Chapter 23 – Insecticides

Insecticides are of chemical and biological origins, and are used in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, gardens, homes, and offices. They are also used to control vectors, such as mosquitoes and ticks, that are involved in spreading human and animal diseases. Insecticides constitute a large number of chemical classes and exert toxicity in insects and nontarget mammalian (including humans) and avian species through different mechanisms of action. In nontarget species, insecticides can produce anything from minor pain to severe paralysis and death. The insecticides can bind to different enzymes, receptors, and other proteins, and the binding sites and adducts, along with residue of insecticides and their metabolites, can be used as biomarkers of exposure and effects. Detection of an early exposure to the insecticides will not only help in avoiding any further exposure to the insecticides, but will also provide the opportunity for a timely treatment.