Published by the World Health Organization in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme.

Assesses the scope and severity of risks to human health caused by exposure to agricultural pesticides. Drawing upon data collected by WHO and the United Nations Environmental Programme, the book aims to provide a framework for understanding the magnitude of pesticide-associated health problems, identifying groups at special risk, knowing which compounds pose special problems, and finding safer alternatives. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the need to balance alarm about the hazards of pesticides with a sound understanding of precise risks and the best ways to prevent them. Although the book takes a global approach, particular attention is given to the special problems of pesticide safety in developing countries. Effects on human health are evaluated in separate chapters devoted to experimental and clinical evidence of toxicity and epidemiological evidence of short- and long-term effects. The book concludes that cases of acute poisoning, including suicide attempts, mass poisoning from contaminated food, chemical accidents in industry, and occupational exposure in agriculture, constitute the most serious health hazard associated with pesticides used for agricultural purposes. Some fifteen pesticides, known to pose severe threats to human health or the environment, are singled out for priority attention in future studies. Other chapters identify sources and indicators of human exposure and define populations at special risk.

eng fre rus spa.

vie.

WHODOC

WHO monograph

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