Evidence of the Toxic Potentials of Agrochemicals on Human Health and Biodiversity: Carcinogens and Mutagens

The global population has increased to 7.9 billion in 2022 from 2.5 billion in 1950 creating a need for increased and sustained agricultural output to cater to heightening food demands. However, more hands are withdrawn from tilling the soil to pursuing white-collar jobs in the urban centers, creating a massive migration crisis to urban centers. On the other hand, the area of farmlands is being reduced owing to impacts of climate change, such as flooding, desertification, and vice of bush burnings. These necessitate the application of technological farming techniques, such as agrochemicals, to engage fewer hands and reduce farmlands to produce more foods to feed the global population. These chemicals come with both acute and chronic environmental and human hazards. This studies summarize recent literature on reported toxicities of commonly applied agrochemicals, their mode of application, half-lives, mechanism of action, and observable but nontargeted impacts on the environment. The extinction of some biodiversity directly linked to the application of agrochemicals has been highlighted, stressing the molecular mechanisms underlying such organismic responses. This chapter concludes with suggestions to improve food production while upholding sustainable environmental practices to ensure environmental health and preserve biodiversity.