On this page: Pesticides are chemicals used to eliminate or
control unwanted or harmful insects, plants, fungi, animals, or
microorganisms in order to protect food crops and other plants.
Some pesticides have been classified as carcinogens. Chlordane
and dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) are possible human
carcinogens. General studies of people with high exposures to
pesticides, such as farmers, pesticide applicators,
manufacturers, and crop dusters, have found high rates of blood
and lymphatic system cancers; cancers of the lip, stomach, lung,
brain, and prostate; as well as melanoma and other skin cancers.
Possible carcinogens, pesticides chlordane and DDT and their
metabolites, measured in human blood. Chlordane was measured in
three metabolites. Concentrations of chlordane (and its
metabolite, oxychlordane) rose from 1999 to 2002 and then
dropped from 2003–2004; chlordane metabolites trans-nonachlor
and heptachlor epoxide have been on a more constant and steady
decline from 1999–2004. Blood concentrat