Neonicotinoid Exposure: A Growing Concern for Human Health

Neonicotinoids are neuroactive chemicals that are popularly used to control pest populations. Despite their beneficial implications in pest control, neonicotinoid pesticides pose serious health threats to human beings. Studies have revealed persistent traces of neonicotinoid chemicals in human samples such as skin tissue, urine, breast milk, saliva, blood, and tooth samples. In humans, half-lives of some neonicotinoids like N-desmethyl-acetamiprid, clothianidin, imidacloprid, and dinotefuran range from 0.17 to 1.45 days. Human communities residing near active agricultural lands are more prone to unintentional neonicotinoid exposure. Notably, neonicotinoid contents are higher in Asian populations than in Europe and the U.S. This could be due to variations in the consumption of neonicotinoid-contaminated food and insecticide application across the region. Certain epidemiological investigations have revealed that exposure to neonicotinoid substances can fuel severe health hazards, including neurological, immunological, metabolic, and metastatic ailments. Such adverse impacts are suggested to be triggered by neonicotinoid-mediated disruption of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and induction of oxidative stress. However, large-scale epidemiological studies involving molecular-level analyses are critically needed to better understand the adverse outcomes of neonicotinoid exposure in humans. In this chapter, we have discussed the route of neonicotinoid exposure and subsequent adverse impacts on humans. In addition, the underlying molecular-level alterations induced by neonicotinoids have also been delineated.