ABSTRACT

During earlier discussion about risk assessment it was explained that pesticides are subject to more rigorous testing procedures than are most other classes of industrial chemicals (Chapter 2). This is hardly surprising since they are, by definition, intended to express environmental toxicity in order to control pests, diseases, and weeds. Many of the pollutants described in this book are pesticides, and the present chapter will be devoted to a brief description of their history before dealing with their properties and design.