Biomonitoring and emerging health issues from chronic pesticide exposure: Innovative methodologies and effects on molecular cell and tissue level

Pesticides have an impact on human health after exposure to very low doses from environmental origin or food supply, and the adverse health effects of mixtures of pesticides is still not known. Additive effects are possible with some pesticides; however, not all mixtures of similar pesticides produce additive effects. There is growing evidence that exposure to mixtures of different classes of pesticides may also elicit synergistic toxicity. A great number of health problems are already associated with low level occupational pesticide exposure. Differences from pesticide exposure and related with this exposure health issues in Europe and in developing countries will also be evaluated. Biomarkers of exposure, of effect and of susceptibility will be discussed in the frame of symptoms, clinical findings and diseases. Innovative markers on molecular, cell and tissue level will be presented. Findings from an ongoing cross-sectional study on pregnant women and the neonates with documented prenatal pesticide low level chronic exposure will be reported in details. Studies of the impact of pesticides on fetus development and pregnancy outcome resulted to contradictory conclusions. Measurements of organophosphate metabolite levels in amniotic fluid and urine of pregnant women who undergone an amniocentesis for a variety of indications at the gestational age resulted in increased levels of DEDTP in cases when pre-terms infants and altered somatometric parameters of the neonate were observed