Editorial
Adverse health effects after low level exposure to organophosphates
Acute poisoning with organophosphate based pesticides is a notable cause of morbidity and mortality in the developing world, but much less common in the United Kingdom. However, the potential for frequent low level exposures to organophosphates exists for many occupational groups including agricultural workers, sheep dippers, and pesticide sprayers. Over the past decade an increasing number of people began to suspect that repeated low level exposure to organophosphate compounds was causing adverse effects on their health. The worst affected were sheep farmers who dipped their flocks in organophosphate based dips, although other circumstances of exposure were also implicated. A broad range of symptoms was associated with exposure but none of these were sufficiently specific to indicate a possible physiological or toxic mechanism. Few patients presented with robust clinical signs so that clinical investigation was difficult and a diagnostic marker was not identified.
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