Exposure Assessment (Other (Not Listed) Sample)

Exposure Assessment/Quantifying Task Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Exposure Assessment/Quantifying Task This paper aims to analyze, evaluate and perform the exposure assessment for pesticides and their impact on human health. Pesticides are the outcome of modern agricultural practice, and they are routinely used to kill insects that are harmful to crops. While pesticides can be useful for saving crops from insects, they can be potentially hazardous to humans in both the short and long term, and they should be used very carefully. This paper assesses different risks related to them, carries out exposure assessment and risk characterization, and subsequently provides recommendations. The exposure assessment section will discuss how people can be exposed, the risk characterization section will discuss the overall nature of the evidence about the chosen risk, and the recommendation section will discuss the need for policies and actions to minimize the risks. Exposure Assessment This section details how people are exposed to pesticide-related risks. Pesticides are used in the agricultural process and can be sprayed on the crops with different instruments. The purpose is to kill the harmful insects to the crops. However, this process has potentially adverse unwanted effects on humans and the surrounding life. Pesticide exposure is known to cause various health problems, such as respiratory disorders and neurological and reproductive problems. The most vulnerable population includes the farmers, the labourers in the farms where pesticides are used, and the humans living near the farms and consuming the affected products. They include the high-risk population, particularly children, pregnant women, people with pre-existing medical conditions, and those directly involved in farming. Acute poisoning can take place if a large quantity of the insecticides are inhaled or ingested. There is a need to provide immediate medical care for acute poisoning to avoid fatal consequences (Kafle et al., 2021). The poisonous effects occur when the organophosphates contact humans through inhalation and skin contact. Acute poisoning can be life-threatening, and there is a need to seek rapid medical support to save lives. Pesticides can cause a range of neurological disorders. They can cause memory problems and ADHD, as well as autism spectrum disorders (Ghasemnejad-Berenji et al., 2021). If there is pesticide exposure to children and pregnant women, this is likely to have an effect on development, whose impact can take place for a very long time. Pesticide exposure is highly likely to cause respiratory disorders as it makes contact through inhalation. Such exposure can particularly be hazardous to the population that has direct contact with farming, such as agricultural workers, and they are more likely to develop respiratory problems in the short and long term (Tarar et al. 2019). Furthermore, pesticides can affect the reproductive system and cause hormonal changes. The body may not know how to respond to the chemicals, and it can start adverse reactions that can disturb the overall equilibrium of vital functions. The reproductive adverse effects can include birth defects, malformation, and hormonal imbalance. Risk Characterization The adverse effects of pesticides are well-established, and numerous studies have been conducted on this topic. The findings of Tarar et al. (2019) explore the reproductive adverse effects, the findings of Ghasemnejad-Berenji et al. (2021) explore the neurological disorders, and the findings of Kafle et al. (2021) discuss the effects of acute poisoning. The evidence is present on the adverse effects of pesticides, including a range of scientific research studies that have explored the adverse effects. Evidence-based practice is essential in the healthcare and scientific discipline, and a practice or risk not supported by solid evidence cannot be regarded as a real risk. To prove the evidence, there needs to occur substantial empirical and experimental studies that determine, identify, and explore the possible aspects related to a given phenomenon. There is enough evidence on the issue of pesticides, and it also appears logical that pesticides can be quite harmful to life as their aim is to kill. However, not all the products designed to kill insects can cause potential damage to humans, yet they carry a harmful effect, if not fatal. The pesticides are supposed to be sprayed on the crops under the guidelines, and it is alleged that they are safe if appropriate practices are adopted. If the crops are sprayed on the crops of vegetables, the vegetables can be washed properly. However, the risk can prevail if they are not administered properly. There is a need to carry out research that adopts safer pesticide practices and makes them friendlier to humans. For this, there is a need to identify chemicals that can deter the insects from going near crops, thus saving the crops from insects. Developing and regulating the protocols with which the existing risk can be minimized is necessary. Farmers face continuous and lasting effects of pesticides as they make regular contact with insecticides with the propensity for accidental exposure (Curl et al., 2020). If children are exposed to pesticides, it can cause neurodevelopmental issues that may affect the developmental stages of children, and they may have abnormal development (Buralli et al., 2020). Additionally, pregnant women are at a higher risk of adverse effects, particularly to the unborn child, which can lead to short-term and long-term health issues such as birth anomalies, cognitive impairment, and developmental issues (Vargal et al., 2022). The effects can be potentially damaging for the population that already has a medical condition (Kalyabina et al., 2021). The longitudinal studies that measure the long-term effects can particularly be intimating in understanding and knowing the effects that may not appear instantaneously. There is a need to adopt policies, regulations, and procedures that minimize the risks and effects associated with pesticides. Recommendation for Remediation Several steps can be taken to reduce the adverse effects of pesticides, and there is a need to adopt a systematic approach. The systematic approach involves the regulatory, procedural, and policy measures that aim to reduce the exposure and effect of the pesticide that may lead to undesired and unwanted adverse effects (Tarar et al., 2019). The first step is compliance with the regulatory standards. Scientific studies have identified which chemicals are safe for humans and which are harmful. The countries' governments and states have issued various guidelines for the farmers and those in contact with the farming process. Adopting these procedures can help in avoiding the common pitfalls. The laws and regulations can be introduced to ensure that only certified individuals spray the pesticides. Pesticides are the products for which a nonprofessional attitude can be dangerous, and there is a need to provide education and specialized training to those who specialize in administering pesticides. Such a provision can be implemented by assuring only certified individuals spray the pesticide. The certified individual can take the protective equipment such as masks and body suits that will minimize the contact. A good idea to reduce the adverse effects of the pesticide is to look for low to moderate-intensity pesticides. The pesticides should not be too intense so that they start posing risks to humans, but they should only be harmful to insects. The overall toxicity of the pesticides can be adjusted accordingly, and their concentration and intensity can be diluted (Buralli et al., 2020). There is also a need to implement the requirement for documentation. The farms should maintain a record of pesticides, their quantity, type, and the certified professionals who administered them. It will help in assuring compliance with the standards. There is a need to ca...