonly used as pesticides worldwide (1)(2)(3)(4)(5), but these compounds also have toxic effects in humans (2,6,7). Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by organophosphates causes accumulation of acetylcholine at the cholinergic synapses, which leads to overstimulation of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors, which in turn induces headache, dizziness, malaise, nausea, miosis, and muscle weakness (2,6,(8)(9)(10). As organophosphates became commercially available as agricultural insecticides (1)(2)(3)(4), poisoning with organophosphates in humans has sometimes occurred through accidental exposure via the skin and airways during agricultural work (8,9).…”

“…Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by organophosphates causes accumulation of acetylcholine at the cholinergic synapses, which leads to overstimulation of muscarinic and nicotinic receptors, which in turn induces headache, dizziness, malaise, nausea, miosis, and muscle weakness (2,6,(8)(9)(10). As organophosphates became commercially available as agricultural insecticides (1)(2)(3)(4), poisoning with organophosphates in humans has sometimes occurred through accidental exposure via the skin and airways during agricultural work (8,9). Additionally, acute poisoning due to organophosphates can occur through self-ingestion (8,(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16).…”

Analysis of Trends of the Types of Pesticide Used, Residues and Related Factors among Farmers in the Largest Vegetable Producing Area in the Philippines

“…Organophosphate has been the causative chemical agent of many of the reported pesticide related illnesses in the US 14 ) . In countries such as India and Nicaragua, organophosphates are easily accessible and, therefore, source of both intentional and unintentional poisonings 15 ) . In China, it was found that the milled rice from the local market had pesticide residue of organophosphates 16 ) .…”

Trends of Pesticide Exposure and Related Cases in the Philippines

“…Approximately 30% of these were due to accidental poisoning 16 ) . Moreover, farm-work related diseases such as dermal and allergic disorders were noted 17 ) .…”

“…From 2000 to 2001 data gathered through the epidemiologic study of NPCIS revealed a total of 328 pesticide poisoning cases admitted from a total of 789 poisoning cases in 34 hospitals 8 ) . Moreover, Dioquino reported a total of 273 cases of poisoning and 16 deaths over the year 17 ) . Majority were due to severe cases of organophosphate or organochlorine poisoning.…”