Social Control of Pesticides — Some Health Effects

Abstract

Proliferating pest problems, sharply rising pest control costs, increasing environmental pollution, rising rates of injury and death due to pesticide poisoning, and burgeoning pesticide‐related legal entanglements leave little doubt in the minds of most citizens that a crisis in chemical pest control exists. The underlying cause of today's pesticide dilemma lies in the lack of ecological consideration given the synthesis, experimental development, registration and utilisation of newly developed synthetic pesticides. The production of synthetic organic pesticides increased from an estimated 464,000 pounds in 1951 to approximately 1.4 billion pounds in 1980. Increases in production were followed by the recognition that such increased use of synthetic chemicals would be accompanied by extensive human and environmental impact. With the rapid increase in the use of pesticides, there has been a corresponding increase in public attention and public concern about this impact on human health.

Citation

Owens, E.W. (1986), "Social Control of Pesticides — Some Health Effects", International Journal of Social Economics, Vol. 13 No. 1/2, pp. 93-97. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb014008