Insecticides are chemicals engineered to kill bugs and insects. Insecticide poisoning occurs when these chemicals initially intended to control insects end up affecting non-targeted organisms. Most insecticides cause poisoning through ingestion, inhalation, or similar skin absorption after exposure. The fact that insecticides are deadly to insects makes them similarly poisonous and risky to humans. Studies have proven that most severe insecticide poisoning is associated with carbamate as well as organophosphate which are used in suicide attempts or accidental exposure (Britt, 2015). The aim of this research paper is to develop a case study of exposure to insecticides among children. The case study is that of a five-year-old child who was excessively exposed to organophosphate in the state of California. The child ingested the insecticide that was initially stored in a beverage container and left within the child’s reach. While playing with the container, the child contaminated their hands with the poisonous chemicals. She then ingested the chemicals in food hand-to-mouth, typical behavior in the early development stages of childhood. The child was supposedly playing in the garage where garden chemicals were mainly kept and were without supervision yet there were unattended empty insecticide containers. On the examination of the child exposed, she complained of headache, general body weakness but most of all consistent throat irritation, and last but not least abdominal crumpling. In general, it was stated that the digestive system was the most affected despite other secondary attacks by the poisoning. According to Roberts, James, and Williams (2015), the effects of pesticide exposure can be categorized into acute effects which develop immediately or within the first 24 hours of exposure, and chronic effects which include the reproductive, developmental as well as systematic effect which are effects that tend to persist for a longer period of time. The acute effects experienced by the children as a result of organophosphate poisoning include abdominal upsets and pain, headaches, dizziness, vomiting as well as nausea. For the chronic effects, practitioners have concluded that children exposed to such poisoning are likely to develop allergies upon exposure to less harmful chemical products such as colognes, kidney failure, and lung as well as liver failure. However, if the children were older, as adults, the acute effects would be slight headaches, slight breathing difficulties, and eye tearing (Britt, 2015). On the other hand, the chronic effects include heart problems, and breast and prostate cancer among a few other terminal infections. To curb insecticide and pesticide poisoning in the future, prevention measures have been put in place to ensure a secure environment for both children and adults. These measures include; storing the insecticides out of reach of children in locked cabinets as this minimizes the carelessness that leads to accidents. Also, safety precautions attached to the insecticide should be considered in terms of handling and first aid measures in case of an accident. Empty insecticide containers should be properly disposed of while those that are still in use should remain tightly closed and properly wrapped. In conclusion, reports indicate that over 30% of childhood diseases are associated with environmental factors to which insecticides are the major contributors. Despite the efforts of government training and measures put in place to ensure a secure environment for kids, it is still unfortunate that such cases are still reported to date. It is therefore upon each to assess the cost of prevention and the cost of treatment to make an educated choice.
References
Britt, J. (2015). Properties and effects of pesticides. Principles of toxicology: environmental and industrial applications , 309-324.
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Roberts, S. M., James, R. C., & Williams, P. L. (2015) Principles of toxicology: Environmental and industrial applications (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Teaf, C., Garber, M. M., & Kuperberg, J. M. (2015). Properties and effects of solvents and solvent-like chemicals. Principles of Toxicology: Environmental and Industrial Applications , 325-336.
