Phytotoxins: Environmental Micropollutants of Concern?

摘要

In the early 1990s, Ames and colleagues evaluated the toxicological significance of human dietary exposures to synthetic chemicals in light of those to naturally occurring chemicals. They concluded that 99.99% of dietary pesticides are chemicals that plants produce to defend themselves. Consequently, natural toxins in food and feed are regulated by law in many countries. Ames et al. further stated that "Toxicological examination of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides and industrial pollutants, without similar examination of the chemicals in the natural world to use for comparison, has generated an imbalance in both data and perception about potential hazards to humans...". This article hypothesizes that the very same holds true for environmental exposure, and that consequently, the quoted sentence would need to expanded by "... and the environment".