SOURCE: Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology, 49,
107-112 (1979)
Once malathion enters the body, it needs to be removed so harm is minimized.
This is the job performed in part by enzymes in the liver of all organisms.
However, this research showed that the malathion impurities - to quote the scientists
- "diminish the activities of the enzymes involved in the malathion detoxification."
In other words, the impurities damage the body's natural way of detoxifying
the poison with the end result being the chemical stays in the body for longer
periods of time when exposure is to the technical grade malathion and especially
if subjected to heat and long duration storage.
Division of Toxicology and Physiology, University of California, Riverside
Malathion undergoes a chemical reaction in sunlight called "photolysis" which results in increasing the formation of the highly toxic trimethyl impurities.
Journal of Agricultural Food & Chemistry, 27(6):1423
SOURCE: SCIENCE NEWS, March 9, 1996
According to a report by the Washington, D.C. based group, World Resources Institute
(WRI), many pesticides appear to be increasing the incidence of infections,
pneumonia, ear infections, and tuberculosis. The three pesticides listed as
causing this problem were DDT, malathion, and the pesticide aldicarb. A summary
of the report, appearing in the March 9, 1996 issue of Science News, outlined
many of the studies linking pesticides with weakening of the immune system.
One of the groups commissioned researchers, Dr. Lyudmila Kovtyukh, of the Academy
of Sciences in Kishinev, Moldova (a republic between Romania and Ukraine), found
that children living in areas where pesticides had been most heavily applied
experienced elevated rates of acute respiratory diseases (including pneumonia),
as well as many other signs of immune system weakness. If you would like to
read the entire March 9, 1996, SCIENCE NEWS article, it has been placed on the
internet by SCIENCE NEWS and can be seen by clicking Science News Immune System
Toxicology.
SOURCE: The Journal of Immunology, 140(2):564-570
Technical grade malathion contains chemical impurities which have been found
to weaken immune system function, including a weakening of a type of white blood
cell called "cytotoxic lymphocytes" (which attack cancer cells and
virus infected cells). The picture at right shows six of these white cytotoxic
lymphocytes (let's call them CTL's for short) successfully attacking a cancer
cell (National Geographic). These lymphocytes can also attack viruses in the
body. Malathion has now been shown to significantly weaken the CTL's ability
to perform their job effectively.
Chem-Tox Comments: Obviously, the consequences of
not having lymphocytes remove viruses or cancer efficiently could result from
either mild to serious health disorders.
University of Virginia
Inhibition of Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte and Natural Killer Cell Mediated Lysis
by OSS-Trimethyl Phosphorodithioate is at an Early Postrecognition Step.
http://www.chem-tox.com/malathion/research/index.htm