ABSTRACT
Chemical pesticides are by their very nature poisonous. The chemicals cited as responsible for causing such disablements are tributylin oxide (TBTO), pentachlorophenol (PCP), and lindane. Chemicals like DDT and dieldrin are known to possess lipophilic characteristics, meaning that they dissolve in fat more readily than water, and as such they are prone to be stored as residues in human tissue. The impact upon humans of pesticides was also considered by such groups, but this did not become the predominant pesticide issue until the effects of Operation Ranch Hand on Vietnamese citizens began to be seen in the late sixties. The Catholic Church became involved in the issue, when some women contaminated by the poison flouted Italian law and had abortions performed. The work of the WHO on the safety aspects of pesticides has been channelled through the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS). The epistemic community, centred on the WHO, has attained a widely respected position within the issue system.
