What pesticides are highly toxic nerve agents?

Organophosphate Nerve Agents [e.g. Sarin (GB), Soman (GD), Tabun (GA), VX] are rapidly acting and highly toxic. Organophosphate-based pesticides exhibit the same physiological reaction and are considered extremely poisonous.

What are organophosphate nerve agents?

Nerve agents are chemical warfare agents that have the same mechanism of action as OP organophosphate pesticides insecticides. They are potent inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase . Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase leads , thereby leading to an accumulation of acetylcholine in the central and peripheral nervous system.

What are the examples of organophosphate insecticides?

Examples of organophosphates include the following:

• Insecticides – Malathion, parathion, diazinon, fenthion, dichlorvos, chlorpyrifos, ethion.
• Nerve gases – Soman, sarin, tabun, VX.
• Ophthalmic agents – Echothiophate, isoflurophate.
• Antihelmintics – Trichlorfon.
• Herbicides – Tribufos (DEF), merphos.

What products have organophosphates?

Many household products can contain organophosphates. Last week we identified a number of them: the fly killers Vapona and Kontrol; a flea killer, Nuvan Top; a garden pesticide liquid, Malathion; the Bob Martin flea collar and headlice treatments, Prioderm and Derbac M Liquid.

What are organophosphate pesticides?

Organophosphates are a group of human-made chemicals that poison insects and mammals. Organophosphate insecticides (such as diazinon) are one type of pesticide that works by damaging an enzyme in the body called acetylcholinesterase. This enzyme is critical for controlling nerve signals in the body.

Is sarin an organophosphate?

They are similar to certain kinds of insecticides (insect killers) called organophosphates in terms of how they work and what kind of harmful effects they cause. However, nerve agents are much more potent than organophosphate pesticides. Sarin originally was developed in 1938 in Germany as a pesticide.

Are pesticides nerve agents?

What are nerve agents? Nerve agents are man-made chemical substances that could be used in wars. Many of these chemicals affect the nervous system and are therefore called nerve agents. Nerve agents are similar to certain insect killers (pesticides) in how they work and the kinds of harmful things they do to the body.

Is Agent Orange an organophosphate?

A handful of these compounds are so dangerous that some organophosphates were further developed before and during World War II into chemical warfare agents. One such compound, Agent Orange, was an equal combination of two herbicides and was used as a defoliant during operations conducted in the Vietnam War era.

Is atropine an organophosphate?

In those who have organophosphate poisoning the primary treatments are atropine, oximes such as pralidoxime, and diazepam….

Is roundup an organophosphate?

Glyphosate, an active ingredient in Roundup® branded herbicides, is periodically referred to as an organophosphate. It has become customary to generically refer to any organic compound containing phosphorous as an “organophosphate”.

Is VX a nerve agent?

VX is a human-made chemical warfare agent classified as a nerve agent. Nerve agents are the most toxic and rapidly acting of the known chemical warfare agents.

How are nerve agents and organophosphate pesticides alike?

The purpose of this document is to enable health care workers and public health officials to recognize an unknown or suspected exposure to a nerve agent or an organophosphate (OP) pesticide. Nerve agents are chemical warfare agents that have the same mechanism of action as OP organophosphate pesticides insecticides.

Can a person be exposed to a nerve agent?

For example, inhalation of a nerve agent or an OP pesticide leads to a quicker onset of poisoning with more severe symptoms when compared to with dermal exposure s, given the same amount of agent. The following is a more comprehensive list of signs and symptoms that may be encountered in a person exposed to a nerve agent or OP pesticide.

What are the symptoms of organophosphate nerve agent poisoning?

Bronchorrhea (excessive bronchial secretions) Hyperpnea (increased respiratory rate/depth) – early (increased respiratory rate/depth) Bradypnea (decreased respiratory rate) – late (decreased respiratory rate) Tachycardia (increased heart rate) – early (increased heart rate) Hypertension (high blood pressure) – early (high blood pressure)

How is cholinesterase activity related to nerve agent exposure?

Cholinesterase activity correlates poorly with severity of local effects after vapor exposures. Plasma or RBC cholinesterase may be disproportionately inhibited depending on the particular nerve agent, amount of exposure and time interval since exposure.