Organic Phosphates were originally created during World War II in Germany as nerve gas by a Chemist named Gerhard Schrader. Today, they are used as pesticide because they effectively attack the nervous system of pest and insects. The organic phosphates at today’s concentration have little effect on humans but multiple exposures can destroy the enzymes that protect us from the organic phosphates. Organic phosphates have become a problem in the United States because of increased exposure due to overuse of the organic phosphate as pesticides. Although the cases are relatively small in number, the effects of them are traumatic.
The change of using organic phosphates to nerve gas to Malathion has created a deadlier combination of organic phosphates and overrides human protection systems. Overexposure to organic phosphates can build up over time since they are stored in the body’s tissue. Once exposed, the phosphates are absorbed rapidly by the skin, and symptoms occur shortly after. Early symptoms include nausea, vomiting, headaches, and dizziness. Acute exposure can lead to death, either by shutting down the central nervous system, mechanical asphyxiation, or mental impairment. The unpredictability of these chemicals in the body that we take in from plants and animals that have come into contact with the chemical either by consuming the toxin indirectly or plants being sprayed with it. These are some of the many reason to be cautious of organic phosphates.