摘要: Pesticides, especially persistent organochlorine insecticides, have conferred tremendous benefits on mankind, not only controlling the arthropod vectors of serious human diseases which have claimed millions of lives, but by greatly increasing the yields of many crops. On the other hand, during the last three decades, the use of various kinds of pesticides all over the world has increased 40-fold (1), and subsequently man has become increasingly exposed to these chemicals. Therefore, the spread of these organic chemicals throughout all parts of the environment will be a cause for anxiety until we know more about their persistence, distribution and ecological effects on human beings and animals. It is still open to question whether or not continuous exposure to minimal levels of pesticides is sufficient to cause deleterious effects in the general population, or effects which will be manifested in future generations. The structures of a number of pesticides or their metabolites and/or trace impurities, degradation, and transformation products suggest an a priori mutagenic and/or carcinogenic risk (2). For various halogenated hydrocarbons and herbicidal precursors, eg carbamates and triazines, of nitrosoamines and nitroso derivatives, it has been confirmed that they possess such characteristics (2-5). Mammalian reproductive organs are affected by pesticides which induce changes in the steroid-dependent organs such as the uterus, prostate gland, and even the central nervous system (6-13). Abnormalities of the reproductive system occur because of damage to the hypothalamic-adenohypophyseal axis. Modern organic synthetic chemicals of the …