Dioscorides, a Greek physician (40 to 90 A.D.) knew of the toxic properties of sulfur and of arsenic

1. HISTORY
OF INSECT
TOXICOLOGY
MICAH PORCAL ARELLADO
Course Instructor

2. ARELLADO, M. 2023

3. Early History of Pesticides
1550 B.C
1000 B. C
Sulfur is used by the Greeks
" ••• to purge the hall and
the house and the court“
(Odyssey XXII, 492-494
23 to 79 A.D.
Pliny the Elder collected in his
Natural History many anecdotes
on the use of pesticides in the
previous three or four centuries
(Shepard, 1939)
ARELLADO, M. 2023
The Ebers Papyrus
recorded lists of
preparations to expel
fleas from the house

4. Early History of Pesticides
40 to 90 A.D
900 A.D
Chinese were using arsenic
sulfides to control garden
insect
23 to 79 A.D.
Romans use Veratrum album and
nigrum, two species of false
hellebore as rodenticide (Shepard,
1939)
Dioscorides, a Greek
physician (40 to 90
A.D.) knew of the toxic
properties of sulfur
and of arsenic
ARELLADO, M. 2023

5. ARELLADO, M. 2023

6. Early History of Pesticides
1669
1763
Use of tobacco as contact
insecticide for plant lice was
mentioned later in
the same century
1807
Copper
compounds
were known
since 1807 to
have fungicidal
value
the earliest known record
of arsenic as an
insecticide in the
Western World
mentioned its use with
honey as an ant
1883
ARELLADO, M. 2023
Hydrocyanic acid, known to the
Egyptians and the Romans as a
poison, was used as a fumigant
to kill museum pests in insect
collections (Shepard, 1939)

7. ARELLADO, M. 2023

8. Early History of Pesticides
1854
1883
Carbon disulfide
has been used
as an
insect fumigant
WW2
pesticides were
mainly of
natural origin or
inorganic
compounds
1990’s
Pest Control
was
revolutionized
ARELLADO, M. 2023
Bordeaux
mixture
(hydrated lime
and copper
sulfate) was first
used in France

9. Year Discoveries
1930’s to 1940’s
DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane)
synthesized by a German graduate student 1873
Paul Muller, (Swiss) discovers insecticidal activity saves
many soldiers' lives during WWII (body lice - typhus)
control insect vectors of human disease in the tropics
such an impact on human health that Muller wins
1948 Nobel prize in medicine
During WWII both the Germans and the Allies working
on the development of organophosphates as nerve
gases. They discover the insecticidal properties of these
chemicals.
After WWII development of other chlorinated
hydrocarbons and organophosphates as pesticides.
Modern History of Pesticides
ARELLADO, M. 2023

10. Year Discoveries
1930’s to 1940’s
The first organic selective herbicides were being
developed, originally as a result of work on chemicals to
regulate plant growth:
1. 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA), 2,4-
dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D)
2. 4,6 dinitro-o-cresol (DNOC). The immediate impact was
on cereal crops and, to a much lesser extent, on peas
and grassland
1946 onwards
Age of Pesticides', divided by Metcalf (1980) into three
phases: the Era of Optimism (1946-1962), the Era of
Doubt (1962-1976) and the Era of Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) (1976-).
Modern History of Pesticides
ARELLADO, M. 2023

11. Year Discoveries
1940’s and the
early 1950’s
believed that generous doses of simple organics could
entirely eradicate pests and the problems they caused
1950’s early 60’s
"The Green Revolution"
Synthetic pesticides and fertilizers "the answer to world
hunger"
Trend away from understanding pest phenology,
density or damage potential and toward pure chemical
approach.
1962
"The Silent Spring"
Rachel Carson publishes the book "Silent Spring" and
brings the issue of pesticide safety to the attention of
the public:
1. Adverse effects on wildlife, water quality, human
health?
Modern History of Pesticides
ARELLADO, M. 2023

12. Year Discoveries
1962
2. DDT found in milk and foods (biomagnification)
3. Resistance of pests to pesticides ("super bugs" & weeds)
4. Response to book leads eventually to public policy
changes in 1970s.
1970s
Serious beginning of research on IPM approaches to
pest control
USDA creates nationwide IPM Program in Land Grant
Universities
EPA created & given jurisdiction over pesticide
registration & regulation
Institutes Pesticide Education Programs in Land Grant
Universities
Modern History of Pesticides
ARELLADO, M. 2023

13. Year Discoveries
1976
XVth International Congress of Entomology firmly
rejected the widespread use of broad-spectrum and
persistent pesticides in favor of an IPM approach.
1980s
Increase in IPM research
Beginning of genetic engineering applications in
agriculture
1990s
New genetically engineered Bt crops (corn, potatoes)
come into use
How will these fit into IPM programs?
Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) brings changes to
pesticide laws in US
New emphasis on softer, and/or more specifically
targeted, low-volume chemicals
Issues of children's health emphasized
Modern History of Pesticides
ARELLADO, M. 2023

14. Year Discoveries
2000
and
beyond
Pest management is
always changing
and we cannot
predict the future.
In fact, even in the
same time period,
people have
different ideas about
how pest
management should
be carried out.
Modern History of Pesticides
ARELLADO, M. 2023

15. References
ARELLADO, M. 2023
A Short History of Pest Management. 2022. Pennstate Extension.
College of Agricultural Sciences. The Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved
from: https://extension.psu.edu/a-short-history-of-pest-
management?fbclid=IwAR23J0OmlNaRnRqpM9kTEy-
SZdONDbH6TvjltPU688VEsyovlrZEqs8TJrg
Costa, L.G. 1bxicology of Pesticides: A Brief History. Department of
Environmental Health, SC-34
University of Washington
Handley, J. 2019. Pesticides - A brief history and analysis. Retrieved
from: https://www.pitchcare.com/news-media/pesticides-a-brief-history-and-
analysis.html?fbclid=IwAR0-
B92ynsNYop82y2qllft2E3NxsDLDxMK4D7HxdLVR_9RojZiGI0ggD0I

16. ARELLADO, M. 2023