From Military Nerve Gas to Agricultural Pesticide: What a Great Idea…

Organophosphate chemicals were developed in the 1930’s during military chemical warfare research. The infamous Sarin nerve gas is very similar in structure and toxicity to some of today’s widely used pesticides. After the end of World War II, the Marshall Plan channeled these and other military chemicals into the newly developing market of industrial agriculture.
Organophosphate Pesticides (OP’s) became more popular in industrial agricultural when toxic organochloride pesticides like DDT fell out of favor. Researchers felt OP’s would be a safer alternative because they do not persist in the environment as organochloride pesticides do. OP breakdown readily when exposed to sunlight and air, but for those farm families and animals that come in direct contact with them, OP’s pose a serious risk.


OP’s contain an ester of phosphoric acid similar in structure to the phosphate groups of RNA and DNA. Part of what makes organophosphates so effective in chemical warfare is their interference with acetylcholinesterase. This important enzyme breaks down acetylcholine in the synaptic cleft and the postsynaptic neuron or muscle cell once a signal has been received. If acetylcholinesterase cannot do its job properly, acetylcholine builds up, causing persistent overstimulation of the nerves that eventually renders the neural pathway dysfunctional.

Acetylcholine is especially important for neural development in utero, as it is involved with brain cell mitosis, differentiation, and migration. OP exposure disrupts these crucial processes and has been proven to cause developmental disabilities in humans and animals.

Interestingly, some of us are genetically predisposed to more serious implications from OP exposure. According to the 2001 report, “In Harm’s Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development”,

“About 4% of the population carries a gene that produces a poorly functioning form of acetylcholinesterase. This greatly increases an individual’s vulnerability to cholinesterase inhibition by OP’s, since the diminished reservoir of functioning enzyme is more easily overwhelmed by OP’s.” (IHWp54 )

The report goes on to say that individuals who carry a gene that limits the functioning of the enzyme paraoxonase are also more vulnerable, as this enzyme works to detoxify OP’s from the body. Factors such as “age, body weight, height, gender, pregnancy, and liver disease” (IHWp54) have also been shown to effect an individual’s level of acetylcholinesterase.
We knew it was poisonous to our “enemies” so we started putting it on our food.

Sources:
Schettler, Stein, Reich, and Valenti. “In Harm’s Way: Toxic Threats to Child Development.” Greater Boston Physicians for Social Responsibility. Cambridge, MA 2001.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organophosphate
“Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture” Andrew Kimbrell, editor. Foundation for Deep Ecology. Sausalito, CA, 2002.