The diseases we're beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of this century and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin. They also include rodenticides and wood preservatives. During application pesticides drift and settle on ponds, laundry, toys, pools and furniture. The rest runs off into water or dissipates in the air. More serious effects appear to be produced by direct inhalation of pesticide sprays than by absorption or ingestion of toxins.
Some pesticides become even more toxic as they break down.
Pesticides initiate and propagate multiple chemical sensitivities. Children, infants and fetuses - relative to adults, children have more rapid breathing and metabolic rates, greater surface to body mass ratios, thinner skins, spend more time in contact with the ground, more frequently place their fingers in their mouths, and are less likely to be able to read hazard signs. Animals - pets, wildlife of all kinds and their habitat. Birds die after eating granular pesticides. Simultaneous exposures frequently cause synergistic effects, where toxicities of individual toxins can be vastly magnified.